Hastings' Weekly Round-Up

We look at Del Mar's Saturday card and also catch-up with local involvement at this week's Breeding Stock and Horses of Racing Age sales at Keeneland

Nov 18, 2023

Peter Redekop’s AROLLERCOSTERRIDE, a head second to REGAL RIOT in the 2022 British Columbia Derby (G3), was sold at Keeneland’s Horses of Racing Age Sale on Friday.

Trained by Barbara Heads until his final start this year when he ran out of the Terry Jordan barn, the 4yo gelded son of CURLIN, who was also a nose second to barn-mate AT ATTENTION in the 2022 B.C. Premier’s Handicap (G3), was knocked down to Remington Park-based owner Danny Caldwell for $25,000.

Local Players in Keeneland Action

AROLLERCOSTERRIDE wasn’t the only Hastings involvement at Keeneland this week.

Dr Bryan and Carol Anderson began the week on a positive note when their weanling filly by leading young sire GOOD MAGIC was knocked down to St Francis Thoroughbreds for $80,000.

Later in the week, the Andersons purchased the young broodmare SHE'S CUSTOM MADE (Hard Spun) for $17,000. Out of the Stakes-placed Bluegrass Cat mare, BLUEGRASS SAPPHIRE, the 4yo is in-foal to FROSTED (Tapit).

Hastings trainer Rob Maybin was also in Kentucky to sign for a brace of unraced juveniles from the Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Maybin first went to $17,000 for WESTMINSTER, a gelded 2yo son of leading second-crop sire BOLT D’ORO, before going on to sign the ticket for RHUMBABA, a colt by first-season sire CATALINA CRUISER, when the bidding stopped at $33,000.

Both youngsters are temporarily under the care of Shelley Todd’s Todd Manor farm and will head west at some point prior to spring training.

Local owner/breeder Barry Doud also struck twice this week, buying the 8yo mare SAFE TO PLAY (Justin Phillip) in-foal to CAIRO PRINCE (Pioneer of the Nile) for $17,000, before snaffling up HIP #3327, a weanling colt by first-season sire PRESERVATIONIST (Arch), for $5,000.

Hastings’ loyalists Jim and Anne Alendal also found great value, bagging HIP #2468, a weanling colt by first-season sire GIFT BOX (Twirling Candy) for $5,000 and then HIP #2765, a weanling filly by CLOUD COMPUTING (Maclean’s Music), for $7,000.

Finally, long-time breeder and perennial CTHS Yearling Sale consignor Bruce Whitehouse is heading back to B.C. with Hip #3199 (below), a weanling colt by COLLECTED (City Zip) who was knocked down to Whitewood Farm for $13,000.

Del Mar, Saturday: ‘Vron’ Makes Quick Return

THE CHOSEN VRON — ©Scott Serio/Eclipse Sportswire

Of the 150 horses that ran in the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita two weeks ago, many have been retired. Others have been turned out, freshening up for a 2024 campaign. Then there’s a small number who remain in training. One is running Saturday at Del Mar.

The Chosen Vron, winner of the G1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar this past summer and fifth of eight runners in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, is back in the $100,000 Cary Grant, one of two stakes races on the Saturday card at Del Mar.

The son of Vronsky made the giant leap into elite company this summer with his win in the Bing Crosby, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Trainer Eric Kruljac had limited the 5-year old to mostly Cal-bred races throughout his 18-race career and for the most part, The Chosen Vron had won those races. Eight in a row heading into the Breeders’ Cup.

So why is Kruljac wheeling his prized pupil back so quickly?

“Just the way he came back from the Breeders’ Cup,” Kruljac says. “I thought he was going to fire real big in the Breeders’ Cup. I don’t know if it was the competition. I gotta give credit to the East Coast horses, they were dominant.

“But after five or six days he swelled up and was on fire,” Kruljac continues. “He seems extra sharp now.”

The next Cal-bred race for The Chosen Vron isn’t until January 7 and Kruljac doesn’t want to wait that long.

“I don’t think I’ve ever run a horse back in two weeks,” Kruljac says. “But he was just screaming for a race. Dr. Araujo (his veterinarian) took blood on him the other day and said it was fabulous. The horse is really on his toes.”

While The Chosen Vron will be a heavy favorite in the Cary Grant, there are a couple of others in the nine-horse field who are worth keeping an eye on.

Big City Lights has done little wrong during his six-race career. The 4-year-old son of Mr. Big has won three races and placed in the other three. He captured last year’s Real Good Deal at Del Mar, beating Slow Down Andy and came back and ran second to The Chosen Vron in the 2022 edition of the Cary Grant. He ran in the Cal Cup Sprint at Santa Anita in January, missing by a neck to, who else, The Chosen Vron, before being put out for a freshening for much of 2023.

