BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Vincent and Teresa Viola’s St. Elias Stables placed the final bid of $1.3 million for Florida-bred Niche at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale at Newton Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky and Florida-bred Nooni commanded $900,000 from Katsumi Yoshida.
A winner of the Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks at Charles Town Races on August 28, Niche is a 3-year-old daughter of Yaupon out of multiple graded stakes-producer Stormbeforethecalm, by Quiet American and was bred in Florida by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield of Williston and Holly and Jack Maro’s Etarip Stables of Ocala. She won three of eight starts in her career with one second, earning $541,360 while being trained by Rob Atras for Red White and Blue Racing. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency as agent and cataloged at Hip 124, Niche is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed, stakes-winning Florida-bred Proven Strategies and Florida-bred stakes-winner Corona Bolt.
Zedan Racing Stables’ graded stakes-winner Nooni, who was scratched out of Saturday’s $1 million Breeder’s Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) at Keeneland, was cataloged as Hip 127. Trained by Bob Baffert during her career, 4-year-old Nooni is by Ocala Stud’s Win Win Win out of the Union Rags mare Unanimity and won four of nine career starts with a second and a third including the 2024 Sorrento (G3) at Del Mar. She earned $319,324 from four wins, a second and a third from nine starts. Nooni was bred in Florida by Ocala Stud, Joseph M. O’Farrell III of Ocala and David O’Farrell et al. of Ocala and topped the 2024 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale when purchased for $1.8 million by bloodstock agent Donato Lanni for Zedan Racing.
Florida-bred Taken by the Wind, winner of the $145,500 Fasig-Tipton Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds in January and third in the Grade 2 Fantasy at Oaklawn Park in March, sold to Champions Farm for $675,000 out of the Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa as agent consignment as Hip 155. Trained by Kenneth McPeek for Magdalena Racing, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback and Fox Sport personality Terry Bradshaw, Graham Levenston and Raasi Stable, Taken by the Wind earned $394,460 from winning half of her six career starts with one third.
Taken by the Wind is a 3-year-old filly by Rock Your World out of the First Samurai mare Up For Grabs and is a half-sister to stakes-placed Florida-bred Running Memories. She was bred in Florida by Courtney L. Meagher of Citra.
Return to the November 3 issue of Wire to Wire
