CLASS. PURE CLASS

Once I was asked what was my favorite interview in a quarter century of televised Thoroughbred racing. The answer was easy. "Paul Mellon and Mack Miller after they won the Champagne at Belmont with Sea Hero,", I said.

It was with some trepidation that I awaited their entry to the winner's circle. I fretted during the two-minute commercial, wondering how I might connect with these titans of the turf.

I worried needlessly. The pair cavorted with joy, slapping hands and generally laughing it up. Our discussion was brief and to the point, mainly that the Kentucky Derby was the ultimate goal, which they annexed a few months hence.

The recent death of trainer Miller brought forth accolades from all who had the privilege to know him. He liked to wonder how he got so lucky.

"I really only had two jobs in my career. One was with Charles Engelhard (owner of Nijinsky). Engelhard was known to subsist on a diet of champagne and chocolate and suffered severe gout which forced him to use a cane when in his 40s".

Upon Engelhard's premature demise, Miller was hired by Yale man Paul Mellon.

Mellon already had an Epsom Derby under his belt with Mill Reef.

The universally loved Miller could do it all, having bought some mares from the Engelhard estate and raced them to win important races with longtime partner Smiser West.

Your correspondent got into the act with the purchase of the mare Song of Syria from West who went on to produce champion Chilukki for Canadian owner Norman McAllister.

Some of the Mack Miller magic must have rubbed off again when I bought a yearling Thunder Gulch filly named Tweedside for another Canadian, Eugene Melnyk. She went on to win Grade I races. As I signed the ticket I heard Smiser tell Mack, "gee, Mack I thought we'd get more than $l00,000".

BIG BROTHER, BIG SISTER

Generally speaking it not a good idea to go back and buy a  sibling to a good horse you have had in your stable.  Remember that Mrs. Sullivan had 12 sons but only one John L.

But sometimes you just have to be right for the wrong season, in the words of Edward G. Robinson to Steve McQueen’s Cincinnati Kid in the great poker movie of the same name.

I struck paydirt when I spent $52,000 of Jerry Hollendorfer’s money to purchase Trickey Trevor who went on to win more than $700,000 as a Grade 2 performer.

A few years later his half-sister appeared in the March Sale at OBS (Ocala).  She turned in a sparkling work, was by the very good stallion Montbrook and bred by a trustworthy outfit in Mike Farrell’s Ocala Stud.

The price seemed right at $95,000 and we bought her.  Not long ago she won the Alameda Handicap at Pleasant and boosted her earnings past $180,000 and perhaps that sum again in breeding value.

On another occasion our flexible approach paid off handsomely.  Graeme Hall cost $200,000 at Keeneland September and proved himself by winning the Arkansas Derby and Jim Dandy at three.  The son of Dehere made seven figures at the races with Todd Pletcher and is standing with some success in Florida.

Graeme Hall was followed by a robust chestnut filly who was offered for sale at the Calder 2-year-old sale.  The filly was a daughter of Hennessy and her breezes at Calder made us determined to buy her.

We weren’t the only ones watching, of course, and went to $l,650,000 to secure the eventual Grade 1 winner  her for the Melnyk Stable who raced Graeme Hall, fighting off an equally determined Demi O’Byrne.

Demi accosted Pletcher and I after that bidding duel and said, only half kidding, that “you’ll not outbid me again”.  He was right but not without a heroic effort on our part.

We locked horns later that day over who would own Yonaguska.  Once again price reached the stratosphere whenever a combination of looks, speed and pedigree showed up in the sales ring.  We made a $1,950,000 bid on Yonaguska only to be topped by a $25,000 bid.  

MAMA MIA!

No sooner did I shut my mouth from bragging about Hyperbaric than he up and wins the Grade II Oak Tree Mile in 1:33.3. His earnings now surpass $400,000. You’ll recall that we bought the mare for a mere $19,000.

Another horse living it up is Arden Belle who won a Woodbine stakes recently, moving her earnings over $500,000. We bought her dam, Bow Bell’s Reef, as a March OBS juvenile. She demonstrated ability but lacked soundness. It’s athletic ability that we are looking for and she had already shown it. Bow Bell’s Reef was by Virginia Rapids and her SW daughter was by Dance Brightly. An unexpected place to find a half-million dollar earner.

Shopton Lane just won the Formal Gold S. at Monmouth to move her earnings to nearly $300,000. We bought her dam for Eugene Melnyk ( same for Bow Bell’s Reef) with similar results. She showed some ability on the track and came up with a good one in Shopton Lane. Incidentally, Shopton Lane was recently bought privately and flew the colors of Malih Al Basti for his Jersey score. Mr. Al Basti is our genial host and benefactor during recent visits to Dubai for the World Cup.

McKilts is a mare whose son PV Lightening was in the news for victory in a $100,000 stakes at Delaware. We actually bought and sold the mare twice. The first came at Keeneland November some years back when I landed her for $40,000 on behalf of Canadian client Norman McAllister. He sat inside to watch the bidding and gave me carte blanche to assemble a broodmare band. McKilts was our first purchase and I had no sooner signed the ticket than a fellow offered a $10,000 profit. I searched out Norman and told him of the offer.
While he declined, the incident helped cement the necessary trust in the agent/owner relationship.

“I didn’t know about the offer and I realize that you could have put a fast $10,000 into your pocket, and no one is the wiser,” he said. “I really appreciate what you did.”

Norman had the perfect temperament for the game and we did very well in our time together. He cut his involvement way back for business and personal reasons. I fervently hope he will be back one day.

McKilts, meanwhile, was sold to a Maryland breeder of my acquaintance after a couple of foals in the McAllister camp. I suggested Sultry Song for the mating which produced PV Lightening ($154,364).

We do this sort of thing all the time. November Sales are around the corner. It might be a good idea for you to take advantage of our four decades experience finding the right mare for the right price.