Bessie M gets elusive stakes trophy

Two starts after settling for second by a desperate head in stakes company at Calder Race Course, BESSIE M assured her name will appear in all-caps on catalog pages for decades to come by taking the Dolly Jo Stakes at Calder on Sunday by a comfortable 2 1/4 lengths.

The 3-year-old filly by Medallist-Catalita, by Mountain Cat, has proved to be a fantastic claim by Platinum Equestrian Corp. and trainer Antonio Sano. After taking her for $25,000 from a NW2L claiming event at Gulfstream in January, Bessie M's new connections have never seen her finish off the board. After a third and a second-place finish, she posted back-to-back wins for them at Calder in April and May, then hit the board in the Regal Gal Stakes (third) and Leave Me Alone Stakes (second a head) before winning in optional-claiming company her last out at Calder, on Aug. 20.

On Sunday, Bessie M and Daniel Centeno rated in fifth, 6 1/2 lengths off a blistering 21.13 opening quarter set by Orlando Bocachica and Afleet Lass, then blew by the rest of the field and wore down the game leader in the stretch to draw clear by the wire. Max Speed and Juan Leyva finished third by 6 1/4 lengths. Final time for six furlongs was 1:10.81.

Bessie M was bred in Maryland by Mr. & Mrs. Charles McGinnes, and I had hoped her connections might prep her for the $100,000 Maryland Million Distaff at seven furlongs this coming weekend at Laurel. No complaints, however, about her scoring a stakes win, wherever it might be.

I shortlisted Bessie M as a Priority 2 prospect for a bargain-seeking client at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. She sold to William H. Harris for $35,000 as Hip 59 and presented him with a win photo from a dead-heat victory at Delaware Park as a 2-year-old. Harris would lose her on that January day at Gulfstream for $25,000, and Platinum Equestrian has been well-rewarded for its claim ever since.

I actually questioned the price Harris paid at the sale, but then again, we were there looking to buy a horse for even less than $35,000 -- which was already at least 25 percent below the sale average. But I stated here that: "This girl oughta be a decent racehorse for someone (though) she only rated Priority 2 status for me primarily because of the very slow start by her sophomore sire, who has just 10 winners so far from his freshman crop of 59 foals. ... (It) was hard to deny the fleetness of her 22 2/5 quarter over a slow track."

With the stakes score, Bessie M becomes the first stakes-winner from that bargain-basement list of 48 horses, whose average bid (sold or RNA) at the sale was under $24,000 and less than half the sale average. She is among four horses stakes-placed or better from that group of 48.

Bibblesman, who sold for $22,000 as Hip 337, has two wins and placed second in the Peppy Addy Stakes at Parx for $90,860. Spring Jump, a $19,000 purchase as Hip 234, is 3-for-11 with a second-place finish in the White Clay Creek Stakes at Delaware Park as a 2-year-old, for $80,700.

The real tragedy from the group is Rough Sailing, a $40,000 buy as Hip 250, who broke maiden on Arlington's grass at first asking and was second in the Arlington-Washington Futurity-G3 for $37,534, but slipped entering the first turn of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and was euthanized after breaking his shoulder in the fall.

Of the 48 bargain prospects, there are 43 starters (89.6 percent), 25 winners (52.1 percent) and 13 multiple-winners (27.1 percent).

Click here to follow all 187 sales selections, plus a few I went against.

Settling for a new stakes horse: Bibblesman

Twelve representatives of my sales-tip Class of 2010 went to post worldwide on Saturday, and I felt there was at least a ghost of a chance for the horses to win nine of those races. The day ended without a victory, but with a new stakes-placer -- albeit one that failed as the favorite in a short field.

Bibblesman (Sharp Humor-Sparkling Forest, by Forest Wildcat) was sent off at 4/5 Saturday afternoon in the seven-furlong, $75,000 Peppy Addy Stakes for PA-breds at Philadelphia's Parx Racing. He and rider Frankie Pennington were pressed for the lead by Der Meister and Oscar Flores, albeit in fairly moderate fractions of 23.12 and 45.37. Bibblesman ran Der Meister off his feet, eventually finishing seven lengths ahead of that rival (and 18/1 Flybird never stood a chance), but in the closing stages, 7/5 second-choice Trade Secret and Stewart Elliott swept by to claim the victory by a length and a half, in a final time of 1:23.56.

