By Ray Paulick
Flanders, the 1994 Eclipse Award-winning juvenile filly who defeated stablemate Serena’s Song in one of the most exciting editions of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies ever run, was euthanized in mid-February after complications arose following a paddock accident in December at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky.
The daughter of Seeking the Gold out of the Storm Bird mare Starlet Storm had been purchased by Coolmore boss John Magnier for $400,000 from the Overbrook Farm dispersal, with Eaton Sales as agent, during the Keeneland November breeding stock sale in 2009. She was 18 at the time of her death.
Bred and owned by the late William T. Young’s Overbrook Farm and trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Flanders finished first in all five of her starts at two, including four Grade 1 races—the Spinaway, Matron, Frizette and Juvenile Fillies. A positive test for the therapeutic medication isoxsuprine, used for circulation problems in a horse’s foot—disqualified Flanders from her victory in the Matron.
While she finished first by a combined margin of 36 1/2 lengths in her first four races (including a 21-length win in the Frizette), it was her duel against Serena’s Song–who went on to win an Eclipse Award the following year and later induction into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame—that endeared Flanders to so many racing fans and horsemen. Hooked throughout the 1 1/16-mile Juvenile Fillies by Serena’s Song and appearing beaten in the final furlong, Flanders dug down and battled back to win by a head over her stablemate in what proved to be her final race. She pulled up lame under jockey Pat Day after the finish and never made it back to the winner’s circle. Flanders had surgery the following day for a displaced condylar fracture of the cannon bone and an axial fracture of the sesamoid in her right front ankle. She was subsequently retired to Overbrook Farm.
Click here to see a video of the Flanders-Serena’s Song duel in the Breeders’ Cup.
Flanders’ first foal, Surfside, a daughter of Seattle Slew went on to be a multiple Grade 1 winner and champion 3-year-old filly of 2000. She produced several other winners, including Battle Plan, a 5-year-old son of Empire Maker who has won three of four starts for trainer Todd Pletcher and is aiming for the Oaklawn Park Handicap this spring following an impressive allowance win at Gulfstream Park Feb. 18. He is one of a small number of horses bred by Overbrook that were not included in the dispersal.
Flanders produced a Bernardini colt last month, but developed complications from the paddock accident and could not be saved. Thoroughbred Times reported she developed laminitis. The colt has been placed with a nursemare.
“Flanders was a gorgeous mare,” said Chris Young, the grandson of William T. Young who manages the remaining Overbrook horses. “She was one of my absolute favorites—probably had the best personality of any mare I’ve ever been around. I understand she was the one mare John Magnier really wanted from our dispersal, and it’s really a shame they lost her.”
By Ray Paulick Please click here to donate to Breeders’ Cup Charities benefiting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and V Foundation for Cancer Research. Give a minimum of one penny per mile and you will be eligible for a drawing to win one of 10 Breeders’ Cup caps to be signed by the winning jockeys of all 14 Breeders’ Cup races this Friday and Saturday.
Saturday was supposed to be strictly a driving day for the BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive, but Brad Cummings and I never met a racetrack we didn’t like, so when we saw that Will Rogers Downs was just a couple miles from the Claremore, Okla., exit on I-64, we felt compelled to stop.
The fundraising drive, done in partnership with Breeders’ Cup Charities, will benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
There was no live racing going on at WRD, but plenty of slot machines, simulcasting and a friendly staff. We even saw a patron arriving on horseback—not something you see every day.
The simulcast room was relatively full, and we talked with one of the regulars, a fellow who looked like a love child of Yosemite Sam and ZZ Top. He was a serious player, bringing a briefcase full of trip notes on tracks around the country, but said he was looking forward to the live meeting that begins at WRD in February. “The racing’s gotten pretty good here,” he said. “Some of the horses from the Fair Grounds and Oaklawn Park will show up.”
This is one of those racetracks that probably wouldn’t be in business were it not for slot machines, or in this case Indian gaming. Will Rogers Downs is owned by the Cherokee Nation, one of three Indian tribes that own racetracks in Oklahoma. The Choctaw Nation owns Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw. That’s the track where jockey Mark Pace died earlier this month. Since that tragedy, the Choctaws announced they will be closing the track because of economic reasons related to the track’s location.
Tomorrow, we’ll be visiting Remington Park, which recently was purchased by Global Gaming Solutions, a subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation. No track has taken ahold of the bit on raising funds for the BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST drive like Remington Park has, and I think we’ve got an exciting and gratifying day ahead of us tomorrow. Scott Wells and his staff have gone above and beyond any of our wildest expectations, and we owe a special thanks to Joy Rose Murphy, the track’s promotions coordinator.
I’m not sure I’ll feel the same way after tomorrow’s “Hippity Hop” race, when Brad and I mount giant rubber balls and bounce our way down the track against members of the local jockey colony. But if you’re going to be humiliated, you might as well do it for a good cause.
