BIDDER BIDDER, WHERE ART THOU?
“Who will give me $2,000? Will you do will you go” cadenced the auctioneer in his booming staccato sing song as the filly named BIG REDHEAD (Red River Hanover-Arts Big Girl) stood reasonably calmly in the ring below.

After some 90 seconds of futile oratory, he abruptly broke cadence and rather exasperatedly implored, “will anybody here bid on this nice filly in the ring?”

After a few seconds of deafening silence, he uttered “Look I’ll take $500 will anybody bid 500 dollars?

After a few more agonizing seconds, somebody did-somewhat meekly perhaps but sufficiently noticeable to warrant immediate attention from the auction stand.

The horse was promptly hammered down lest the bidder change his mind. Any thoughts of bumping or asking for more were immediately discarded.

BIG REDHEAD won her baby race in 1:58 by some four lengths finishing comfortably ahead of several that may or may not have sold to capacity but still attracted lots more than $500

While at first glance this may seem like an aberration of a horse just falling through the cracks, it actually symbolizes a growing problem amongst breeders- the inability to realize reasonable market value for the product.

This scenario will inevitably be passed along to the racetracks in terms of dwindling supply as the manufacturers are finding it’s no longer cost effective to produce horses like BIG REDHEAD and the previously illustrated SCARLET McZARA so desperately needed to fill the racing cards on a nightly basis.

HOW DO YOU MAKE THESE ECONOMICS WORK
It’s Thursday July 2nd, 2009 and in the 9th race at The Meadowlands a total of 10 promising 2-year-olds competed. The scene was an overnight for 2-year-old colts non winners of a betting race. Of those, eight were New Jersey sired and several are likely to enter the New Jersey Sires Stakes the following week.

Of the ten, no less than five were graduates of the Perretti Farms yearling class of 2009 sold at either Harrisburg or the New Jersey Classic.

From the rail out they included:

REDOLPH NURYEV (Red River Hanover-Ballerina Artist) who sold for all of $5,000
At last year’s New Jersey Classic.

WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN (Rocknroll Hanover-Fox Valley Shaker) a dual baby race winner in 1:57.2 from a $400,000 plus winning mare who brought all of $9,000.

SURF N TURF (Western Hanover-Beachy Lady) a brother to three winners including the near $500,000 winner Cabana Fever from an unraced though expensive ($210,000) daughter of She’s A Great Lady. At the time of purchase Beachy Lady was carrying Surf N Turf who eventually sold for $40,000 at Harrisburg.

BGs FOLLY (Rocknroll Hanover-Art Amour) First colt from a daughter of the great Die Loving who herself earned a 1:54.3 mark at three and whose two previous foals (both fillies) were winners. A $21,000 purchase at Harrisburg, B.G.’s Folly’s previous appearance was a fast closing second in 1:56.3 in a baby race at Gaitway Farms.

NAVAHO AYDEN (Matt’s Scooter-West We Forget), First foal of the record West We Forget, a Western Ideal sister to Dragon Again. The sire is the still potent Matt’s Scooter paternal grandsire of Somebeachsomewhere and Auckland Reactor. One of the handful of Matt’s Scooters to be sold in 2009, Navaho Ayden was a $5.500 yearling purchase at The New Jersey Classic. His previous appearance as an impressive 1:57.4 victory in a baby race at Chester Downs.

These are just a handful of examples- emblematic of the plight breeders face in these trying times.

LAUGH TO THE BANK BUT DON’T DROP RED
As predicted by trainer Bob Horowitz, DROP RED (Red River Hanover-Igottwowodsforyou) totally demolished a strong field of older horses in 1:49 flat- in a noticeable tune up for next week’s Meadowlands Pace eliminations.

Ray Schnittker unveiled a rather noticeable McArdle 2-year old named ONE MORE LAUGH (Fancy Creek Funny) who proved an eyecatching 1:55.1 winner of a Pennsylvania Sires Stake at The Meadows…

Previously One More Laugh won a Meadowlands Baby race in 1:55 by some 34 lengths on a track dulled by morning rain.

The McArdles will fit in superbly in Pennsylvania sire circles.

Has anybody noticed the Revenue stretch surges? BREAK THE BANK K (Revenue-
American Misty) soared from way back to be going away in 1:57.4 in the fastest of three Harriman stakes. His last quarter was :27.4

One night later, HOTSHOT BLUE CHIP (Revenue-Hustle N Muscle) was an absolute blur in the Dickerson kicking home in :26.4 to narrowly miss Cesar A Blue Chip in 1:54.1. This after a costly break approaching the half-which had to cost the Hotshot some half dozen lengths till he regained composure.

Bob Marks