Greg Kilka

Just days after he was represented by his eighth individual winner from his first crop, Spendthrift freshman sire Vekoma was responsible for a New Jersey-bred colt who was knocked down to Chris Gracie's Gracie Bloodstock for $150,000 to top Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training in Timonium, Maryland. While last year's inaugural sale featured a $500,000 topper, four six-figure horses and turnover in excess of $2.5 million, Tuesday's trade was considerably more subdued. From a catalogue that was approximately 20% leaner than 12 months prior, a total...

Bred in New Jersey, Book 'em Danno (Bucchero) is a 3-year-old, has been beaten only once in five starts, has won three stakes and is coming off a career-best effort when beating up on five inferior rivals in the Jan. 13 Pasco S. at Tampa Bay Downs. With most owners and trainers, to have a horse like that would mean they'd be hyper-focused on getting to the GI Kentucky Derby. But not trainer Derek Ryan or the partnership that races under the name of Atlantic Six Racing LLC. They're headed...

Book'em Danno (Bucchero) was a tough-luck loser of Aqueduct's one-mile Nashua S. when last seen 2 1/2 months ago, but atoned for that first career defeat in no uncertain terms with a thoroughly dominating victory in Saturday's Pasco S. at Tampa. Hovering around 2-5 and 1-2 for the bulk of the wagering, the tote showed 1-9 when the gates flew and the New Jersey-bred was content to take back off the pace of debut winner Banded Rocket (Malibu Moon) and El Principito (Accelerate), who matched motors through decent fractions of...

(Story courtesy of The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey) New Jersey-based breeder Greg Kilka knew the odds were not in his favor when he arrived at the 2020 Keeneland January Sale. A small-time owner and breeder with a modest budget, what chance did he have of coming home with a horse that could be life-changing? He was playing the lottery. "I didn't have unlimited resources," he said. What he did have was $14,000, what it cost to buy an unraced mare named Adorabella (Ghostzapper) in foal to Fast Anna...

A $135,000 Classic Empire half-brother to a pair of recent stakes winners set the pace as the third hip through the ring during the first of two sessions of Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale Monday and maintained that position throughout the afternoon. At the end of trade, a total of 91 head had changed hands for gross receipts of $2,212,500. The average was $24,313, down from $27,222 during last year's corresponding session; while the median also dipped, from $14,000 last year to $11,500. The buyback rate was 19.5%--not far off...