On a serious note: If our experiences with Remington Park under its new ownership are any indication, horse racing is going to benefit from the Chickasaws’ involvement in the industry. It appears they understand the value of good corporate citizenship.
The visit with Michael Straight and his family at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago will be with us for a long time. Sadly, just in the last 24 hours we’ve learned of more spills and mishaps involving jockeys, beginning with an accident at Keeneland involving Julia Brimo, a Sovereign Award winner as leading apprentice in Canada. She was listed in critical condition at a Lexington hospital. Apprentice Amanda Casey, who earlier on Friday at Aqueduct celebrated her first win of the meeting, ended up at a New York hospital with a bruised liver after getting kicked in a paddock mishap. Earlier today, we learned that Omar Moreno was involved in a spill at Woodbine in Canada.
The beat goes on, and so does the industry’s need to help provide for jockeys who are permanently disabled from riding accidents. If you haven’t made a donation to Breeders’ Cup Charities to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the V Foundation for Cancer Research, please do so by clicking here.
After Friday’s visit with the Straight family, we headed south and encountered heavy rainfall alongo the way. We thought we’d stop in and catch some racing at Fairmount Park’s simulcast room late in the afternoon, but didn’t bring our waders to walk through the parking lot to the front door. Apparently we’d just missed a heavy storm that flooded the parking lot and other businesses in the St. Louis area.
Our Saturday began with a tasty breakfast at a Waffle House in Springfield, Mo., in the Ozarks. I thought I’d walked into a bizarre rehearsal for the Rocky Horror Picture Show, but Brad reminded me that it was Halloween morning, and the crew was just having a little fun. Too bad. I think the Rocky Horror Waffle House could be the next big thing in the franchise world.
Sponsors for the Chicago to Oklahoma City portion of this fundraising drive are: Global Gaming Solutions and Remington Park; Terry Finley and his West Point Thoroughbreds partners; Tommy Simon’s Vinery; and Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm.
Sponsors for our previous segments were
TVG; Bill Casner and WinStar Farm; Barry Irwin of Team Valor International; Kate Lantaff of Tahoma Stud; the William S. Farish’s Lane’s End, Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley, Brereton C. Jones’ Airdrie Stud and the Young family’s Overbrook Farm.
A special thanks to our media partner TVG and the TVG’s online community for playing such a big part in promoting the drive and raising awareness and money for these charities. All sponsorship dollars go directly to Breeders’ Cup Charities, to be divided evenly between the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
Our first day of the BC or Bust trip has started off with a bang. We were fortunate to have about ten jockeys attend an autograph signing including stars Kent Desormeaux, Jon Court, Robby Albarado and Julien Leparoux. We sold nearly 100 hats with all the proceeds of course are going to our two charities, the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and The V Foundation for Cancer Research.
These proceeds are great and will add nicely to the over $20,000 we have already raised privately. A special thanks to our Keeneland to Chicago segment sponsors Lane’s End Farm, Darley, Airdrie Stud and Overbrook Farm for coming through with a generous donation to the charities. The outpouring of support has been remarkable but we still have more money to raise. If you are interested in sponsoring a leg of our trip, drop us an email at info@paulickreport.com. If you would like to give a smaller amount, you can always make secure credit card donation on the Breeders’ Cup Charities page linked here.
It only took two hours into our journey for Ray to cop out so this first blog falls on the shoulders of his humble correspondent, Brad Cummings. I’ve become accustomed to carrying his water so nothing new on my front!
According to Mike Wolken who works at the Equestrian Room, the best bet of the day is the grilled rueben sandwich here. That seems to be a safe bet as Tom Leach, voice of Kentucky Wildcats football and basketball lost his first bet on the opening race with a win bet on the four horse. Here’s to hoping that was our only stroke of bad luck today!
Please drop any suggestions you might have in the comments section below.
A few video clips from today. First is a quick look at the autograph lineup of jockeys. Some of the best in the world are here at Keeneland.
Second is a great interview with Kent Desormeaux who was gracious enough to give his time. (Due to user error, the first 20 seconds were chopped off. I promise this will be my first and last mistake over the next 10 days…)
Two races down and few more bets have failed. Our TVG Community friend Angelo missed on his first leg of the Pick 4, going with the 4 and 11 horses. No worries though, he’s got a couple more bets to go. Due to our association with TVG, we’ve been able to include a couple of their top community handicappers and look forward to much success on their bets.
Be sure to catch Tom Leach and Ray on TVG as they talk about the BC or Bust fundraising drive right after the third race at Keeneland.
Ray’s got his first bet of the day in the fourth race on the three horse. Looks like Tom is going for the ten. Both would be great for our charity drive. May the best man win! (Appropriate that Tom would pick a horse named flexthegoldenpipes since he’s a radio guy)
And another poor showing. We’re bleeding here folks. On a side note, Petecarol won the race. Ray’s wife’s name is Carol and a USC grad. For those of you who don’t know, Pete Carroll happens to be the name of the USC football head coach. I think Ray might be in the dog house for not catching on to the obvious sign here.
