The Australian Pacing Gold Yearling Sales juggernaut moves

Western Terror?s final crop of foals to sell in Australasia are represented at Sydney by three yearlings. Photo by Empire Stallions

The Australian Pacing Gold Yearling Sales juggernaut moves to its final destination for 2020 at the Inglis Riverside Stables, Warwick Farm, Sydney on Sunday 8 March commencing at 10am ((yearling parade from 7pm Friday 6 March 2020). This sale is being held the day after the 2020 Ainsworth Miracle Mile (A$1,000,000), run by New South Wales Harness Racing Club at TABCorp Park, Menangle, Saturday 7 March being part of the APG Grand Circuit for pacers.

Following sales in Brisbane (26 January), Melbourne (2 February) and Perth (1 March), the final twenty Betting Line yearlings to be auctioned by APG at its 2020 sales sell in Sydney. As outlined in fuller detail in the article on the Perth APG sale (refer harnessbred.com article of 12 February 2020), Betting Line (Bettors Delight/Heathers Western) :

• winner of twenty of twenty seven two and three year old race starts for stake earnings of US$1,879,061
• winner of seventeen group races; four at Group One level aged three – Little Brown Jug, North America Cup, Battle Of Brandywine, Carl Milstien Memorial
• set best times of 1:51.4US (two), 1:47.2US (three)

• aged three, world record 3yo colts on 1/2 mile track – 1:49.0US; equalled Mohawk track, stakes and Canadian world record of 1:47.4US (7/8ths track); world record 3yo colts on 5/8th mile track – 1:47.2US
• in 2016 awarded Canadian O’Brien Awards for 3yo Colt or Gelding Pacer and All Aged Harness Horse of Year; USA Dan Patch 3yo Pacing Colt or Gelding of Year; Fastest North American 3yo Pacer of Year (1:47.2US)

Betting Line bred by Fair Winds Farm Inc., Cream Ridge, New Jersey for Canada owners from Ontario : Ross Warriner, Burlington; Casie Coleman (trainer), Cambridge; Christine Calhoun, Chatham and Mac Nichol, Burlington. Bred from the world’s leading pacing sire of the moment Bettors Delight representing the Cam Fella/Meadow Skipper back to Electioneer paternal line out of Western Hanover mare Heathers Western (1:53.0US, $173,102), dam of nine 1:55 winners, two in 1:50, six $100k earners. Grand dam Santastic (Camtastic) is dam of eleven winners, six in 1:55, one in 1:50, four $100k earners while third dam Mafra Newton (Big Towner), also dam of eleven winners, seven in 1:55, four $100k earners.

Betting Line belongs to North America’s leading maternal family of Medio (U1) whose Australasian influence has included sires Chiola Hanover, Armbro Operative, Western Terror, Artsplace and racehorses Speeding Spur, Sushi Sushi, Sundons Luck, Royal Aspirations.

Betting Line’s Sydney yearlings total twenty, split evenly between colts and fillies. They include :

• three colts from the family of Dairy Maid (U30) who has the largest family representation among Betting Line progeny at the Sydney APG Sales. The colts are from Stylish Boulevard (Mach Three mare; 1:56.9, ten wins, second foal), Major Joy (Art Major mare, 1:56.1, twelve wins, third foal, first colt) and Westgate Chick (Mach Three winning mare; first foal)
• a filly (lot 524) from winning Live Or Die mare Motu Living Doll (ninth live and final foal), dam of five winners including $300k+ 1:50 pacer Mongolian Hero (1:49.3US). Grand dam Tentative produced seven winners from eight to race including Burchetta (1:50.4US) and Unrehearsed. Dam of seven winners including Jewels Diamond – 2f/GN Oaks winner Lizzie Maguire (1:55.1, $465,579). This is the NZ family of Moor Chimes (N91)

