Tom McCrocklin's friends were probably not surprised when the Broken Vow filly from his consignment to the OBS April sale sold for $1.2 million, highest price of the four-day 2-year-old sale. They have seen Tom make big scores before, both in the pinhooking department and at the mutuel windows.

    In 2005, Tom was the talk of Ocala after Giacomo won the Kentucky Derby at odds of 50-1, Closing Argument was second at 71-1, and Afleet Alex third at 9/2. Word was that he scored to the tune of $96,000. 

    The Broken Vow filly was originally sold by Taylor Made Farm to Solano Beach Sales for $105,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September Sale. According to Blood-Horse Daily, the $1.2 million colt represented a pinhook ROI of 812%. 

    The second-best pinhook was a real head-scratcher, for me. A Gemologist colt consigned by Sequel Bloodstock brought $550,000 from Lane's End Bloodstock. The colt originally sold for $50,000 as a weanling at Keeneland November, and when he came up again at last year's Keeneland September, he was RNA'ed at the same $50,000. Seven months later, they hit a home run. The net profit was listed at 578.6%. 

    Overall, the April sale grossed $52.2 million, compared with $53.2 a year ago. But the average price set an April record of $79, 211, edging last year's previous record of $79,068. The "sport is dying" proponents will no doubt argue that there's a typo in there somewhere. 

    CHICKENS - As of this morning, I have received no response from the Tampa Bay Times concerning its dearth of coverage for thoroughbreds as opposed to the reams of dog columns written by Don Jensen. 

    A REAL MYSTERY - I will never understand many of the columns in the FTBOA's Wire-to-Wire magazine. For instance, every day there is one titled "Florida Stallion Progeny for (enter day here)," in which supposed Florida stallions are listed alphabetically, with their supposed progeny underneath, and the track that each horse is competing at that day. The explanation is written thusly: "Below is a list of runners sired by registered Florida stallions scheduled to start in races at racetracks across North America." 

    The problem is that half (or more) of the stallions listed haven't been in Florida for years, and they are certainly not "registered Florida stallions," even though they were once. And their runners are no longer Florida-breds, in most cases. 

    Here's an example from a recent WTW. Lite the Fuse, who hasn't been in Florida for years, was listed as having four runners that day, all at Penn National. A quick check revealed that one was a New Jersey-bred, the other three Pennsylvanians. There were many other similar instances, too, with stallions such as Middlesex Drive, One Nice Cat, Native Regent, Songandaprayer, Spanish Steps, Trippi, etc.  

    Who is looking for this information in Ocala? The wasted space could easily be filled by something everybody IS interested in - (1) the owners of the winners on the charts of every race at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs, and (2) the attendance and handle at both tracks at the bottom of the charts. Currently, the trainer and breeder are listed on the charts, but not the owner. 

    Absolutely makes no sense to me. 

    

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