HorseRacingBC Serving the British Columbia Horseracing community
Issue # 64 Sale issue
B it s & Bi kes FREE HorseRacingBC Subscription Can’t find a copy? Anyone wishing to receive this paper on-line can email jimreynolds@uniserve.com and simply ask to be put on a safe and secure mailing list. You will receive the paper in a unique PDF format each month.
Yearling Sales Issue www.horseracingbc.ca
CTHS-BC Yearling & Mixed Sale
CTHS Hip # 80
The sale will be held at Thurnderbird Show Park in langley, BC., on Tuesday September 9th offering 95 yearlings and a two-year-old by Forest Grove. See back page ad for details
$200,000 Longacres Mile (G3) - 79Th Running Emerald Downs, Auburn, WA Sunday, August 24, 2014 (253) 288-7000; or emeralddowns.com WTBOA Summer Yearling And Mixed Sale The WTBOA will offer 140 yearlings, broodmares & horses of racing age at Auburn, WA on Tuesday, August 26, 2014 For further information contact (253) 288-7878 or maindesk@ washingtonthoroughbred.com or wtboa.com
August 2014
Patti Tubbs photo
CTHS Hip # 83
Patti Tubbs photo
CTHS Hip # 51
Patti Tubbs photo
WTBOA Hip # 78
PNE ‘Dark Mondays’ Aug. 18 & 25
It is that time of year when thoroughbred racing fans are asked to exercise patience as scheduling changes take place at Hastings Racecourse during the annual Fair at the PNE. There will not be any weekend live racing at Hastings during the PNE Fair. But the ponies will run on the two Monday afternoon dates when the PNE Fair is closed: August 18 and 25 with 4:00 p.m. starts. On those two racing days customers will be granted complimentary parking. The Thoroughbred Ladies Club of BC, whose charity work and scholarship program has benefited backstretch workers at Hastings Racecourse since 1973, meets the first Tuesday each month. If you would like to join them in their worthwhile efforts or help at the occasional function, please call: Linda Sentes 604-318-7949 Barb Williams at 604-542-8951.
WTBOA Hip # 48
WTBOA Hip # 76
CTHS Hip # 32
There Are Hidden Bargains at Every Sale!
Could another Spaghetti Mouse be hidden in the sales? Spaghetti Mouse sold for $15,372 as a yearling in 2003 to Nick & Pauline Felicella. He went on to become the richest B.C. bred in history with $948,386 in earnings
just shy of becoming B.C.’ first home-bred millionaire. Look closely at the sales, a new ‘Mouse’ might be hiding in the barns. HorseRacingBC is owned and produced by Jim Reynolds. For advertising and editorial contact: Jim Reynolds 604-533-4546 jimreynolds@uniserve.com
www.horseracingbc.ca
Issue #64 Sale issue
Confirmation in Yearlings Study By Kentucky Equine Research Staff There is a belief among many people that defects in conformation predispose racehorses to poor performance and injury, and horses with obvious conformation problems tend to bring lower prices at public auction. Over the years, various studies of conformation faults and racing performance have produced contradictory results. For instance, one study showed horses that are back at the knee were more susceptible to carpal bone chip fractures, while other studies claim there is no such association. Another study found that horses that toe in were predisposed to gait interference, while another found that Standardbred trotters with this trait had better race times. There were no significant associations between conformation and career wins, career places, wins per start, or places per start. Regardless of causative factors, musculoskeletal injury remains the most significant cause of wastage in the racing industry, and identifying
factors that could cause or prevent injury would benefit horses and humans. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence and heritability of specific conformational defects in Thoroughbred sales yearlings and to investigate the association, if any, of defects with race results and injuries during the horses' turf racing careers. How was the study performed? Over a period of seven years (19931999), 3,916 Thoroughbred yearlings sold at public auction in England and Ireland were assessed for nine specific conformation traits. All assessments were done by a single veterinary observer using a fixed routine. Scores were given based on whether each trait was considered to be normal (score of 0) or defective (score of 1 to 3 indicating increasing severity of abnormality). Traits assessed were: • Back at the knee (front leg curves back when viewed from the side) • Base narrow (hooves are closer
