Legends swing into gavel action
 

Zito-Lukas-Baffert group that front the Legends Racing Group formed earlier this year swung into action mid-session today knocking down three $1,000,000 yearlings...

$1MM each for El Prado colt out of the Clever Trick mare Swift and Classy, bred by Liberation Farm, and a Mr. Greeley colt out of the Storm Cat mare Tempest Dancer. Then $1.2 million for a half to Point Given, a Storm Cat colt out of Turko's Turn. I think Baffert will push to train that one... :D

In the opening session they bought 5 horses for $2,000,000.

I have been to both days of the sale for the majority of each day...haven't seen Baffert and Lukas talk to each other or been by each other once. Never saw Zito at the sale...I wounder how they are deciding on picking the horses with each other...maybe they are each picking one

I think Gentry-Gaines are making the bloodstock calls...

Correct, and with the G-G advisory team.

Eric

Well they need to realize that most of the horses they bought, at least on day one, were bred for turf. They have mangained to hire the 3 worst turf trainers of the modern era. They might want to expand the legend posse to 4 and hire Mott or Motion.

I predict that exactly one of thse colt will turn out to be a real good horse because that will fit with the Freddy mo 90/10 theory.

Actually most of them grind them up trying to be a TC horse. Turf horses generally involve patience and these guys usually have big crops coming in and simply dont have the patience to wait on turf horses. Nick hates poly but he doesnt exactly adore turf either. I cant remember the last good turf horse Lukas had (Steinlen?) and Baffert has had some luck i believe with a few turf fillies?

Its amazing that Lukas still gets good horses.

Id like to meet the sharpies that are investing mega-bucks with this venture.
I have some ocean front property here in middle TN for sell.

Look at the stock they get to work with, all blue-bloods. They basically get to go to any sale they want with an open checkbook. Between the 3, there are more butcher jobs and underacheiving horses rather than good horses being trained into something noteworthy. JMHO

They CAN train turf horses if they wanted to. I just dont think they want to because #1 turf isnt nearly as lucrative and #2 the press coverage is far greater on the TC trail than the rest of the year combined. That is not a knock because those guys have made way more money than the average trainer because they used that publicity to good use along with being good trainers.

It still seems hard for them to make any money with this unless they get really lucky and come up with a real star colt.

Baffert had that Mr. Sekatichi horse I think. I can't think of many if any from zito, he doesn't seem to spend these crazy amounts....

and after reading this again, you meant them having talent....

I would think if they butchered one you would have never heard of them because they were butchered, no?

The difference is that "the legends" usually pick their horses out for their clients at the sales. Which accounts for the under-achieving. Its the same as when these NFL coaches want to do all the drafting. It never works out.

As for The Green Donkey, he was the result of a pissing match of 2 ego-maniacs that actually look at the times in 2yo in training sales while they are being ridden like they are in the all-american fut. at Riodoso.

It really depends on how you look at it. There is so much that goes into these sales and how trainers get horses.

I will say it this way, if Baffert bought the horse, on his recommendation, and did all the prep work to get him to the races, then yes, it is his fault.

But if someone bought the horse and then sent him to Baffert race ready, then it isn't his fault.

If that makes any sense.

Chelsey Flower. First time after she was purchased from Tony Margotta.

When I said Butchered I was refering to DWL. As far as underacheivers Id count DWL whole barn. Except all the M.L. Whitney crows.

The days of the $5 million horses are over. Id bet you couldnt find a handfull of horses in BB or NZ barn that went thru he ring under $300k-$500k.

And winning a N2X with a $500k horse is not exactly a success story.

As trainers, like them or don't, that's a different issue. As far as buying power, I can't speak to the Baffert aspect specifically, but by his own admittance he lost a lot of buying power between Lewis, Sanan and Zayat (to whatever extent you would consider that). Lukas hasn't had carte blanche for quite some time. Does he still have power to buy a big ticket horse? Two? Sure. But that is far from carte blanche, say for example, like Pletcher had the last X number of years. At this point, I think Lukas may get more "homebred" babies than purchases, and in that world -- you play the cards your dealt.

Zito is another story. For many years his buying power was mostly in the $300k and below range. He was also getting "homebreds" -- like the Whintey horses. There would always be the odd expensive buyback from LaPenta, or an odd expensive purchase from Live Oak, but they were very few and far between. His purchasing power in recent years has increased, and LaPenta is playing the game in a bigger way, and he has bought back more horses (and more expensive ones); but for years Zito produced without having anywhere near carte blanche.

Don't get me wrong -- there's no doubt these guys have strong buying power. Being able to buy just one million dollar baby is more than 99% of the trainers in the game, so they start out with big dollars.

I think Pletcher had a run where he had carte blanche.

Eric

War Pass......$180K

Cool Coal Man.....$200K

Da' Tara........$175K

Coal Play.......$280K

Anak Nakal.......homebred

Actually, that is very untrue about Zito. I can't speak to Baffert.

Eric

Sorry, I got the breakage wrong.

Whoa -- now there's a trivia question! I couldn't have guessed that in a million years, but I remember it so well. Tony Margotta, does that bring back memories.

How about the breakfasts at the Margotta barn at the Spa?

Eric

I miss the director's chairs with the owners' names on them.

Here's more trivia.....who trained Chelsey Flower when she broke her maiden first time out as a 2YO at Saratoga on the turf?

Why do I remember her running second at the Spa? Was that after she broke her maiden, or later on, maybe as a 3yo? Anyway, you got me there.

Eric

I think Carlos Martin trained her when she won her turf debut. I was wrong though....she did not win as a first time starter.

Jose Martin? I think Santos was up.

Heres one: who rode her to a 3rd place finish in a G2 at Hialeah?

It may have been Jose and not Carlos. I do remember Robert Brennan putting about 40 dimes on her through the windows on the second floor of the clubhouse.

So he cashed for about $450k?? WOW!!

I seem to remember him betting exactas which came buck, unsurprisingly, cheap.

What year did she break her maiden? As you said, it might more likely be Jose Martin, not Carlos. For some strange reason, I remember he running 2nd at the Spa, maybe Jean-Luc winning the race on a big price horse, ???

I do not know who rode her to a 3rd place finish in a G2 at Hialeah. Far too detailed for me, LOL.

Eric

1993

and here i always thought i had a good memory.