Jacob West

From a small commercial broodmare band, which currently numbers just six mares, Vincent Colbert has had a remarkable amount of success in a short amount of time, breeding Grade I winners Callback and Chocolate Gelato, as well as Grade III winner Shotgun Hottie. The Massachusetts native had success almost right from the start of his breeding operation with the purchase of Quickest (Forest Wildcat) for $40,000 as a 2-year-old at the 2007 Keeneland January sale--three years before her half-brother Super Saver (Maria's Mon) won the GI Kentucky Derby. The bay...

It's been a long time coming for Jacob West. Watching 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' Mindframe make it to the famed stallion barn at Claiborne Farm and settle into the stall once home to the likes of Bold Ruler, Secretariat, Easy Goer and Unbridled marks a full-circle moment years in the making. One year after West joined Claiborne as their Stallion Seasons and Bloodstock Manager, the farm announced this summer that Mindframe would soon be headed to Claiborne. Weeks later, West was at Churchill Downs celebrating as the son...

With numbers continuing to surpass the 2024 standard, Monday's seventh session of the Keeneland November Sale closed out another day of strong trade, highlighted by a gross of $234,253,000, up from $181,460,500 generated one year ago. Average through seven sessions increased 25.34% to $141,886, while the median showed a sharp rise, up 40.35% to $80,000 this year. The RNAs to this point decreased from 470 in 2024 to 424 this term. Conversely, session 7 saw RNAs rise to 58, increasing from 49 one year ago, while 259 head drew an...

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association has released a list of panelists for its upcoming Pedigree and Conformation Clinic, which will be held in Lexington at Fasig-Tipton Oct. 20. The topics and speakers at the clinic include: Pedigrees/Conformation/Horse Selection, presented by Jacob West (Claiborne Farm/Bloodstock Agent); Purchasing at Public Auction, presented by Jeffrey Bloom (Bloom Racing Stable); The Role of an Auction House and the Auction Process, presented by Anna Seitz Ciannello (Fasig-Tipton); Yearling Prep for the Sales, presented by Francis Vanlangendonck (Summerfield Sales Agency); Equine Nutrition, presented by Anthony...

by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis, and Jill Williams LEXINGTON, KY -The only thing that could slow down the momentum of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale was a brief interruption in Wednesday's action when the fire alarms late in the day caused the evacuation of the pavilion. "We joked in the back ring the market was so hot, it set the fire alarms off," Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said with a chuckle after the dust had settled on another competitive day of bidding at the first of two...

by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis, and Jill Williams LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which opened with a record-setting session Monday, continued with an action-packed second Book 1 session Tuesday, establishing yet another September session record average and median. Twenty horses sold for $1 million or more during the session, led by a colt by Gun Runner and a filly by Flightline who brought matching $2.2 million price tags. "It was a good day at the sale, for sure," said Keeneland President Shannon Arvin. "We built on what...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The buzz from last week's select sale clearly carried into the new week, with the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale powering through its opening session Sunday night in Saratoga. During the session, 64 yearlings grossed $8,338,000 for an average of $130,281 and a median of $105,000. Those figures were well ahead of last year's opening session, when 66 head sold for $6,860,000 for an average of $103,939 and a median of $89,000. They were also ahead of last year's cumulative average of $104,178 and median of...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--As Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher suspected, grass was the proper surface for Snow Face Princess (Midshipman). Two months after making her career debut on the dirt at Aqueduct, she secured a victory Wednesday in the sixth race at Saratoga, a $100,000 maiden special weight contest for 2-year-old fillies. Snow Face Princess and leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. completed the 5 1/2 furlongs on the Mellon Turf Course in 1:02.27. Sent off as the 5-2 favorite in the field of nine, the dark bay or brown filly...

"The first big firework that's gone off since I got here," acknowledges Jacob West. "And I will say this: I think it'll put the other farms on notice. I think people are going to say, `woah, they're back. Not exactly a new shooter, obviously--but reloaded.'" The new stallion seasons and bloodstock manager at Claiborne Farm is at pains to stress that the recruitment of Mindframe (Constitution) only builds on the work of his universally esteemed predecessor Bernie Sams. After all, the last stallion brought here by Sams, who's still sharing...

In 2024, the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale--hosted over two days--was largely buoyed by the Lothenbach dispersal that saw seven of the sale's top nine mares--including a pair of seven figure offerings--originate from that consignment. While Monday's single-session renewal of the sale didn't quite attain the levels of one year ago, the latest edition did offer several of its own highlights. Hailing from the Red Oak Stable dispersal, Hip 395, a colt by Curlin led the day with a $775,000 final bid from Maverick, bidding online. Out of Grade I...

Listed Pegasus Stakes winner Tuscan Sky (Vino Rosso) will be staying in his same stall after Mike Repole purchased the 4-year-old colt for $450,000 from Spendthrift Farm during the Fasig-Tipton January Digital Sale which concluded Tuesday. West Bloodstock's Jacob West, who signed the ticket on Repole's behalf, noted that the colt would stay just where he was. "He'll stay with Todd [Pletcher]," said West. "He'll point towards all the older horse graded stakes that are out there. We thought he was a horse that offered a lot of upside for...

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland January of All Ages Sale produced its third $700,000 mare when Love to Shop (Violence), consigned by Claiborne Farm, brought that co-sale topping bid from Pin Oak Stud Tuesday. During the second session of the three-day auction, 242 horses sold for $10,854,300. The average was $44,852 and the median was $20,000. With 89 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 26.89%. Through two sessions, 442 head have grossed $28,941,300, for an average of $65,478 and a median of...