together than distance between forelegs at the chest) • Toed-in (hooves point toward each other rather than straight ahead) • Toed-out (hooves point away from each other rather than straight ahead) • Upright pasterns (pastern is too vertical when viewed from the side) • Weak pasterns (pastern is too long & sloping when seen from the side) • Offset knees (cannon bone not in line with forearm when seen from front) • Weak hocks (hind cannon bone not vertical due to excessive hock angle) • Tied in below the knee (leg circumference smaller below knee than above fetlock) Using data on the sire, dam's sire, and grandsire of each horse, a heritability index for each trait was determined. The heritability index described the proportion of total variation due to the average effects of genes. Software was used to estimate heritability of each trait from these variance components. Durability was figured by listing the number of lifetime starts, number of starts as a two-year-old, and number of starts as a three-year-old. Racing performance was assessed on the basis of each horse's mean and maximum British Horseracing Board (BHB) ratings, mean lifetime finishing position, number of wins, number of places, percent wins per start, and percent places per start. Effects of race distance were determined by categorizing the horses according to mean lifetime racing distance. Categories were sprinter (up to 7 furlongs), middle distance (mile to mile and a half), and stayer (distances of over a mile and a half). What results were found? Among the 3,916 horses examined, the most common conformation defect was toed-out feet (30%), followed by toed-in feet (19.4%), upright pasterns (18.7%), base narrow (13.4%), and offset knees (12.9%). Weak pasterns, weak hocks, back at the knee, and tied in below the knee were found in less than 7% of horses. Defects were present in essentially the same proportion among the raced and unraced
Increasing Your Horse’s Stamina With Leg Saver! The basic Leg Saver treatments are quite simple. 3 Treat the lung and heart ting points (located on the front coronet band) once, 3 days before a race or event. 3 Treatments are for one hour each. 3 Treatments should be done separately, one after the other. 3 It will take 2 hours to complete both. 3 The following day the horse should be walked for ½ hour to one hour. 3 The morning of the race the lungs should be treated for ½ hour as early as possible (about 8 am). Do not treat the heart. 3 This will increase performance about 4 to 8 lengths, depending on the horse. 3 Always check on the shoulders, hocks, poll & whirlbone to make sure the horse is ready for optimal performance. 3 Always treat the hocks if there is any heat in them at all. A number of trainers have been experimenting with the amount of exercise needed to keep the horse performing at its peak. Here is what we have found: 3 Horses that have their training reduced the week before the treatment are significantly improved over horses that are kept at their regular degree of exercise. They win a lot more money. 3 Reducing the exercise program the week before the treatment produces a much fitter horse. Results show about 80% wins & seconds—mostly wins (rider error caused some of the second place finishes). 3 These treatments reduce stress and strain on the horse’s body (hooves, ankles, tendons, ligaments, knees, hocks and other areas of stress). 3 Protocol for young race horses – treat their heart and lungs once every 2 weeks. This builds stronger horses with tremendous stamina. This will not make them run faster it just makes them finish stronger. This new protocol will give you the best results in your performance horse. Having more stamina down the stretch run results in more wins! Try it with one horse and see the results. I’m reluctant to tell a world-class trainer what to do but this protocol really generates superior results! CONTACT: GARY DESROCHES www.equi-stimlegsaver.com legsaver@gmail.com 1-800-595-7408 toll free 1-604-215-3622
August 2014
horses in the study, and there was no evidence of any difference in the proportion of horses with or without defects between the groups. There was considerable evidence for heritability of defects, with the traits of back at the knee and tied in below the knee showing the strongest genetic influence. Horses that were most severely toed-out, toed-in, or back at the knee tended to have somewhat lower mean and maximum BHB ratings as well as poorer lifetime finishing positions compared to horses without these defects or with less severe defects. However, there were no significant associations between conformation and career wins, career places, wins per start, or places per start. Horses with any conformation defect tended to have fewer starts as two-year-olds, but there was no significant association between conformation and either lifetime starts or three-year-old starts. There was also no significant relationship between conformation defects and racing distance category. What does this tell us about the significance of conformation defects in Thoroughbred yearlings? Conformation defects were shown to be more strongly associated with pedigree than with racing performance. It is difficult to separate the influence of training and other factors such as muscle type and cardiovascular and respiratory health from the effect of conformation on overall racing record. It must also be considered that horses with multiple or severe conformation defects might not be offered for sale, so there is some question as to whether the sample in this study is representative of all Thoroughbreds. Overall, in this study there was a lack of significant evidence to support an effect of conformation defects on racing performance, although both racing performance and prevalence of defects were very strongly linked to pedigree.