“He’s been training great,” assistant trainer to Richard Mandella, Taylor Cambra, says. “He’s coming right along. Everything we’ve asked of him he’s done real easy.”

So how does Cambra hope to turn the tables on The Chosen Vron.

“He just got beat in the Breeders’ Cup,” Cambra notes. “That can hurt a horse’s confidence. We’re coming in with a fresh horse. He’s coming in with a horse that’s been running all year.”

Cambra’s also counting on Big City Light’s past form.

“The last time he got turned out he came back and won first time out,” he says. “He’s a horse that kind of stays a little tighter anyway so we’re not too worried about it though it’s always a concern.”

Full Article

More Keeneland: Ontario & Alberta Buyers

By: Jennifer Morrison | November 13, 2023

Canadians have been buying and selling with the most notable transaction to this point being the purchase of the mare MALIBU KENDALL for $360,000 by R. Glenn Sikura of Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Nobleton.

The four-year-old by Curlin is a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner and champion Accelerate and she is carrying her first foal which is by Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Malibu Kendall is a winner from the stakes-placed mare Issues, by Awesome Again.

Colleen Dalos, as agent for Tall Oaks Farm, purchased two mares on the weekend. The first purchase was KICHITA, a Kitten’s Joy mare in foal to Karakontie (Jpn) who sold for $60,000. Dalos also bought ANYQUIST, by Nyquist for $60,000 in foal to Oscar Performance…

… click blue button for full article

Full Arcticle

FIGHT ON (Into Mischief) joins Alberta Stallion Ranks

FIGHT ON, a Graded-Stakes-Placed winner of over $490,000, including a Churchill Downs Stakes win as a juvenile, is to join WorkWize Stables in Alberta.

The eight-year-old, who made $340,000 as a yearling, recorded five career wins from five furlongs to a mile-and-sixteenth. He ran 45 times and retired sound.

Fight On’s sire requires little introduction. INTO MISCHIEF, a Stakes Winner himself but more importantly Leading Sire four times and currently well on his way to a fifth, is the Sire of 150 Stakes winners. He’s also proving to be a Sire of Sires and currently stands for $250,000 at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky.

Fight On’s dam is Havenlass, by proven Broodmare sire Elusive Quality, who has produced multiple Graded-Stakes-placed winners. She’s out of the multiple Graded-Stakes-Winner producer, Cruising Haven.

Fight On is set to join WorkWize Stables’ fellow stallion residents TOUR DE FORCE and MALIBU MAX

All inquiries should be directed to Maggie Northcott 587-998-0466 or emailworkwize.ent@gmail.com

Visit www.workwizestables.com for more info.

New Stride News

November 2023

Dearest friends and supporters of New Stride,

As we look towards the homestretch of this year, we hope that you and your families have kept healthy and enjoyed every opportunity that has come your way.

Here at New Stride, we have certainly had another very busy year! We sincerely thank everyone who has continued to support our efforts – whether through a donation, adoption, volunteer time, or kind words to promote our mission of finding new homes and fresh starts for our beloved Thoroughbred racehorses.

New Stride is a registered Canadian charity, accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), that is dedicated to finding adoptive homes and alternative careers for Thoroughbred racehorses who are no longer able to compete. With the help of our dedicated staff and volunteers, we are proud to have found homes and alternative careers for more than 185 horses since 2002. We are honored to be part of the British Columbia racing community.

As a largely volunteer-driven non-profit organization, any gift you’re able to provide helps supply these wonderful horses with essentials such as feed and supplements, shipping and farrier services, basic re-training, medical care, and much needed items such as blankets and halters while they transition to their forever homes. Today’s financial environment is very difficult as costs continue to rise for these basic essentials, and we are always so grateful for any contribution that can be made to help us continue to help as many horses as we can.

As you think about how horses have touched your lives, please consider a donation to New Stride to assist us with continuing to help these racehorses find new life journeys.

All donations are 100% tax deductible, and we will issue tax receipts. You can mail your cheque to New Stride Thoroughbred Adoption Society, Attention: New Stride Thoroughbred Adoption Society, PO Box 10020 RPO Otter Co-op, Langley, BC, V4W 3Z5 or visit www.newstride.com and click on “Donate.”

On behalf of the New Stride team, I want to express a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported our organization and look forward to what the future has in store for our Thoroughbreds.

Sincerely,

Bill Randall, President

New Stride Thoroughbred Adoption Society

E-mail: Bill@newstride.com

Donate to New Stride