By Ray Paulick TO SAY THE WAGERING SELECTIONS HAVE BEEN COLD would be an understatement. My solo wager of the day, Doubles Partner, broke a bit slowly and then rushed up to engage for the lead around the turn. But the son of Rock Hard Ten paid for his early efforts and had nothing left when Petecarol cruised past at the top of the stretch.
Tom Leach, who was kind enough to take time from his busy schedule to go one-on-one with me in a handicapping challenge (he’s calling a Blue-White University of Kentucky basketball scrimmage later today on WLAP/630 and 98.1 FM The Bull) hasn’t had much luck, either, but we’ll both be swinging in the seventh race. Our TVG community partner, Angelo Lieto, has his big bet of the day in the eighth, on the Indian Charlie filly Silver Time.
In the seventh, Tom and I both are trying to beat the favorite, the Bernstein filly Orchestrator, and we’ve wound up on the same horse: Check the Label, a daughter of Stormin’ Fever owned by Brereton Jones and trained by Graham Motion. I’ll not only be playing a straight bet on Check the Label, but I’ll be pulling for the filly because Jones’ Airdrie Stud is one of the four sponsors for the first leg of this fundraising drive, along with Lane’s End, Darley and Overbrook Farm.
Julien Leparoux will be riding Check the Label. He was one of the many jockeys who took time out of their schedule earlier today to sign Breeders’ Cup caps in front of the Keeneland gift shop. Proceeds, as Brad Cummings mentioned, go the two charities.
At the end of the autograph line was Robby Albarado, who was showing the effects of a nasty spill at Keeneland the weekend before last when he went down and was kicked in the eye. This was one of those spills that could have been devastating, and Robby was lucky to escape with "only" an eye completely swollen shut.
Sitting next to Robby in the autograph line was Kent Desormeaux, who lost the hearing in his right ear from a spill 17 years ago. He’s come back and is riding at the top of his game, but both riders know the dangers of their profession and how important it is to have a safety net in the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.
Just 10 minutes to post before our last bet of the day, and unless our TVG online community friend Angelo Lieto is correct, we could be shut out on the day, a tough way to start this portion of the fundraising drive. Silver Time, his pick, Silver Time, has been bet down from her 8-1 morning line to 9-2 with just a few minutes to post time. A win by Silver Time and Jesus Castanon for trainer Larry Jones and the Cottonwood Stables will give us a profit on the day. A loss puts us in a hole that we’ll have to dig out of tomorrow at Hawthorne.
Well, no complaints. Silver Time ran a good race, just not good enough to win. She got a good trip from the inside, bid for the lead turning into the stretch, and was simply outfinished by the late-running Diamond Song, an Unbridled’s Song filly owned and bred by diamond explorer Charles Fipke. Diamond Song was ridden by Kent Desormeaux and trained by Dallas Stewart.
No one said picking winners would be easy. We’ll take our swings tomorrow in Chicago. For Brad and me, it’s our kind of town, Chicago.
Thanks again to the management and staff of Keeneland for helping us launch the BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive, and thanks to the jockeys who gave their time to meet fans and autograph Breeders’ Cup caps, TVG for helping promote the fundraiser and to Tom Leach and TVG online community member Angelo Lieto.
And a special thanks to the four sponsors of this segment of the journey: William S. Farish’s Lane’s End, Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley, Brereton C. Jones’ Airdrie Stud and the Young family’s Overbrook Farm for their generosity toward the two charities.
Please consider a donation of any amount to Breeders’ Cup Charities, to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Click here to donate.
By Ray Paulick At the suggestion of a Paulick Report reader who thinks the market declines at Monday’s opening session of the Keeneland September yearling sale were overstated, we’ve done a comparison that includes figures from the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale from 2008 and 2009 and the first day of Keeneland from both years.So before we begin Tuesday’s live blog from Keeneland, we’ll spend a few minutes going over those numbers.
The assumption, and one repeated by more than a few people on the sale grounds, is that Keeneland lost some of its book one yearlings to the Saratoga sale, which was revitalized this year by Fasig-Tipton’s new, deep-pocketed owner, Dubai-based Synergy Investments. With a lot of help from Sheikh Mohammed, friend of the new owner and the industry’s leading buyer, the Saratoga sale jumped 45.6% in gross receipts and 11.1% in average, defying the trends at nearly every other Thoroughbred auction. The sale ended up with an average of $328,434, 29% higher than the opening day’s average at Keeneland. Last year’s Saratoga average was $295,738, 18.7% lower than the opening day average at Keeneland.
Do we have something of a role reversal under way?
Adding last year’s Saratoga numbers to the 2008 opening session at Keeneland gives us a total of 276 yearlings sold (122 at Saratoga, 154 at Keeneland) for $94,127,000 ($38,080,000 at Saratoga, $56,047,000 at Keeneland), an average blended price of $341,039.