This study, “Prevalence, heritability and significance of musculoskeletal conformational traits in Thoroughbred yearlings,” was conducted by University of Glasgow.
for all your horse insurance needs
Equine Insurance Underwriters Ltd.
since 1980
106 - 3701 E. Hastings St. Burnaby, B.C. V5C 2H6 (604) 293-1531 FAX: (604) 293-1248 www.equineunderwriters.com
Issue # 64 Sale issue
www.horseracingbc.ca
August 2014
Never Been To a Horse Sale Before? What to Know. What to expect. Do yearlings offer good value? Just about everyone in racing, and certainly millions of Americans who are not racing fans, now know the story of Real Quiet. A $17,000 Keeneland September yearling sale purchase, this former ugly duckling very nearly won the Triple Crown and now is worth millions as a stallion prospect. Still, an underlying question remains: Do yearling purchases offer good investment value, particularly with sale prices moving upward annually in lock step with the stock market? Is the underlying asset worth the investment risk? The authors were asked this question on an investment segment of CNBC Television. The conclusion: Yes, if you do it right. Doing it right means having a business plan and a suitable group of professional advisers. The following are the items that should be covered if you want to buy smart in the yearling market. Preliminary steps Review the catalogs and prepare an A list and a B list based on pedigrees or horses you were familiar with when they raced; Assemble a team, which should include a veterinarian, a trainer and a pedigree expert; Physically examine the horses and talk to the consignors. A note of caution here. The horses that you are inspecting have been fussed over for weeks leading up to the sale, and they probably will not look as good for a long, long time - perhaps until they win a Grade 1 stakes. Expect the pre-sale glow to dissipate as the youngster grows and matures into a racehorse. It is a normal process, as is asking yourself, “Did I pay too much?” Buyer’s remorse is a part of the game and, indeed, you should be questioning yourself - reasonably through the sale process; Have your veterinarian go to the veterinary repository (if available in your state) and review the records; and establish a budget of what you want to spend. Have a business conference At this business conference, narrow down your A list and B list and classify the horses from one to ten based on pedigree and physical appearance.
Next, estimate the selling price of the horses and decide on your strategy. Look for opportunities Inspect the catalog and anticipate soft spots in the sale. Very often these soft spots occur at the beginning or end of a sale, after a very expensive yearling is sold, when the offspring of a less-accomplished stallion is in the ring, or even during normal dining hours. Understand reserve prices Many people have questioned why sales companies allow reserves and why those minimum sale prices are not posted publicly. The short answer is that the process is fair to the seller and ultimately to the buyer. Every person who sells a horse has the right to a fair shot at making a profit, and the seller should not be forced to accept a low-ball price. As a buyer, you can and should figure out what costs the seller has incurred, such as stud fees, investment in the broodmare and other costs. You then should add into these numbers a fair return on investment for the expenses and risks that the seller has incurred. Also, from the statistics that are available, such as the Thoroughbred Times Buyer’s Guide, you can ascertain if the horses were pin-hooked - that is, bought at a previous sale and placed into the current sale for resale. If so, you should anticipate that if someone bought a horse for $40,000 with plans to resell it, that person is not going to take $20,000 unless something drastic has occurred. Establish credit As a prospective buyer, you should have applied to the auction company for a line of credit well before the sale. This means you must decide on just how much you are going to spend and, once it is decided, the decision should not be changed significantly in the heat of bidding. Insure your purchases Once the hammer falls and you are the highest bidder, you own the horse. If the horse runs off through the sales ring or gets injured in the stall, that horse is yours and your problem. To protect your investment, is important to arrange with an insurance agent for
Langley’s Hour Glass Studio features hand etched horse images on stem-ware, plates and giftware. We also etch stable and corporate logos. Great Year Round Gifts!
www.HourGlassStudio.com
or call 604.308.9481 for more information
mortality and other coverage for your purchase or purchases. The worst thing you can do is wait two or three days to get the insurance coverage. Catastrophes happen in seconds, and your investment can disappear just as quickly. Logistics Also remember that, if you purchase a horse, the horse has to be transported somewhere. Usually by the day after the sale, the sales company expects you to have the horse removed from the sales grounds. In short, you must know which van company will ship your yearling, and you must have a place to send it. To help with the first part of the transportation, van companies have representatives in the sales pavilions. Evaluate potential value Several articles have been written about sales prices and these analyses conclude that the strongest part of the current market is the upper end, where the best pedigrees and conformation are found. From the viewpoint of prices, that conclusion is indisputable. But racehorses are not judged by their prices, and value can be found at lower levels. Softness in prices around the median price or below is not necessarily a bad thing for buyers looking for value. Here are some tried-and-true strategies for finding value below the sales toppers: cont’d on pg 6
Issue #64 Sale issue
www.horseracingbc.ca
August 2014
Did you ever want to...