It was a disappointing finish; nevertheless, Bibblesman becomes the 20th horse stakes-placed or better worldwide from my 187-horse list of sales recommendations from selected juvenile auctions of 2010; that's 10.7 percent of all selections. Nineteen of those 20 have earned catalog black-type (10.2 percent) and seven are stakes winners (3.7 percent), led by G1-winning 2-year-old RIGOLETTA, who unfortunately was retired early at age 3 due to injury, and her cousin GOURMET DINNER, a G3 winner of nearly $1 million.

Alienation, a G1/G2-placed 2-year-old who won her 3-year-old debut last out by open lengths in an allowance at Hollywood Park, goes for the sales class' second Grade 1 win on Independence Day in the Prioress Stakes at Belmont Park.

I shortlisted Bibblesman as a "Priority 1" prospect on a 48-horse bargain-hunting list for a client at the 2010 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds in training. He sold for just $22,000 and with the $15,000 payday from the Peppy Addy placing has earned $89,860 with two wins and three seconds from six starts for B.P. Reid Stable and trainer Robert Reid Jr.

Click here to follow all 187 of my sales selections.

Bibblesman makes good in the mud

On what was roughly the first anniversary of his purchase as a 2-year-old, Bibblesman slogged home well in front of an allowance field on Monday in a muddy race at Parx Racing.

Bibblesman was bought for $22,000 as Hip 337 at the 2010 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale in Timonium, Md., which held its 2011 edition on Monday. In the 12 months since, Bibblesman has made five starts, won twice and placed twice, and has earned $74,860.

On Monday, in a field scratched-down to five runners due to the weather, Bibblesman was sent off as the third-favorite at 7/2 odds. But he won like he should have been 3/5, stalking 4/5 favorite Fersmiley (who bore out and carried Bibblesman wide in the late-going), then Bibblesman drew off to win by 4 1/2 lengths. Final time for six furlongs in the mud was a fast-track-like 1:09.80, which certainly could bode well for Bibblesman's future.

I was surprised Bibblesman was sent off at comparatively long odds in the field. He had a win and two placings from three starts prior this year, was beaten in his last-out when caught at the wire by a 4-year-old in a field of open (i.e., not statebred) NW2L runners, and his last drill was a bullet 48-flat, fastest of 55 on the day.

I short-listed the intact son of Sharp Humor-Sparkling Forest, by Forest Wildcat, for a client seeking a bargain runner out of that 2010 EASMAY sale. He was unplaced in one start at 2, but is 2-2-0 from four starts at 3. A Pennsylvania-bred, I think the colt has a ton of up-side. He is nominated to the Danzig Stakes for statebreds at Parx, but that race goes off Friday and he almost certainly won't be wheeled-back so quickly. Still, it appears that Bibblesman fits well in PA-bred stakes-company in the future.

The link still needs updating, but you can follow the 187-member sales class here.

Unstoppable Mick splashes to sales tips' 100th win

A 3-year-old gelding that I tabbed as a "steal" of last year's Keeneland April sale, where he was bought for $10,000, sloshed his way to a second career victory Friday night in allowance company at Mountaineer Park.

In the process, Unstoppable Mick scored the 100th victory by my 187-member sales-tip Class of 2010.

Unstoppable Mick broke his maiden for KEEAPR buyer Connie Apostelos by a wide margin of 10 1/4 lengths at Turfway Park on March 18, for a $15,000 tag. The gelding had hit the board in four of five starts to that point, but earned only $9,429 in the process due to Turfway's second-rate purse structure.

He was claimed from that easy, all-weather-track win by trainer Rodney C. Faulkner for new owner Frank Irvin, who wheeled him back 20 days later in allowance company at the West Virginia track not too far away, and for a bigger total purse of $20,200. Twelve days short of his actual third birthday (he was foaled April 20 in Kentucky) and in a nine-horse field that included seven 4-year-olds, Unstoppable Mick was sent off as the roughly 3/2 favorite at Mountaineer Friday. He proved worthy of the bettors' confidence, circling the field five-wide on the turn and slogging home 7 1/2 lengths the best under urging by Ernesto Oro. The win was worth $11,918, bumping Unstoppable Mick's career earnings to $21,347.