This year’s two sessions of Saratoga and the opening session of Keeneland saw a combined 267 yearlings sell (160 Saratoga, 107 Keeneland) for $77,498,500 ($52,549,500 Saratoga, $24,949,000 Keeneland), an average price of $290,257.
Thus, the gross revenue from these three select sessions is down 17.7% from 2008 and the average has declined by 14.9%.
I’m not trying to sugarcoat what happened Monday. For those who remember the late 1980s and early ‘90s, yesterday’s session was reminiscent of that era when many breeders were selling yearlings for less than the stud fee invested in them–just cutting their losses. The difference today is that the racing industry, the economic engine at the foundation of Thoroughbred breeding, is lurching through troubled waters. The economics of horse ownership are worse today than they were in the late 1980s, and the crisis within the global economy only makes matters more dire.
Incidentally, just because Sheikh Mohammed stepped up his investments at Saratoga, it didn’t mean there was any slowdown for him at Keeneland. His agent, John Ferguson, led all buyers Monday with 14 bought for $5,152,000, and it will be interesting to see if any of the other foreign-based purchases will end up carrying his Darley or Godolphin colors on the track.
Here are a few addition numbers to ponder:
Taylor Made, Monday’s leading consignor, offered 38 yearlings, and half were bought back and listed as RNA. Eaton Sales (excluding the five Overbrook yearlings that sold without reserves) offered 16 and bought nine back. Three Chimneys offered eight and bought five back. Some smaller consignments like Chesapeake (3 offered), Man o’ War (three) and Middlebrook Farm (2) bought all their horses back.
A few consignors had better luck: Brereton Jones offered six and bought back just one. Gainesway sold four of five offered; Lane’s End sold 14 of 18 and Warrendale sold all four, and Claiborne, Narvick and T. Wayne Sweezey and partners all were 3-for-3 in sales from their Monday offerings.
Will a reset button change things Tuesday? Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland’s director of sales, said his staff believes there are some potential breakout yearlings catalogued today, but he said the same thing about Monday’s book.
We’ll find out soon enough.
11:40 a.m. … Today’s live blog is just like the sale itself–a bit slow to get going. I spent the first hour wandering the grounds and talking with buyers and consignors, and there are very few optimists in this crowd. The negative forces at work include the global economy, market volatility, the credit squeeze, the disappearance of investment money for pinhookers, troubles in the racing industry, a shortage of new owners and departure of some existing ones…you name it. One horseman who buys and sells, after perusing Monday’s results sheet, said: “We should be bowing to Sheikh Mohammed for doing his best to hold this sale up. If it wasn’t for him–and he’s buying horses through other agents besides John Ferguson–it would be a lot worse than it already is, and it’s bad enough.”
Speaking of Sheikh Mohammed, he helped break through the seven-figure ceiling that seemed almost a psychological barrier for the first 245 Hips catalogued. Standing alongside the ruler of Dubai, Ferguson signed the ticket for a $1 million filly by Unbridled’s Song out of the Strawberry Road mare, Strawberry Reason, consigned by Stone Farm as agent. The filly is a half sister to champion Vindication.
12:10 p.m. … Last year’s second session of the Keeneland September yearling sale was a bit stronger in average price than the first day, with 146 yearlings selling for $57,310,000, an average price of $392,534 and a median of $300,000.
The cumulative figures for the first two days in 2008 were: 300 sold for $113,357,000, an average of $377,857 and a median of $300,000.
So far in today’s second session, including the first 40 catalogued, 22 yearlings have sold for $6,600,000, an average of $300,000 and median of $247,500 (the average includes the only $1 million horse sold thus far). There have been 12 RNAs, 35.3% (at an average price of $156,667), somewhat better than Monday’s opening session. The average and median are both up from Monday, too, but still significantly down from 2008.
12:30 p.m. … With the two select sessions nearly 65% complete (Hips 1-268 of the 418 catalogued), here are the cumulative numbers (comparable figures are listed above in the 12:10 p.m. update): 141 sold sold for $34,294,000, an average of $243,220 and median price of $200,000. The number bought back stands at 95, or 40.3% of those through the ring. Today’s RNAs are running at 37%.
2:20 p.m. … Here’s a new one. Hip 296, an Elusive Quality colt that was selected for book one of the Keeneland sale, left the ring without a single bid being made on it. I haven’t seen that before during the select sessions. A short time earlier, when Hip 280, a Giant’s Causeway colt, left the ring, he sold for just $5,000. It’s an unforgiving market.
Through Hip 310 (the session ends at Hip 418), the average for Tuesday was $270,756 and the median was identical to Monday’s $200,000. There have been 32 RNAs, a buyback rate of 36%. The buybacks have averaged $153,563. Today’s average is down 31% from 2008’s comparable session. It’s improved, but it’s hard to find many smiling faces around here.
