SPEIGHTS TO THE HEIGHTS

Somebody had to be second last Saturday in the Lady's Secret at Monmouth Park.

Queen Martha didn't scare Rachel Alexandra much but a tidy sum of $80,000 was more than worth the effort. The dam of Queen Martha was the good stakes producer' Cryptoqueen which I had purchased for John Franks some years back. She was a well-made yearling but a touch on the small side. I paid $22,000 for her but she was one of those fillies who did not grow much and thus had a modest racing career.Bred to the home stallion Lucky North, Cryptoqueen produced the very good stakes mare Clearly A Queen.

Our handiwork was evident in various quarters of late. Two brilliant juveniles surfaced, Wine Police and Roxy Gap, both by the surging third-year stallion Speightstown which yours truly bought as a $2million yearling. Furthermore, I purchased the dam of Roxy Gap (the stakes-placed Harts Gap) and sold the dam of Wine Police under the Four Star Sales banner.

Another Speightstown rising star is Jersey-based Spiteful Gypsy. I sold the dam, SW Leo's Gypsy Dancer for the Purse Strings Stable, a conglomerate of 17 women from Louisville. I earned my 5 % on that occasion I can assure you.

If this sounds a bit self-serving that's because it is. Remember: it's not bragging if you can do it. When you are ready to step back into the fray keep that in mind.

MAKING THE GRADE

Our fingerprints were evident last weekend when some major Breeders Cup preps were contested. We supplied strategy for breeding two of them, Frizette (G 1) third place finisher Gemswick Park and the Gr 3 third Carnacks Choice.

Gemswick Park is out of Queen’s Park (Relaunch), a filly of modest talent but good enough to win black-type in Winnipeg at my recommendation. She is from one of the foremost families in the stud book and is worth a small fortune.

Carnacks Choice is a son of Ellesmere (Tabasco Cat), another average racer who was shipped off to Fort Erie to become stakes-placed. I had bought Ellesmere when she was the first yearling into the ring at Saratoga.

Gemswick Park and Carnacks Choice demonstrate the importance in assessing residual value. Not everyone is good at it. We thrive on it and have the record to prove it.

Four Star Sales marketed two-year-old star Munnings who finished second in the Champagne (G 1). His dam is included in Four Star’s stellar Fasig-Tipton consignment November 2.

Grade 1 winners Honey Ryder and Panty Raid head the parade of high class mares which also includes graded performers Final Fling and Graeme Six.