The gelding covered six furlongs over a sloppy, sealed track in 1:12.21.

I considered the son of Silver Deputy-Flower Canyon, by Gulch the first of 11 "steals" of Keeneland's April sale a year ago when he sold for $10,000 as Hip 17 on the day. I liked that while the then-colt's page wasn't blotted with black type, his dam was a winner at 2 who had borne five winners from seven prior foals, three of them full siblings to this one who had already won 10 times between them.

Unstoppable Mick nearly lost out on the honors of posting the sales class' 100th win. A couple of hours earlier at Penn National, Bibblesman, who broke his maiden on March 16 at Penn two days before Unstoppable Mick's maiden win, was the beaten favorite at 6/5 odds in an allowance race. Bibblesman was caught at the wire by 4-year-old second-favorite Rascal Flatter, and lost by a neck. I selected the colt by Sharp Humor-Sparkling Forest, by Forest Wildcat as a potential bargain for a client at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale in May. He sold for $22,000 at Timonium, and now has a win and two seconds from four starts, for $46,660.

Follow all 187 sales picks, and a handful of pans, throughout their careers, at this link.

Catching up: 22 new maiden-breakers so far in '11

My transition from North Carolina to life in Oklahoma in the beginning months of 2011 has interrupted this blog's progress more than I ever intended, but it's high time to start catching up.

First on the agenda: An update on 22 new winners thus far in 2011 from my juvenile sales tips of 2010, each briefly mentioned here in chronological order:

-- Reward The Lady (f. by Grand Reward-You're A Lady, by Youmadeyourpoint), Jan. 8, Parx Racing, MCL $12,500 by a half-length. I had this one as placed twice at age 2, and still have the e-mail notifications from Equibase to support that, but a Brisnet search now says she was placed just once, so she must have been disqualified from one of those runner-up efforts after the fact. Either way, she broke maiden and has earned $24,920 off a $6,000 purchase price at EASMAY, where I considered her a Priority 4 and we let her pass as Hip 1 in the entire sale.

-- Diannedoesthebooks (g. by Desert Warrior-Karakorum Kiss, by Lord Carson), Jan. 9, Aqueduct, MCL $50,000 by a length and a half. A first-out winner who was a $25,000 purchase as Hip 1200 at OBS April. A bit disconcerting that he hasn't raced since, though he has worked seven times, most recently April 3 at Belmont. Hopefully connections are just waiting for some juicy NY-bred conditions at the upcoming Belmont meet.

-- Take Me To Zuber (f. by Toccet-Valid Silk, by Valid Appeal), Jan. 20, Gulfstream Park, MCL $25,000 by 4 1/2 lengths. I pegged her at OBS April, where she sold for $28,000 as Hip 629. On March 14, she placed second in the OBS Sprint Stakes at Ocala Training Center, a restricted race open to 3-year-olds that at some point in their young lives have passed through a sales ring at Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.

-- Oh So Glittery (f. by Cetewayo-Western Glitter, by Glitterman), Jan. 25, Parx Racing, MCL $25,000 by a head. I liked this tall filly and tabbed her a Priority 2 horse at EASMAY last year, where I worked as a hired bloodstock agent for the first time. She was an RNA at $15,000, but now has earned $23,490 from five starts, including paychecks for three straight fourth-place finishes in allowance company since her maiden-breaking win. Not bad for being raced short on dirt as the daughter of a distance-running turf horse in Cetewayo, who had at least five graded wins on grass at 11f and beyond. I'd like to see her get some chances on the all-weather surface this season among PA-breds at Presque.

-- The Fed Eased (c. by Montbrook-Valid Invitation, by Take Me Out), Jan. 29, Aqueduct, MSW by 7 1/4 lengths. I recommended this colt prior to his passing through the ring at OBSFEB, where he was a $65,000 RNA. He won in his second start, then made his third Grade 3 Gotham S., in which he finished fifth, beaten 5 1/2, by Stay Thirsty. From three starts, he has a win and a place for $41,000.