2:35 p.m. … That was a pleasant deja vu. John Magnier vs. Sheikh Mohammed, just like in the days of old. The two international Thoroughbred giants hooked up in the first battle royal of the sale, Hip 342, a Storm Cat colt out of the Indian Charlie mare Fleet Indian, consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency on behalf of the Summer Wind Farm of Frank and Jane Lyons, brought a final bid of $2,050,000 from Sheikh Mohammed and agent Ferguson, who were standing out back in their usual spot. Magnier, who is usually just a few paces behind the sheikh’s entourage by the horse path near the back ring, had slipped inside the pavilion to do his bidding, according to sources. The final price more than doubled the sale’s previous high of $1 million. The colt is the first foal out of Fleet Indian, a winner of 13 of 19 starts and champion older mare in North America.
3:20 p.m. … How would this sale be going without Sheikh Mohammed? His agent, John Ferguson, has signed 15 tickets Tuesday for yearlings totaling $7,830,000, roughly one-third of the day’s gross receipts. That brings Sheikh Mohammed’s two-day total to 29 yearlings purchased in the name of Ferguson, plus an unspecified number that may have been bought through associates and other agents. The $2,050,000 sale-topping Storm Cat colt has helped increase the day’s average to $289,720 from 82 lots sold. The receipts so far total $23,757,000. There have been 42 RNAs from the first 124 through the ring, a percentage of 33%. The median is $222,500.
3:45 p.m. … With about 30 horses left to sell, here are the cumulative numbers for the first two days of the Keeneland September yearling sale: 198 sold for $50,961,000, an average price of $257,379 and median of $210,000. There have been 52 yearlings withdrawn and 123 listed as RNAs, a cumulative buyback rate of 38.3%. (For comparison with 2008’s select sessions, see today’s blog update at 12:10 p.m.)
It is almost certain the average for the two Keeneland select sessions will fall below the $328,434 average price of Fasig-Tipton’s 2009 Saratoga sale. That’s the first time since 1999 that Saratoga’s yearling sale average topped the select sessions at Keeneland September. Back in 1999, however, Keeneland still had a July select yearling sale where many of the top offerings were sold. That sale was suspended in 2003.
We’ll  report on the final numbers around 6 p.m.
6:15 p.m. … “It’s a reflection of the world…it speaks for itself,” Keeneland’s director of sales Geoffrey Russell said after the final hammer came down on the two select sessions of the 2009 Keeneland September yearling sale. The numbers on Tuesday’s second session improved across the board from Monday, but the comparisons to previous years and the cold, hard facts left many breeders reeling.
The number sold over the two days, 222, was down 26% from last year’s 300 sold, Gross receipts of $58,756,000 reflected a 48.2% drop from 2008’s $113,357,000. The average of $264,667 was a decline of 30.0% from $377,857 last yeawr and the median price, $215,000, fell 28.3% from $300,000 in 2008.
There were 137 horses bought back by consignors from the 359 through the ring, an RNA rate of 38.2%, up substantially from the 30.1% buybacks in 2008.
Tuesday’s comparative figures with 2008 were 115 sold for $33,807,000, an average of $293,974 and median price of $250,000. Those numbers represent a 41% decline in gross receipts, a 25.1% drop in average and a $16.7% fall in median from 2008’s 146 sold for $57,310,000, an average of $392,534 and median of $300,000. Tuesday’s 62 buybacks were 35% of the 177 offered, up slightly from the 32.1% RNAs at the second session in 2008.
There were three seven-figure yearlings sold Tuesday (none Monday), topped by the $2,050,000 Storm Cat colt purchased by Sheikh Mohammed’s agent, John Ferguson, the leading buyer of the select sessions with 31 purchases totaling $13,460,000. It was the fewest million-dollar yearlings sold at the September sale since 1997, when two brought seven figures.
Ferguson told the Paulick Report that Sheikh Mohammed purchased additional horses through other agents, including Blandford Bloodstock, the sale’s fourth leading buyer (11 for $2,742,000) but that he was uncertain of the total number. Ferguson said he would attend at least a portion of Wednesday’s first non-select session before leaving Lexington.
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Combining the two days of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale in August with the Keeneland September select session, there were 382 yearlings sold in 2009, compared with 422 last year. The 2009 combined average of the two sales was $291,375, a decline of 18.8%. Gross receipts in 2009 were $111,305,500, a 26.5% drop from the combined FT Saratoga and Keeneland September select gross of $151,437,000 last year.In 2008, Keeneland’s market share of the combined gross receipts with FT Saratoga was 74.9%, with FT’s share at 25.1%. When the results of this year’s top two yearling sales were finalized, Keeneland’s market share fell to 52.8% with FT at 47.2%. For the first time since 1999, the FT Saratoga sale resulted in higher average prices than the select sessions at the Keeneland September sale.Â
The Paulick Report will have further analysis of the select sessions on Wednesday morning.
Book two yearlings sell Wednesday and Thursday, beginning at 10 a.m. Friday is an off day, followed by 10 consecutive days of selling starting Saturday.