Session to review the catalogue of the upcoming CTHS Annual Yearling Sale being held September 9, 2014
Wednesday, September 3 at 6:00pm #115-17637 1st Avenue, Surrey, BC
Our hosts Mike Heads and Drew Forster will take you through the catalogue to highlight some of their picks for the sale and answer any questions that you may have.
Reservations are recommended as space is limited
RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY! Call 604-536-2878
Issue # 64 Sale issue
2014 BC Cup
www.horseracingbc.ca
August 2014
BC Cup Winners L to R: Cederberg, Wando Woman, Winning owners & Wayne Oliver with BC Cup Classic Trophy, Dawselina, Wilo Kat, Quatre Cat, Koffee Grinder
Issue #64 Sale issue
www.horseracingbc.ca
Alendal Farms Consignment
Hip # 32 by Old Forester - Misx Juicey We have two yearlings for this year’s CTHS-BC sale at Thunderbird on Tuesday, September 9th. We are proud to offer a colt by Old Forester, a three time leading sire in Canada, out of Miss Juicy, a multiple stakes placed winner earning $228,000. We have two yearlings for this year’s CTHS-BC sale at Thunderbird on Tuesday, September 9th. Hip # 32 We are proud to offer a colt by Old Forester, a three time leading sire in Canada, out of Miss Juicy, a multiple stakes placed winner earning $228,000. This is her second foal. The 2nd dam foaled eight winners most making over $100,000 each. This colt is a great looking individual and very athletic. He is worth a good, long look. Hip #91 is a filly by Stephanotis, consistently among the leading sires in British Columbia. She is out of a mare, Cindiana Jones, by a son of Storm Cat and is from a good ‘Black Type’ family. This is Cindiana Jones’ 2nd foal. Her first foal is in training at Hastings.
August 2014
Never Been to a Horse Sale Before? cont’d from pg 3
What flaws can you and your trainer live with? Some physical attributes may not be aesthetically pleasing but will not hinder the horse from performing well. Real Quiet, known as “The Fish” for his narrow chest, is a prime example. Learn something about what the yearling’s sire and/or dam looked like. Which does the yearling most resemble? Is this good or bad? Consider the age of the horse. Horses change so much as they grow. Therefore, inspecting these young horses, you have to factor in the tremendous growth that occurs in four or five months. Analyze the type of horse you want. For example, a two-year-old sprinter is much different from a horse that will run over classic distances or on the grass at three. Does the yearling have residual value for breeding? If you are involved in breeding, you may be willing to accept a well-bred filly which may not have all the conformation traits you are looking for. Decision time Now that you have made your evaluation and gotten your hit list down and graded it is time to make the biggest decision of all. That decision is how much to bid for each horse. Remember, you have made a game plan and decided how much money you are going to allocate and how many horses you are going to purchase. Also remember that your number one horse rarely is the first horse to come up in the sale to buy. Remember that if you do not get one horse, there is always another horse. Also, there are other sales. There is nothing that says that you must buy a horse at every sale, no matter how much time and effort you spend on preparations. The key is to buy the best horse you can with the best conformation and pedigree for the amount of dollars you have allocated. Having said all that, our operation allots a 10 percent overage factor - meaning that we will bid up to 110 percent of the target price if a horse makes the highest grades. Bottom line Year in and year out, people can and do make money buying yearlings, and some even land catches like “The Fish,” Real Quiet. But this lightning usually strikes based on careful preparation and practice - attending the sales and learning what works and what does not for your stable or operation. This is a very satisfying sport and business for those who are properly prepared. Thanks to Leonard Green, CPA, and Jon Green, partners of Thoroughbred Profitability Consultants, for permission to reprint this article. They may be reached at (732) 634-5100 or e-mail mail@greenco.com. CTHS Yearling Sale Two yearlings by Abraaj who, from two small crops has sired the undefeated two-year-old QUARTRE CAT winner of the BC Cup Nursery Stakes and multiple winners Carson City Brown, The Kula Kid, and two other winners.
QUARTRE CAT #6 winning the BC Cup Nursery Stakes
Hip # 17 out of IMAFLASHCAT, a winning daughter of the top broodmare sire Tale of the Cat. Hip # 44 out of Push Her dam of Montero, a stakes winner of over $200,000 and four other winners.
