Nick Hines

Poster Girl (Excellent Art {GB}), a stakes-placed broodmare in foal to California stallion Halladay, sold for $70,000 to top Tuesday's California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Winter Mixed Sale at Fairplex. The 10-year-old, consigned by Checkmate Thoroughbreds, was purchased by Cedros Bloodstock. She has a yearling filly by More Than Ready. The highest-priced 2-year-old at the sale was Rachael's Ride (Clubhouse Ride-Slalom, by Bodemeister). Purchased for $43,000 by Nick J. Hines, agent for M. Nentwig, the Cal-bred was bred in California by Tony Busching and Carol Busching. Hines and Nentwig also combined...

by Brian DiDonato & Katie Ritz Regally bred 3-year-old filly Trapezium (Hard Spun) (hip 26) topped Keeneland's first-ever digital auction, the Select Horses of Racing Age sale, Tuesday on a winning bid of $327,000 from Vinnie Viola's St. Elias Stables. A Gulfstream maiden special weight runner-up in February, the granddaughter of blue hen Toussaud was consigned by her owner/breeder, Juddmonte Farms, Inc. The Juddmonte draft was responsible for four or the sale's top five lots at the close of trade. "The successful launch of the Digital Sales Ring marks a...

Even if most racing is delayed, we're all hoping it will get underway sometime this spring or early summer, if for no other reason than so we can all find out the answer to our annual favorite question. We surveyed some top judges on who their leading first-crop sire is, and to give us some under-the-radar picks as well. NICK HINES Uncle Mo will have a really good look as a "sire of sires" this year with Laoban, Outwork and Nyquist all entering the breeding shed as freshman sires in...