By Ray Paulick I have one framed winner’s circle photograph in my possession. It was taken in 2000 at Fair Grounds in New Orleans after William T. Young’s Shawnee Country won the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Oaks carrying his Overbrook Farm silks. I always stayed out of winner’s circle photos, even when invited, because I never thought a journalist covering a race should show the appearance of favoring one horse or owner over another. So when Mr. Young saw me down on the track, where I was waiting to do some interviews, he asked me to come in and have my picture taken. I shook my head and said politely, “No thank you, I don’t like to do that.”
“Well, that’s just plain silly,” he said, then locked his arm around my elbow and literally dragged me in to stand next to him. When the shutters clicked, Mr. Young’s arm still locked around mine, I had the look of someone who had just taken a big bite out of a lemon; I wasn’t very happy to be there after being strong-armed by an octogenarian, even though I had the utmost respect and admiration for him.
A couple of weeks after his death in January 2004, Mr. Young’s longtime secretary, Mary Agnes, called me up and asked if I wouldn’t mind stopping by the W.T. Young offices. When I got there she gave me a framed copy of the picture, the one I’d tried to forget and had never seen. Today it’s one of the most prized possessions from my years in this sport.
I thought of that New Orleans afternoon and the other times I had the great opportunity to be around this Kentucky gentleman when I learned yesterday that all of the breeding stock and most of the horses currently racing in the Overbrook Farm name will be sold at Keeneland, beginning in September with the yearlings, and continuing with the November and January breeding stock and horses of all ages sales. Eaton Sales will handle the consignment. Click here for the details.
It truly is the end of a remarkable era in Thoroughbred racing and breeding.
Young’s longtime friend and trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, said it’s akin to the automobile business losing Chrysler or General Motors (something we actually may be very close to seeing). But none of us really should have been that surprised that the operation is shutting down, and Lukas saw the writing on the wall.
“Once Bill had passed away the passion and driving force behind Overbrook lost something,” the Hall of Fame trainer said. “Bill Young was passionate about racing, adamant that Overbrook would be a first-class operation, and something to last for years to come. Once he passed away, things changed. To Bill’s credit, Junior kept it going, though it transformed more into a commercial operation.”
“Junior” would be Bill Young Jr., W.T. Young’s son, who runs the business empire his father built but who admittedly doesn’t share the passion the elder Young had for Thoroughbred racing and breeding. Bill’s son, Chris, has been in charge of the Overbrook racing stable and will continue to race horses in the Overbrook name and carry the blue and green bull’s-eye silks that have became so familiar in major races around the country. Overbrook Farm as a major breeding entity will cease to exist. The 2,400-acre Lexington farm will be leased and remain the home of the pensioned stallion Storm Cat, who made Overbrook a commercial juggernaut in the 1990s and into the current decade. Other Overbrook stallions to be relocated will be able to return to the farm as pensioners, Bill Young said.
“You’re looking at a big operation,” Lukas said. “Even with Chris’s passion, if he threw all of his energies into it he would still have a tremendous economic expense ahead of him. Without a major sire, the bottom line doesn’t make any sense. Without the passion to drive it, it doesn’t make any sense.”
Bill Young said as much in an interview yesterday. “The economics have become more challenging but it’s a challenge I could have lived with if I’d gotten pleasure from racing or raising a great racehorse,” he said. “But my background is not horse farming and I don’t have the love for it to offset the economic challenge.
“It’s been a little bit bittersweet in reaching the conclusion I reached,” he said. “My family obviously enjoyed a great experience with Overbrook, and even though the Thoroughbred business is a good business I just don’t share the passion for it. We as a family have been kicking this around for a while. Chris has more of a love than anyone in the family for the business, and his interest is in racing. He’ll continue that.”
“We’ll sell a majority of the stable,” Chris Young said. “We’ll keep some colts and fillies, though we haven’t quite decided the ongoing plans for the racing stable. I’ll breed or buy a few horses.” The Overbrook name and silks will live on, Chris Young said, “because there’s lots of good history and memories attached to them.”
Bill Young said there are no plans to sell the farm or any of the property. Though much of it is inside the Fayette County urban service boundary, Overbrook is zoned for agricultural use and Young said there are no plans to develop it “at this time.”
William T. Young came into racing and breeding late in life, after concentrating on various businesses and philanthropic activities in the Lexington community. He was in his 60s when he built Overbrook and developed an operation that won a Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Classic, among other races, and several Eclipse Awards. The farm was immaculately planned and laid out.
“The thing that Bill emphasized was understated elegance,” said Lukas. “He didn’t want to be ostentatious or have the farm stand out or show off. It was subtle in its elegance. He built it that way and it is one of the more beautiful farms in Kentucky: a real showplace. He tried to have it blend with the landscape.”
Lukas remembers the day when he first met Young. “He called me up and said he’d like to fly to California, and he came out with Bob Warren (Young’s longtime adviser) and we sat down and had a visit. He said, ‘I want you to become a huge part of Overbrook and do for me what you did for Gene Klein.’”
The timing was perfect, Lukas said, as Klein was getting ready to get out of the game. Though Storm Cat, who finished second for Young in the 1985 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, had been trained by Jonathan Sheppard, Lukas developed the remainder of Overbrook’s 21 Grade 1 winners. They made quite a team, two driven men with a passion for the game.