• a colt (lot 586) from unraced Art Major mare Themajors Daughter, third foal. Unraced grand dam Baby Boomer has left nine winners of 144 races from eleven starters (fourteen live foals) including SA/Ballarat Cups winner Mister Swinger       This is the Australian family of Phoebe (A17)
• a filly (lot 606), first foal from Mach Three mare Another Fireball, 1:59.0 Bathurst Gold Tiara consolation. Grand dam Lourdes, eleven AUS/twenty five NA wins, 1:51.2US, $394,614. This is the Tasmanian family of Submarine (A36)
• a filly (lot 615) out of Bathurst Gold Tiara winner Armida (1:59.1, $159,285), dam of twenty four race winner Caesar Augustus (1:54.5, $223,741). Armida’s grand dam is prolific broodmare producer New Arrival, dam of fourteen live foals, nine raced, all winners. This is the Australian family of Ritas Pride (A54)
• a filly from Mach Three mare To The Machx (lot 590) whose third dam is speedy Australian 2yo Pacer of Year and first filly to hold 2yo mile record Jasmarilla (1:57.7TT, Moonee Valley, 24 June 1983), also fastest 2yo outside North America when TT record established; 1:55.1US, $503,000, VSS – 2f and 3f (fifteen AUS and fifty NA wins). Fourth dam Shu Fly left VIC Oaks winners Carome Julie and Floreat. This is the NZ family of Topsy (N7) - Soho Tribeca, Carlas Pixel, Restrepo, Villagem to the fore in Australia in recent years
• a colt from Village Jasper mare Ark De Ville (lot 613), 1:56.6, $115,080, dam of two race winners from outstanding Australian Broodmare of Year Ark Maree, dam of ten winners of 155 races including Arkamigo (1:56.2, $293,474, QLD Derby) and Atomic Ark (1:54.1TT, $435,113). This is the US family of Flora B (U306), notable for trotting stars including Skyvalley, Allegro Agitato, Whatsundermykilt, Chiolas Lass and champion pacer Gammalite
• a colt from Somebeachsomewhere mare Bondi Miss (lot 642) whose dam Localize left Our Golden Goddess (1:53.1, $442,410, NZSS – 3f, VIC Ladyship Cup) and grand dam is USA bred mare Sabilize (thirty one wins, 1:55.7, $355,056, NSW Ladyship Mile twice/Newcastle Mile three consecutive years). Sabilize is dam of millionaire and multiple Australasian group one winner Sushi Sushi. This is the family of Medio (U1)
• a filly (first foal) from Mach Three mare Tuapeka Sky (lot 589) whose dam Wave Runner produced Bonnie Joan (1:52.8, $201,464, Southland Oaks, NZ Premier Mares Championship). This is the family of Bonnie Belle (N5) with this particular branch back to Mains Lady developed by Cummings family, Tuapeka Lodge, Lawrence, NZ – includes Tuapeka Dream, Maureens Dream, Tuapeka Knight, Seamoon (third dam of this filly), Reality Check (2019 NZ Pacing Broodmare of Year)
• broodmare sires with a number of Betting Line foals in Sydney are Mach Three (five) and Art Major/Artistic Fella/Village Jasper (two)

Western Terror’s final crop of foals to sell in Australasia are represented at Sydney by three yearlings. His first foals appeared on the Southern Hemisphere scene in 2006 and from 561 foals in Australia and 173 in New Zealand, they have made quite an impact since that time. A well bred son of Western Hanover out of good race mare Arterra (Artsplace/Delinquent Account by On The Road Again), Western Terror’s paternal line represents the Electioneer line through Most Happy Fella/Meadow Skipper/Hal Dale. His maternal side comes from the number one North American family of Medio (U1) the same as Betting Line.

Dam Arterra, winner on two occasions (1:53.4US, $161,976), is a full sister to Artiscape 1:49.3US ($1,469,461, Breeders Crown at two/three, Tattersalls Pace, CAN Provincial Cup; outstanding sire – Maltese Artist, Rainbow Blue, Yankee Cruiser and dam sire of Captain Crunch, The Orange Agent) and Strike A Balance, dam of millionaire Strike An Attitude (1:48.4US, world record for 3f on mile track, 2011) and third dam of Tall Drink Hanover (1:48.0US, Shes A Great Lady). Arterra has left fifteen foals, ten winners, three in 1:50.0, four $100k - Western Terror, Cinderella Guy (1:49.1US, $904,005) and If I Can Dream (1:49.4US, $1,990.276, world record for 2c on 5/8ths track at Dover Downs, 1:50.4US.

Grand dam, the brilliant Delinquent Account was the winner of forty one races, $1,038,997, 1:51.4US and dam of eight winners, three in 1:53, four $100k - Artiscape, Strike A Balance, Arterra (as above) and Art Account (dam of Bigtown Hero, world record aged gelding on 5/8ths track 1:47.3US; That’s The Ticket, Three Diamonds – 2f) and grand dam of millionaire Western Shore (1:48.3US), Dudes The Man (1:48.4US, Adios), Act Now (1:49.3US, Lady Maud), Allstar Rating (1:50.1US, world record 2f).

Western Terror, 1:48.3US at three, won on ten occasions (three Group Ones), placed on twelve from thirty four starts, $1,164,174. Won his North America Cup elimination before finishing third in the final to Mantacular when trained by Scott Forbes. Transferred to Australian Brett Pelling stables, he dead-heated with Timesareachanging in the Cane Pace at Freehold, the first of his Group Ones. After winning a heat of the Little Brown Jug (second in final to Timesareachanging), he won twice at the Red Mile, Lexington in the Bluegrass Stakes and Tattersalls Pace posting a career best 1:48.3US. Winning the Breeders Crown at Woodbine and Windy City Pace at Maywood Park, Chicago, he was retired to stud at the end of his three year old career. Initially standing at stud in Ontario, Canada, later in New York then Pennsylvania and currently Ohio.