-- Sniper King (c. by First Samurai-Gem Treck, by Java Gold), Jan. 30, Busan in South Korea, by 6 lengths. Colt who was an $18,000 purchase as Hip 1080 at OBSAPR has earned $35,203 from six starts in Korea, where a number of my bargain-hunting sales tips have performed quite well.

-- Wild Alley Cat (c. by Flower Alley-Winner's Ticket, by Jolie's Halo), Jan. 30, Turf Paradise, MCL $18K-$25K, by 7 lengths. Won easily at first asking when entered for $20,000 in a field of maiden-claimers. Since has been fifth and sixth in allowance company at Delta Downs after being sent to Louisiana. I labeled him a Priority 2 horse at EASMAY, where he sold for just $6,000. His win didn't earn much at Turf Paradise, where the purses aren't that generous, and he has banked just $5,670, but perhaps when dropped back in among friends he'll collect another win or two.

-- Black Tulip (f. by Rock Hard Ten-Fascinating Gal, by Theatrical), Feb. 2, Tampa Bay Downs, turf MCL $32,000 by 2 lengths. I considered her a possible second-chance deal (a horse you might see at auction later) after she failed to sell at a $50,000 bid at Keeneland April. She has a win and two other on-the-board finishes from seven starts, for $13,232, but I think has and will find a home on grass.

-- Kuhlu (f. by Ghostzapper-Golden Antigua, by Hansel), Feb. 6, Turfway Park, all-weather MCL $30,000 by 3 lengths. I considered her a possible second-chance deal from 2010 Keeneland April when she failed for sell at a bid of $22,000. She was sixth of seven in an optional claimer today at Hawthorne. Kuhlu has earned $7,330 from four starts.

-- Wrapped In Gold (f. by Touch Gold-Miss Ginalie, by Skip Away), Feb. 12, Hawthorne, MCL $7,500 by a length. I tabbed her at OBS April, where she sold for just $10,000. She has made seven starts with another third-place finish among them for $7,836.

-- Willie's Way (g. by Speightstown-Willie's Luv, by Williamstown), Feb. 16, Tampa Bay Downs, MCL $8,000, by 2 1/2 lengths. I've privately questioned the handling of this fellow, by a champion dirt sprinter and raced a number of times in his 13 lifetime starts around two turns and on turf. His dam did handle both a mile and grass, so I suppose the connections (and he's been through more than one barn) were hopeful. But short and on the dirt is where he belongs. I recommended him at OBS April, where he was an RNA for $12,000. He's now collected a win, three places and two show finishes for $15,551.

-- Lion's Reign (c. by Lion Heart-Turtle Creek, by Sky Classic), Feb. 27, Turfway Park, all-weather MSW by 3 lengths. I tabbed this one among my "steals" of the Keeneland April sale after he sold for $17,000. With an unplaced finish over an off-track as the favorite in a Mountaineer allowance today, he has a win and a place from five starts for $17,387.

-- Doasisay Notasisay (c. Delaware Township-Bonjove, by Caracolero), March 2, Parx Racing, MCL $25,000 by 4 1/4 lengths. I liked this fella rather a lot out of the OBS April catalog, where he was an RNA at just $19,000. He was second twice from four starts at 2, and is yet to finish worse than second in four starts at 3, including a runner-up finish to a heavy favorite today in a Parx starter allowance where this fella was sent off at 20/1. He has now earned $52,770 from eight starts for breeder Norman E. Casse, who might actually be glad by now that the colt didn't sell at Ocala.

-- Alstom (c. by Silver Train-Miss Special Salsa, by Mr. Greeley), March 5, Oaklawn Park, MSW by a half-length. This bargain-basement, $7,000 purchase was a Priority 2 horse on my list for a client at EASMAY. He won at first asking at a nice meeting, then proved the effort was no fluke on March 31 when he missed the break but came on, well, like a train down the lane to finish third beaten only three-quarters of a length in a one-mile allowance at Oaklawn, in a race where half the field were 4-year-olds.