Young liked to share his passion with others, whether it was horse racing, politics or University of Kentucky athletics. There were times during my years at the Blood-Horse that Young would call up and ask me to stop by his office to debate issues in racing that I may have written about. He was adamant, for example, that racetracks should be able to have slot machines because he didn’t think government should legislate what people can or can’t do with their time and money. I was opposed to the idea of slots at the time, not for economic reasons, but simply because I felt it was taking the moral high ground to keep racing apart from such a mindless activity. “Who are you,” he asked me politely, “to tell someone what they should or shouldn’t do?” Of course, I didn’t fail to remind him that he was a major shareholder in Churchill Downs who might benefit from slots. That didn’t seem to matter, either. “I’ve got enough money,” he said.
I never left his office feeling I’d won any of our debates, but always felt that he listened to what I said.
Young also loved to surprise people with his generosity. He and Keeneland’s Ted Bassett took a couple of longtime hourly employees from the Lexington racetrack to New York on Young’s private jet for a day of shopping, dining and theater. On another occasion he took Stone Farm’s Arthur Hancock III and a longtime employee of Idle Hour Country Club by private jet to a University of Kentucky game in Georgia. Shortly after takeoff, the jet experienced mechanical failure, and began to quickly lose altitude. The pilot said they’d have to return to Lexington, but Young pointed him toward Louisville where they could get a substitute jet. When they landed safely in Louisville, Hancock and the Idle Hour worker dropped to their knees and kissed the ground, thankful they were still alive. “Can we get a car and drive back to Lexington,” the man suggested to Hancock.
“No,” Young told them, “we’re not going to abort the mission.”
“It’s like the poem says, ‘He walked with kings but had the common touch,’” Hancock said of Young, a friend and partner in the horse business. “One time he said life would be pretty boring if we didn’t have these horses racing. I said, ‘You’re right, but I guess we’re prejudiced.’ That’s just the way he felt. He loved to compete and he liked the people, and he gave me a lot of good advice. I loved him. It’s sad, and the news about the dispersal came as a shock to me, but people have to do what they’ve got to do.”
The following press was distributed by Keeneland Association regarding the dispersal later this year of the breeding stock and a majority of the racing stock of Overbrook Farm, the Lexington Thoroughbred operation founded by the late William T. Young.
Lexington, Ky. (June 9, 2009)—Overbrook Farm, founded and developed by the late William T. Young into one of North America’s most successful breeding establishments, announced today that it will completely disperse its Thoroughbred yearlings, breeding stock and the majority of its horses in training, beginning at Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale.
“Over a period of more than 30 years my father developed Overbrook Farm into one of the most successful and respected breeding operations in the world,” said Bill Young Jr. “The decision to disperse is a personal one that came after a great deal of thought. I simply don’t have the same passion for the Thoroughbred sport that my father did, despite my respect for the business.”
Overbrook Farm, which is located outside of Lexington, bred, raced and has been the home of perennially leading sire Storm Cat, who was pensioned last year.
“The retirement of Storm Cat ended a phenomenal era at Overbrook,” continued Young. “The dispersal will give buyers a unique opportunity to purchase families that previously have not been available commercially.”
Overbrook has bred and raced a long list of champions, classic and Breeders’ Cup winners including 1996 Kentucky Derby victor Grindstone and 1999 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Cat Thief along with champions Boston Harbor, Flanders, Golden Attraction and Surfside. Overbrook also bred and raced dual classic winner Tabasco Cat, in addition to racing champion Preakness winner Timber Country and Belmont winner Editor’s Note.
Overbrook received an Eclipse Award in 1994 as outstanding breeder. The farm has bred 113 stakes winners including 62 group/graded stakes winners–21 group/grade 1.
Approximately 200 horses will comprise the dispersal. It will include approximately 75 broodmares, 50 weanlings, 50 yearlings and 20 to 30 horses of racing age. Bill Young said Overbrook will continue to campaign a small racing stable under the direction of his son, Chris.
“Our goal is to lease the farm as a Thoroughbred operation,” continued Bill Young.
The dispersal, with Eaton Sales as agent, will begin with the sale of yearlings at Keeneland’s annual September Sale, which will start September 14. Weanlings, broodmares and horses of racing age will be sold during the November Breeding Stock Sale. The dispersal will continue during the January Horses of All Ages Sale.
“The late W. T. Young established a tradition of excellence at Overbrook,” said Keeneland President Nick Nicholson. “ Keeneland had the privilege of selling many sons and daughters of the great Storm Cat. Now we have the opportunity to offer our buyers horses from the outstanding Overbrook families.”
A new program awaits backstretch workers when the New York Racing Association kicks off its summer meeting at Saratoga racetrack in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Wednesday, thanks to John Hendrickson and his wife, Marylou Whitney, the longtime Queen of Saratoga.
