Fair Winds Farm keeps it in the family
November 6, 2014,by Ellen Harvey, Harness Racing Communications
Harrisburg, PA — The Conway Hall–Talktalktalk filly named Time To Talk sold from the Fair Winds Farm consignment for $75,000 on Thursday (Nov. 6) at the Standardbred Horse Sale.
Time To Talk is just 21 months old, but the story behind her is 27 years in the making.
USTA/Ellen Harvey photo
Time To Talk sold from the Fair Winds Farm consignment for $75,000 on Thursday at the Standardbred Horse Sale.
“My father Ed bought Martine Lobell (the dam of Talktalktalk), who is a Joie De Vie sister to Mack Lobell (1987 and 1988 Horse of the Year),” said Mark Mullen, proprietor of Fair Winds Farm, which bred, raised and sold the filly.
“The timing worked to our advantage. She (Martine Lobell) was selling before Mack came into his own so he was able to buy her for not a lot of money. She was crooked as a dog’s hind leg and we never raced her, just bred her and the rest is history.
“We also kept Martine’s daughter Marla Bar, she was the first crop of Malabar Man. We were here trying to sell her (as a yearling) and she was a pretty filly and I thought she’d do some good but then I realized she hadn’t been out of the stall; no one was looking at her.”
Mullen bought her back and, trained by Trond Smedshammer, she took a 1:56.2 mark and won $240,637.
Time To Talk looks the part to carry the family legacy, says Mullen.
“She’s beautiful, she’s racy, she’s correct, she had a smart head on her and a nice video. Everybody looked at her and everybody liked her.
“We kept Talktalktalk because I wanted to keep a daughter out of the family. I’ve kept three of them, I kept Talktalktalk and Bar Ballad (a daughter of Marla Bar) who sells a Muscles Yankee later (he went for $25,000) and I also kept Model Behavior (a daughter of Marla Bar) who has a 1:55.1 record and $28,000 and she seems like she is going forward.
“Bob Baggitt trained Talktalktalk, but we didn’t have any good luck with her so I was committed to the family and I thought I’d breed her and we got a very pretty filly.”
Jerry Silva signed the sales slip on Time To Talk.
The day’s average was $18,925 against an average of $18,045 for Thursday of last year’s sale, but $14,226 in 2012. That’s a 4.9 percent increase for the day. For all yearlings sold so far this year, the average was $32,903 against $34,318 in 2013, a 4.1 percent decrease from last year.
“I think we’re going to fall just short of last year’s gross, so we did sell more horses and the average is down, but very clearly, people still wanted horses,” said Paul F. “Pete” Spears, Sales Company CEO. “I’m not really sure why they didn’t pick it up earlier in the week, but the demand was still strong to the end. There were a lot of people around the back ring, still a lot of people bidding; horses sold very well near the end. I think people just missed some opportunities early. I’m encouraged with the way Wednesday and Thursday went.
“We didn’t really do anything different this year than we did last year. Certainly, we will spend some time going over the numbers and trying to break things down and that is an ongoing discussion until the end of the year.”
Asked if there might be consideration given to selling fewer horses, which might then produce a higher average, but lower gross, Spears was firm in the company’s commitment to the small breeder.
“I think we as an industry have to decide what our goals are,” he said. “Are our goals to make our average look higher? I can’t pay my bills with average. I pay my bills with dollars — gross.
“We’ve made a commitment to the remaining small breeders in the mid-Atlantic region to sell their animals. There are no B sales any more. What do I do with the little guy who’s hung in there through thick and thin, taking a pasting year after year and still wants to be part of this? Do I tell him to go away and we won’t sell his animal for him? There’s nowhere for him to go. The New Jersey Classic’s gone, the Adios Sale is gone, Morrisville is much smaller than it used to be. We’re here to try to promote the industry that way and we have a commitment to help these people. So if my average suffers from that, I’m very proud to let my average suffer.”