Issue # 64 Sale issue
Equineline Sales Catalogue App Now Available for WTBOA Sales
www.horseracingbc.ca
As of July 30, 2014, the WTBOA sale catalog is available through iTunes or the App Store (search for “Equine Sales Catalog”) for uploading free of charge to your iPad. The app enables the download of sales catalogs, to which you will be able to not only view the catalog pages, but will give you the ability to assign ratings, record conformation notes and veterinary information, hand write notes, highlight pages, perform customized searches, create short lists and more.
2014 WTBOA Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale Set for August 26
The WTBOA Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale is again slated for the Tuesday after the Longacres Mile (G3). Since Washington’s premier racing event was moved, the 48th summer sale follows on August 26 at the Morris J. Alhadeff Sales Pavilion located at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington. This year’s catalog is highlighted by 106 summer yearlings, representing top regional and national stallions and many of the best female families throughout North America.
August 2014
Pooli Thoroughbreds Consignment
Hip #2 by Sungold - Fable Affair by Tale of the Cat. Out of an unraced half-sister to MOUNTAIN FORUM. Second dam by Mount Livermore was a winner of $260,133 (Miss Grillo Stk. G3, International Turf Cup Stk., Rivers Memories Hcp. Lots of black type. Nominated: Sadie Diamond Hip #16 by Old Topper - Humphreyette by Pole Position. Out of a half-sister to GINGER GROOM ($111,218), Devil Anse ($133,508) is the dam of Therussianrocket ($63,888), El Aguila Real ($39,220), Space Junk ($15,788). Nominated: Sadie Diamond Futurity Hip #66 Fireball Finneganby by Tribal Rule Tricksaren’t Free by Western Trick. A half-sister to Avenging Kat, Sweet N Sour. This is her first foal. Nominated: Jack Diamond Futurity
For inquries contact: Noel or Wanda Pooli 250-578-8264
WTBOA Hip # 106
Foal by Atta Boy Roy out of Jenjor at Blue Ribbon Farms Unbeaten 2YO WTBOA Sales grad TRACKATTACKER cruised to an 11-length win in the Emerald Express Stakes, adding a new stakes record to the 4 1/2-furlong Emerald Downs NTR he scored in his 9-length MSW debut.
WTBOA Summer Yearling & Mixed Sale Tuesday, August 26 Morris J. Alhadeff Sales Pavilion • Emerald Downs • Auburn, WA
And announcing for 2014!
Emerald BUY HERE / WIN HERE! Bonus Program Paid to eligible WTBOA Sales graduates when they break their maiden at Emerald Downs – any age, any level – 50% to the consignor; 50% to the owner
This year’s WTBOA Summer Sale features yearlings by 2014 leading West Coast sires Lucky Pulpit, Tribal Rule, Kafwain, Marino Marini, Stormin Fever, Rocky Bar, Papa Clem, Dixie Chatter, Harbor the Gold, Parker’s Storm Cat and more ... As well as other top 2014 national sires such as City Zip, Yes It’s True, Successful Appeal, Pure Prize, Colonel John, Tiz Wonderful, Big Brown and more . . . Also featuring 18 broodmares, many offering 3-in-1 packages, and horses of racing age.
Join us for an exciting Longacres Mile (G3), Sunday, August 24, and stay for the sale! “The little sales company that could” Catalogs available upon request 253-288-7878 • 253-288-7890, fax maindesk@washingtonthoroughbred.com
www.horseracingbc.ca
Issue #64 Sale issue
August 2014
CANADIAN THOROUGHBRED HORSE SOCIETY (B.C. Division)
2014
Sale
CTHS Yearling & Mixed BC-breds earn more money!
2013 CTHS Sale Stakes Winners Architecture
Kiri’s Gal HORSE OF THE YEAR OPEN & B.C. BRED
HERBIE D
Thunderbird Show Park Langley, British Columbia
Yearling Parade - Monday, September 8th, 2014 - 3:00 p.m. Yearling & Mixed Sale - Tuesday, September 9th, 2014 - 2:00 p.m.
Neverabettercause
SALE GRAD STAKES WINNERS IN 2013! Andallthatitmeans Architecture Dance the Wind Dashing Daisy Deviance Herbie D
Kiri’s Gal Neverabettercause Ruby’s Victory Stepupforthemoney Taylors Deal Tempered Steel
www.cthsbc.org
Stepupforthemoney
For catalogue information: 604.574.0145 ~ cthsbc@cthsbc.org ~ #201 - 17687 - 56a Avenue. Surrey, B.C. V3S 1G4