In North America, he has eleven millionaires : Western Silk, Economy Terror 1:49.0, Take It Back Terry, Shacked Up 1:49.4, Up the Credit 1:48.3, Yellow Diamond 1:49.4, Drop The Ball 1:48.2, Agent Q, Ideal Race, Safe From Terror and Code Word; his fastest pacer being Oscar Oscar (1:48.1US) with six in the first 1,000 1:50.0 pacers. Total NA winners exceed 870, 417 in 1:55 with total earnings of over $91m placing him consistently in the top ten NA sires in recent years. Among major race wins were Jugette (Western Silk); Breeders Crown (Economy Terror – 2f, Yellow Diamond – 3f); North America Cup (Up The Credit) together with numerous major female pacing events.

At stud in Australasia, Western Terror was available to breeders through Alabar for three consecutive years starting from 2006/7 season (182 foals in Australia, 165 NZ) and again through Empire Stallions in consecutive years from 2014/5 season until final season in 2018/19 (379 foals in Australia; NZ only 2018/19 – four foals).

Statistically, he has produced one millionaire Terror To Love with Baby Bling, Erie Dale (1:49.0US) and Im Corzin Terror being the only others over $500k together with eight sub 1:52 performers in Australasia (quickest Baby Bling and Pocket Of Terror 1:50.5/1:52.0AUS; Terror To Love 1:51.0NZ). Western Terror is the sire of 176 winners from 258 starters in Australia for earnings of $9.362m (broodmare sire of 28) and 75 winners of 165 races (47 in two minutes), for earnings of $2.993m in New Zealand (broodmare sire of 13).

His major Southern Hemisphere credits are champion entire Terror To Love, the third horse to win three consecutive NZ Cups with Indianapolis and False Step, winner of $2,377,125, 1:51.0NZ, thirty one wins/twenty two group race wins (eight group ones including three NZ Cups, Taylor Mile, Jewels Emerald -4, Auckland/Easter/Cranbourne Cups), three time NZ Pacer Of Year and twice Harness Horse of Year. Sire of five NZ winners, one in 1:55 with oldest three year olds and NZ bred Miracle Mile champion Baby Bling, 1:50.5, $854,490 (AUS Oaks, WA Mares Classic).

Other significant Southern Hemisphere performers include Terrorway (Blacks a Fake, Cranbourne Cup), Terror Time (1:49.1US), Vertigal (NSW Breeders Challenge 2f/3f), Im Corzin Terror (Ballarat/Cranbourne Cups) and Gumdrops (Queen Of The Pacific). As a broodmare sire in Australasia (twenty seven in Australia, ten NZ), he can count Our Little General (Breeders Crown – 2c/3c, Victoria Derby) and GN Derby winner Best Western among his credits.

World-wide Western Terror has produced over 1,100 winners, earnings well in excess of $100m, twelve millionaires with world champions in four countries.

Western Terror has three yearlings colt for sale in Sydney :

1. out of unraced Courage Under Fire mare Sarum Princess (lot 566), dam of winner; from NZ family of Papilla (N15)
2. out of Stature mare Height Of Wisdom (lot 693); dam of Vertigal, eleven wins, 1:55.8, $317,380, NSW Breeders Challenge 2f and 3f, second Bathurst Gold Tiara, thirds NSW/AUS Oaks; from NZ family of Little Agnes (N65)
3. lot 692, out of I Am A Fool mare Hectic (fourteen wins, 1:56.7, $97,745) from dual Australian Broodmare of Year, Alldatglittersisgold, dam of millionaire Bling It On (1:50.2, $1,830,597, Breeders Crown – 2c, QLD Derby, Hunter/Victoria/Gold Coast Cups) and  Miracle Mile winner Baby Bling (as above ). This is the NZ family of Wild Lass (N185) 

Note – all three Western Terror’s Sydney yearlings are from NZ families.

Three Western Terror foals sold at APG Melbourne Sale in early February 2020 – colts from Artiscape mare Light In Every Day (1:53.2, $129,255) was withdrawn and Four Starzzz Shark mare Kool Clementine (third dam Sweet Clementine won QLD Oaks) sold for $15,000 while a filly from Torado Hanover mare Zora Paree (unraced) sold for $4,000. In addition, a Western Terror colt from Flightpath mare Say It Isnt So (family of 1:50 horse Courtsinsession) sold for $22,000 in Brisbane.

NZ representation at Sydney sales is guaranteed based on number of NZ mares (dams/grand dams and further back in many yearlings pedigrees), success of previous year’s sales purchases, APG Sales series qualification for purchases made  and the very attractive programme scheduled for Menangle the evening before the sales (Miracle Mile, Ladyship Mile, NSW Derby/Oaks, Bohemia Crystal, Trotters Mile).