Reiley McDonald

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm LEXINGTON, KY - During a session dominated for much of the day by the short yearlings, the supplemented broodmare Sebago Lake (Tapit) jumped to the lead in the final hips when selling for $700,000 to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm. Overall, through two days of the four-day auction, 430 head have grossed $31,596,700 for an average of $73,481 and a median of $30,500. With continued strength at the top of the market, the Book 1 average dipped just 3.39% from a year ago, but...

LEXINGTON, KY - A bevy of high-priced yearlings provided a late spark to the first Book 3 session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, but the auction--which had kept pace with its record-setting 2022 renewal during Books 1 and 2--lost a bit of its steam as it entered into its second week Saturday. A total of 289 yearlings sold Saturday for $46,697,000. The average of $163,849 dipped 7.3% from last year's Book 3 opener and the median fell 7.1% to $130,000. The buy-back rate remained steady at 22%. During the...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis The Keeneland September Yearling Sale opened with a packed pavilion and plenty of bidding from a diverse buying bench ultimately producing eight seven-figure sales led by a $2.3-million daughter of Into Mischief. At the end of the session, numbers were largely in line with the figures from the opening session of last year's record-breaking auction. "We were all biting our nails a little bit thinking about being measured up to last year's sale which was so phenomenal," said Keeneland President Shannon Arvin. "But the...

Perhaps it is called the Hopeful Stakes because that's the most anyone can ever be with a Thoroughbred. But if nearly any purchaser at Keeneland over the next couple of weeks would like to be contesting that race, a year from now, then one consignor might give them not just hope but something closer to confidence. Okay, so a trifecta for Eaton Sales graduates in the Saratoga Grade I last year featured only the winner, Forte (Violence), from the 2021 Keeneland September Sale. Runner-up Gulfport (Uncle Mo) and third Blazing...

One of the largest consignors in the Thoroughbred industry, Eaton Sales plans to reduce the number of horses it will offer for sale by approximately half in 2023, Reiley McDonald told the TDN Thursday, citing a renewed focus on quality versus quantity. "We have been concerned with the growing number of horses we've been selling the past few years, even though I think our staff has done it as well or better as any other large consignor," said McDonald, "but I believe we can offer our clients, buyers and the...

Jay Goodwin, formerly of Eaton Sales and previously a partner in Select Sales Agency, has been hired by Gary Broad's Walmac Farm and will join the operation's stallion sales department. "Moving into stallions wasn't something I was even thinking about, but when I spoke with Gary and heard his excitement and the plans that he has for the future of Walmac, it was something that I definitely wanted to be a part of," said Goodwin. "Although I am thoroughly excited about this exciting new opportunity, I will miss my role...

Separated by just one year in age, Bellafina (Quality Road -Akron Moon, by Malibu Moon) and Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo - Coin Broker {Ire}, by Montjeu {Ire}) were both $800,000 2-year-old purchases for owner-breeder Kaleem Shah. Both were brilliant juveniles on the racetrack, with one becoming a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut and the other winning a pair of Grade I contests at two, and they each went on to achieve further graded stakes success throughout their careers. Retired from racing after their 2020 campaigns, they now both have one...

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY - Demand for horses remained high across the board as the Book 2 section of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale concluded Friday in Lexington. "Today was pretty spectacular from start to finish," Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said Friday evening. "It was a very strong day all the way through. We sense some frustration on the part of buyers with the momentum from September carrying through to November." A total of 475 head sold during the two Book 2...

There have been several horses over the past 100 years of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale to summon big price tags, eclipsing the $500,000 mark, in the Humphrey S. Finney pavilion and then go on to be quite successful on the racetrack. The siblings of four such Thoroughbreds are part of the catalogue for the famed auction's centennial edition to be held at the Spa Aug. 9-10. The 2017 GI Belmont S. winner Tapwrit (Tapit) summoned $1.2-million at the Saratoga Sale back in 2015 from a partnership comprised of Bridlewood Farm,...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale's two-session Book 3 section concluded with another day of steady trade Friday in Lexington. Bill Betz made the day's highest bid, going to $270,000 late in the day to acquire the racing/ broodmare prospect Divine Queen (Divine Park) from the Trackside Farm consignment. The mare was one of four to bring $200,000 or more during the session. While only 292 of the 401 catalogued head went through the ring Friday, 235 sold for a buy-back rate of just 19.52%. Through the...

TIMONIUM, MD - The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale got underway with an abbreviated session Monday afternoon which opened with an offering of 154 catalogued New York-breds and featured the session's two six-figure transactions. Just minutes into the action, Vicki and Mike McGowan's Xtreme Racing Stables purchased the day's top-priced offering when going to $160,000 to acquire a colt from the first crop of Grade I winner Cupid (hip 4). The yearling was consigned by Eaton Sales. "We put him here because we thought he would be a bigger fish...

Thank you, Mark Casse. It's great when a person of stature and respect in this business takes a stand against a problem infecting our sport. Clenbuterol has long been flying under the radar in its use in Thoroughbreds of all ages. To my understanding, it is not a critical medication and should be abolished. Mark's comments say it all for the racing side. As for its use in sales prep for weanlings and yearlings, there is absolutely no place for it. I have heard the stories of people using and...