Comparative Sales Stats–Day Four
Year-Gait/Sex-No. Sold-Gross-Average
2014-Pacing Colts-73-$1,592,000-$21,815
2013-Pacing Colts-82-$1,496,500-$18,250
2014-Pacing Fillies-90-$1,296,000-$14,400
2013-Pacing Fillies-68-$1,112,000-$16,353
2014-Trotting Colts-64-$1,379,000-$21,546
2013-Trotting Colts-57-$1,119,500-$19,640
2014-Trotting Fillies-52-$1,012,500-$19,471
2013-Trotting Fillies-57-$1,036,000-$18,175
2014-Totals-279-$5,280,000-$18,925
2013-Totals-264-$4,764,000-$18,045
Cumulative Totals
Year-Gait/Sex-No. Sold-Gross-Average
2014-Pacing Colts-283-$10,637,500-$37,588
2013-Pacing Colts-303-$11,763,000-$38,823
2014-Pacing Fillies-307-$7,756,000-$25,264
2013-Pacing Fillies-283-$7,419,000-$26,216
2014-Trotting Colts-269-$10,312,000-$38,335
2013-Trotting Colts-244-$9,455,000-$38,750
2014-Trotting Fillies-229-$7,102,000-$31,013
2013-Trotting Fillies-218-$7,328,000-$33,615
2014-Totals-1089-$35,831,500-$32,903
2013-Totals-1048-$35,965,500-$34,318
DAY 4–TOP 20
Hip-Sex-Gait-Name-Sire-Dam-Buyer-Price
1083-F-P-This Day Forward-Bettor’s Delight-Bridesmaid Hanover-Bryan Montgomery, agent-$95,000
938-F-T-Time To Talk-Conway Hall-Talktalktalk-Jerry Silva-$75,000
917-C-T-Manofmanyimages-Manofmanymissions-Spicey Image-Pat Waldo, agent-$70,000
1057-F-P-Twin B Thong-Sportswriter-Beach Bound-Casie Coleman-$65,000
968-C-P-Home James-Big Jim-Village Blush-Yves Filion-$58,000
1096-C-T-Uf Musclemass Star-Muscle Mass-Calchips Choice-Richard Berthiaume-$58,000
920-C-P-N Luv Blue Chip-Art Major-Western Charmer-Casie Coleman-$57,000
925-C-T-Kronwall-Majestic Son-Swedish Babe-John Bax-$51,000
994-C-T-Winknaprayer-Andover Hall-Winky’s Chip-Jim Raymer-$50,000
1110-F-T-Dame Edna-Broad Bahn-Cathywithac-Highland Green Farms-$48,000
1126-C-P-Yo Cheyenne Brian-Dragon Again-Cheyenne Adrienne-Ted MacDonnell-$45,000
1022-C-T-Dormitory Don Juan-Conway Hall-College Credit-Arden Homestead-$41,000
932-F-T-Swinging Royalty-RC Royalty-Swing Anna Cash-George Ducharme-$40,000
933-C-P-Wild Zinger-Bettor’s Delight-Swirly-Bill Elliott-$40,000
992-C-T-Windsun Missile-Kadabra-Windsun Hampton-Per Henriksen-$40,000
1094-C-P-Keystone Carrier-Bettor’s Delight-Keystone Caitlyn-Wayne Whebby-$40,000
1058-F-T-Broad Beach-Broad Bahn-Beach Magic-David Spagnola-$39,000
865-C-P-Michael Nicky-Rock N Roll Heaven-Riley Character-Larry Baron-$37,000
885-C-P-He’s Marvelous-Delmarvalous-Selina’s Joy-Badlands Racing-$37,000
967-C-T-Lord Nelson-Conway Hall-Queen Victoria-Bill MacKenzie-$37,000
1121-F-T-Catherine Hall-Conway Hall-Charmer Hall-Jessica Okusko, agent-$37,000
- Brooklyn Hill at $390,000 tops opening session in Harrisburg (Monday, November 03, 2014)
Buying a yearling is just one step in the process of getting a racehorse, or perhaps more accurately getting a horse to the races, as trainer Jonas Czernyson is well aware. Czernyson, acting on behalf of Swedish interests, bought colt trotter Brooklyn Hill for a sales-topping $390,000 at the opening day of the Standardbred Horse Sale on Monday.
- Tailgunner Hanover is a ‘miracle baby’ (Tuesday, November 04, 2014)
When trainer Ray Schnittker looked at yearling pacer Tailgunner Hanover, he saw a resemblance to half-brother Riggins. Schnittker trained Riggins, who earned $924,758 during a stakes-winning career. But the fact he saw anything at all was something of a miracle.
- Smedshammer, Svanstedt are busy during second session at Harrisburg (Tuesday, November 04, 2014)
Trond Smedshammer bought only two horses during Monday’s opening round of the Standardbred Horse Sale, but came away with eight in the second session. Smedshammer was not alone in increasing his productivity Tuesday. Trainer Ake Svanstedt signed for seven horses in the second session, including the day’s sales topper, colt trotter Gotalottacredit, who sold for $225,000.
- Numbers improve on Wednesday at Harrisburg (Wednesday, November 05, 2014)
Through the close of sales on Wednesday, the cumulative yearling average at the Standardbred Horse Sale made up some ground from losses against 2013 as the average of all horses sold is down about 5.1 percent. However, comparing Wednesday against Wednesday from last year to this, the day was up about 5.1 percent, which helped make up ground from the previous two days.
- Filly’s two ‘moms’ produce winners (Thursday, November 06, 2014)
When it comes to her family, yearling filly pacer A List Hanover is related to some of harness racing’s top talent. But A List Hanover’s a-list connections go beyond the pedigree page. A List Hanover was raised at Hanover Shoe Farms by “nanny mare” Lilting Laughter following the death of her dam, Allamerican Nadia, in April 2013.
- Keeping it in the family for Thursday sales toppers (Friday, November 07, 2014)
The two highest priced fillies in Thursday’s (Nov. 6) Standardbred Horse Sale, one trotter and one pacer, grew up about a mile from each other in western Monmouth County, New Jersey. They were together again atop the leaderboard.