OBS March Should be a Win-Win for Contessa

by Brian DiDonato
  Gary Contessa has a major Triple Crown prospect on his hands in last Saturday's GIII Gotham S. runner-up Uncle Sigh (Indian Charlie), and the veteran New York-based conditioner is already looking forward to more promising youngsters joining the barn. If they don't come his way, however, that's quite alright too. 
   Contessa purchased five yearlings for clients in 2013 that will go through the ring at Monday and Tuesday's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company March Selected Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, but none were specifically chosen as pinhook prospects at the time. 
   “I didn't buy any of those yearlings to sell as 2-year-olds,” he explained. “I love those horses as racehorses and those owners decided to test the 2-year-old market. I bought them what I thought would be outstanding racehorses and I hope that I get a shot to keep some of them. But those guys have put up their money, and those horses are training phenomenally, so they're going to test the market.”
   Contessa added, “I'd be really happy if they don't sell, but if they do sell I'll be really happy too because that means I was able to generate a nice profit for an owner. But make no mistake, these are horses that I think will be fantastic racehorses.”
   Among the five are a trio of juvenile fillies Contessa purchased on behalf of client Lee Pokoik, whose Contessa-trained runners include last year's P.G. Johnson S. second-place finisher Duff One (Harlan's Holiday), 2010 GIII Miss Grillo S. runner-up Arch Support (Arch) and 2010 GI Ruffian Invitational H. third Classofsixtythree (Include). “Mr. Pokoik does this every year and quite often he makes a very nice profit on these, so it keeps the rest of the stable going,” said Contessa. All three of Pokoik's offerings are consigned to the March sale by de Meric Sales. 
   First up of Pokoik and Contessa's yearling buys is hip 81, an Unbridled's Song filly out of a half-sister to the dam of GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Eight Belles (Unbridled's Song) who brought $270,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. 
   “This is a close relative to Eight Belles and she looks the part,” Contessa offered. “She's a good-looking filly. They're going to love her.”
   A full-sister to hip 81 sold at Saratoga in 2012 for $575,000, and Contessa acknowledged that he and Pokoik got a bargain. 
   “We were surprised we got her for that price, but there were a lot of Unbridled's Songs in that sale (which came shortly after the top stallion's death) and it was during a bit of a lull,” he noted. “We got her at the right price. She was in a growth spurt and she was a little awkward-looking as a yearling, but all the parts were in place and she's really developed into a lovely filly.”
   Next up is hip 314, a Tiznow half to Grade III winner Decelerator (Dehere) and MGSP Cool Blue Red Hot (Harlan's Holiday) from the family of Grade I winners Fabulous Notion, Cacaoethes and Fabulously Fast. She went for $250,000 at Keeneland September. 
   “She's really outstanding-looking and I loved her pedigree,” Contessa said. “There's nothing but graded stakes horses in that pedigree–you can't go wrong.” 
   Rounding out the Pokoik-owned trio is hip 379, a $290,000 FTSAUG yearling. The chestnut daughter of Lemon Drop Kid is out of the Danehill mare Silken Sash (Ire), making her a half to Grade II-winning turf router Raw Silk (Malibu Moon). While her pedigree doesn't necessarily scream speed or precocity, Contessa points out that that's not the only thing to look for at a 2-year-old sale. 
   “She's a little more progressed than her pedigree would suggest, but when I go to the sale and I'm buying 2-year-olds, I want to buy a 2-year-old who's going to go a mile and an eighth,” he stated. “That's where the money is. For the boys that's the Triple Crown and for the girls that's the Kentucky Oaks. All the biggest races are over a route of ground, so surely I'm not the only person at the 2-year-old sale with that vision. All three of these fillies are that type of horse–two turns, that could very well be graded stakes horses. I don't ever buy a horse that I want to see go five furlongs in 56 seconds. Every horse I buy I want to see go two turns and I think these three are all Classic, quality, two-turn horses.”
   Contessa also had a hand in selecting a pair of New York-breds–like Uncle Sigh–who are set to sell here. Hip 124 is a Majestic Warrior filly signed for by Contessa for $85,000 at the Fasig-Tipton NY Bred Preferred Yearling Sale; while hip 217 is a Midshipman half-brother to New York stakes winner Saltamontes (Wheelaway). The latter went for $52,000 at the same sale and was scooped up by Harold Lerner, who's had success on the track with Contessa as co-owner of last year's GIII Palm Beach S. and Penn Mile winner Rydilluc (Medaglia d'Oro) as well as the fleet-footed 2010 GIII Bay Shore S. winner Eightyfiveinafifty (Forest Camp).  The New York-bred pair are consigned by Kenneth Lejeune, agent.  
  “I bought them because I saw that they would be really sensational racehorse prospects, plus they're both New York-breds,” Contessa explained. “I'll tell you what, the reports that I'm getting on these two are that they're both very, very special horses. I'm going to really regret selling them, but a happy client is a client that's not going broke in this business, so if they test the market with these two and they don't end up in my barn, every time I watch them run, I had a hand in them.”
  He concluded, “These are not culls. These five horses that are in this sale are the cream of the crop and there's not one of them that I wouldn't want to see in my barn.”