-- Secondtimelove (f. by Trippi-Backtothebooks, by Notebook), March 10, Charles Town, MSW by 2 lengths. This $25,000 filly made my list at OBS April, where she was Hip 779. She didn't start at 2, but has a win, place and show from five starts at 3, for $24,700.

-- Knows How To Rock (c. by Rockport Harbor-Unchained Princess, by Clever Trick), March 14, Mountaineer Park, MSW by a neck. A Keeneland April steal at $13,000, he was unplaced in three starts at 2, but is 3-for-6 on the board at age 3. He has earned $16,509.

-- Simple Truth (f. by Tale of the Cat-Summertown, by Diesis), March 14, Turf Paradise, MCL $18,000, by 4 lengths. This one sold for a bit more than I expected at OBS April, where she went for $45,000 at a sale where I was hoping to peg almost nothing but bargains. She has earned $6,560 and has a long way to go toward repaying that purchase price.

-- Bibblesman (c. by Sharp Humor-Sparkling Forest, by Forest Wildcat), March 16, Parx Racing, MCL $40,000 by 4 3/4 lengths. This colt was a $22,000 purchase as Hip 337 at EASMAY, where I liked several of the foals by this sire, and where he made my list of 48 likely bargains for my one client as a hired bloodstock agent as a Priority 1 horse. He was unplaced in one start at 2, but has hit the board in both of his efforts at 3, having earned $40,260. Very easily could win again (and again?) among his PA-bred brethren.

-- No Biggie (g. by Consolidator-Sixy Chic, by Saratoga Six), March 17, Laurel Park, MCL $25,000 by 4 lengths. I tabbed this one as a "Priority 1" when tasked by a client to seek out the least expensive horses that still had promise among the offerings at last May's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale at Timonium, Md. I liked him in most every way, and I believe his price was held down by his height. I later wrote, "had the horse been two or three inches higher at the withers and not a degree straighter nor tick faster, the money would have been two or three times greater, I'm sure." As it was, he sold for a paltry $8,000 and now has earned $21,060, including a third place at 14/1 on Tuesday in the same Parx starter allowance (won by a 3/5 shot) in which sales-tip Doasisay Notasisay was second at 20/1.

-- Unstoppable Mick (g. by Silver Deputy-Flower Canyon, by Gulch), March 18, Turfway Park, MCL $15K-$10K by 10 1/4 lengths. I called this one a "steal" when he sold for $10,000 at KEEAPR to Connie Apostelos. New trainer Rodney C. Faulkner "stole" him for new owner Frank D. Irvin for $15,000 when Unstoppable Mick aired in this Turfway maiden-claimer as the prohibitive, 1/5 favorite. He has hit the board in four of five starts for $9,429 running at low-purse Turfway.

-- Silver Jo (f. by Silver Train-Bolsa, by Mr. Prospector), April 1, Oaklawn Park, MCL $15,000 by 3 1/4 lengths. This filly won as the heavy favorite in her third lifetime start. I recommended her in my search for bargains at OBS April, where she was purchased for $12,000. She has earned $11,670 and certainly might move forward.

-- Triple Great (f. by Greatness-Triple Top, by Topsider), today, April 5, Penn National, MCL $5,000 by 8 lengths. I picked this one at OBS April, where she was an RNA for $18,000. After placing three times in six starts, I was surprised that she went unclaimed from owners Robert Falcone and John J. Lee. The filly has now earned $14,836.

Thus, through racing of April 5, 2011, it would appear that my 187-member sales-tip class of 2010 has 140 starters (74.9 percent) and 70 winners worldwide (37.4 percent). The group has seven stakes winners and 10 other stakes-placers (nine blacktype) for 3.7 percent stakes winners and about 9 percent total stakes horses.

The group has won 99 times from 684 starts (14.5 percent) with 119 second-place finishes and another 78 thirds (31.9 percent in the exacta, 43.3 percent in the money). Total earnings have reached $4,341,616 for an average of $31,012 per starter and $6,347 per start.

Follow them all at this link.