Mike Veitch wrote in the Saratogian newspaper on April 30 that Hendrickson was putting together a program for "themed" dinners every Sunday night in addition to movies five nights a week during the 36-day meeting that runs through Labor Day, Sept. 1.
The dinners are being prepared by the same caterers who do the fund-raising galas for which Marylou Whitney is so famous. Hendrickson is coordinating the program with the Racetrack Chaplaincy and the Backstretch Employees Services Team (BEST). According to Veitch’s article, the dinners will take place on the Yaddo grounds adjacent to the "Jockey Y" recreation facility on Union Avenue.
Next Sunday’s kickoff dinner, as a tribute to the many Hispanic workers on the backstretch, is a Mexican fiesta, and will be funded by Whitney and Hendrickson.
Groups or individuals funding the other dinners are: Aug. 3 (Chinese), Stewart’s Shops; Aug. 10 (Italian), Ron and Michelle Riggi, Gainesway Farm and Overbrook Farm; Aug. 17 (Cuban), Jack and Debby Oxley and Tracy and Carol Farmer; Aug. 24 (Barbecue), Price Chopper; and Aug. 31 (Thanksgiving), Three Chimneys Farm, Live Oak Plantation, and Lane’s End. Additional sponsors for the program include Ed and Maureen Lewi, Pomegranate Inc., Allerdice Rentals, Panza’s Restaurant, Dogwood Stables, NYRA, Racetrack Chaplaincy and BEST.
Movies will be shown Wednesday through Sunday nights throughout the meeting on a 9 x 12 screen, either with Spanish subtitles or in Spanish. Commercial popcorn machines have been purchased by sponsors for the movies.
"Everyone I asked to help out said ‘yes,’" said Hendrickson, recently named but not yet confirmed as a member of the reconstituted NYRA board of trustees by powerful Senate Majority leader Joe Bruno, who announced his retirement this year. "This is a way trustees should get involved," he added.
With Bruno gone, New York racing no longer will have a strong advocate in state government. David Paterson, who became New York governor in March following the sex-scandal resignation of Eliot Spitzer, has made public comments critical of NYRA since taking office. At one point he even hinted that the process to give NYRA a franchise renewal be reopened.
Paterson has an interesting family tie to the sport and to the Whitney family that he mentioned briefly during the Belmont Stakes telecast June 7. His great-grandfather was a farrier who shod Harry Payne Whitney’s Upset for his victory over Man o’ War in the 1919 Sanford Stakes. It was Man o’ War’s only career loss and it is widely believed to have brought the term "upset" into the English vernacular.
H.P. Whitney was so happy following the Sanford he gave houses to several of the men who contributed to Upset’s victory, including one to Paterson’s great-grandfather. That was the house Paterson lived in as a child, according to Hendrickson, who says the governor affectionately calls Marylou Whitney "Cuz."
I guess a governor can get away with that. Everyone else around the area calls her the Queen of Saratoga. And it’s easy to see why. She is a beloved figure who has raised money for charitable causes for decades, especially in New York’s Capital District.
One of my only experiences with Mrs. Whitney came in a very odd way. While visiting the area before the race meeting one summer a dozen or so years ago for an event at the National Museum of Racing in Saratoga Springs, I saw her in the lobby bar of the Marriott Hotel near the Albany airport. There she was in the middle of a big crowd, playing darts with college-aged kids in a fundraiser for some charity I’ve long since forgotten. Television cameras were there with live coverage of the event during the local news, and she was encouraging people to come down to the Marriott and challenge her to a game.
Her energy then was amazing, and her dedication to worthy causes like the new backstretch workers program at Saratoga remains strong to this day.
There was no live racing going on at WRD, but plenty of slot machines, simulcasting and a friendly staff. We even saw a patron arriving on horseback—not something you see every day.
After Friday’s visit with the Straight family, we headed south and encountered heavy rainfall alongo the way. We thought we’d stop in and catch some racing at Fairmount Park’s simulcast room late in the afternoon, but didn’t bring our waders to walk through the parking lot to the front door. Apparently we’d just missed a heavy storm that flooded the parking lot and other businesses in the St. Louis area. 
“Well, that’s just plain silly,” he said, then locked his arm around my elbow and literally dragged me in to stand next to him. When the shutters clicked, Mr. Young’s arm still locked around mine, I had the look of someone who had just taken a big bite out of a lemon; I wasn’t very happy to be there after being strong-armed by an octogenarian, even though I had the utmost respect and admiration for him.
“You’re looking at a big operation,” Lukas said. “Even with Chris’s passion, if he threw all of his energies into it he would still have a tremendous economic expense ahead of him. Without a major sire, the bottom line doesn’t make any sense. Without the passion to drive it, it doesn’t make any sense.”
“The thing that Bill emphasized was understated elegance,” said Lukas. “He didn’t want to be ostentatious or have the farm stand out or show off. It was subtle in its elegance. He built it that way and it is one of the more beautiful farms in Kentucky: a real showplace. He tried to have it blend with the landscape.”