Jazdzewski Landed Young Far Right for $2,500

Jon Jazdzewski is best known as a respected equine dentist in Central Kentucky.

Some of his friends are aware he's also a successful handicapper.

But if Far Right were to pull the upset in this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), Jazdzewski will forever be known for purchasing a Derby winner for $2,500. 

As it is, Jazdzewski is proud of landing a Derby hopeful for that paltry amount—the least paid at public auction for any horse among the contenders in 2015.

"I was just joking with some friends that if you pay a million dollars for a horse, there's a line of people waiting to shake your hand; but if you pay $2,500, you're lucky to get a handshake from the consignor," Jazdzewski said. "The thing is though, at that point, no one knows how either of those horses is going to turn out."

Grade III winner and Arkansas Derby (gr. I) runner-up Far Right has most assuredly turned out well, already with career earnings of $625,766. Jazdzewski landed the son of Notional  , then a short yearling, for $2,500 from the @Nossab LLC consignment, Darby Dan Farm agent, at the 2013 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale.

"I'm always looking for conformation, looking for a horse that can run. I say horses like that are easy to find but (because they're in demand) they're not always easy to buy," Jazdzewski said. "His sire is Notional and I think that year people viewed him as a failed sire. I think that's why we were able to get him for that price."

For the level of buying Jazdzewski does, he said he's willing to accept some flaws in conformation and negatives on the vet report, but in the case of Far Right, there was no compromise.

"He was the first horse we ever bought that had perfect conformation and scoped clean," Jazdzewski said. 

While Jazdzewski pinhooks many of the horses he buys, he suspected there'd be little market down the line for Far Right and he decided to race him. Far Right was sent to Tony and Peggy Costanzo for early training at their Morriston, Fla. farm.

Jazdzewski noted that many times Tony Costanzo attends the sales with him, but in this case he had not seen Far Right until he arrived in Florida for early training. The early reports were stellar.

"Tony called me up and said, 'Now this is the kind of horse you need to buy,'" Jazdzewski said. "He said the horse could really move and none of the other young horses could keep up with him."

With what he saw at the sale and the news from Florida, Jazdzewski began to tell people in Kentucky about his promising youngster by Notional out of the unraced, young Vindication mare Zindi.

"I was excited to talk about this horse and people would look at me like I was warped or off my rocker," Jazdzewski said with a big laugh. 

Far Right began to make believers with his first two career starts last spring for Jazdzewski, when he ran second to eventual multiple stakes winners Conquest Tsunami and Cinco Charlie in maiden races at Keeneland and Churchill Downs. In fact Conquest Tsunami, in the Victoria Stakes at Woodbine; and Cinco Charlie, in the Bashford Manor Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs; would register stakes wins in their next starts.

Offers began to pour in for Far Right. Jazdzewski turned down two before deciding to sell to Harry Rosenblum. Rosenblum has since sold an interest in the horse to Robert LaPenta.

"In that first race at Keeneland, he threw the jock (Francisco Torres) in the post parade and ran about an eighth of a mile before they caught him. They put him in the gate and he runs a very credible race to finish second to a good horse," Rosenblum said. "There were some other agents involved and people looking at the horse. It was a little frustrating that it took several months to come together, but I'm glad we stuck with it."

When he was raced by Jazdzewski, William Helmbrecht trained Far Right. Since that sale, he has been conditioned by Ron Moquett.

Jazdzewski said Rosenblum and LaPenta have been great; Jazdzewski and his wife Patience will make the trip to Churchill to watch the Derby with the co-owners from their box.

Jeanne Mirabito, founder of the Paris, Ky., horse retirement farm Our Mims Retirement Haven, said she can't think of a better person to enjoy such good fortune. Jazdzewski visits the farm a couple times a year to do the dental work on the retired horses.

"He gives us a senior discount," Mirabito said with a chuckle. "We're really lucky to have him. He cares a lot about each horse and really works with them."

Jazdzewski said some of his friends have asked if he regrets selling Far Right after his first two starts but the horseplayer, who has qualified for the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championships in Las Vegas, is comfortable that he didn't roll the dice. He said the price he received for Far Right was fair and will allow him to continue to dabble with more Thoroughbred purchases.

"People say 'This could have been your one chance,' but who's to say that's true?" Jazdzewski said. "I might be able to find another one out there."

He'll certainly enjoy looking.

At the other end of the spectrum, the highest price paid for any of the Derby starters this year was the $1.6 million paid by Stonestreet Stables to land Carpe Diem, the co-sale topper at the 2014 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. March sale of 2-year-olds, from the Northwest Stud consignment. WinStar Farm partnered with Stonestreet to campaign the son of Giant's Causeway  .

Todd Pletcher trains Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) winner Carpe Diem, as well as Louisiana Derby (gr. II) runner-up Stanford, who Pletcher landed for $550,000 at last year's Barretts March select sale for owners Stonestreet Stables and owners associated with John Magnier's Coolmore operation. The son of Malibu Moon   was consigned by Kings Equine, agent.

"Stanford caught our eye as a well-balanced horse and he turned in a very good work," Pletcher said. "We've had some success with the Malibu Moons, so that was an added attraction. He checked all the boxes, as they say at the sales."

The highest-priced yearling at public auction among this year's Derby hopefuls is Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum's U.A.E. Derby Sponsored by Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group (UAE-II) winner Mubtaahij. Form Bloodstock went to $600,000 to land the son of Dubawi at the 2012 Arqana August yearling sale from the consignment of Haras de l'Hotellerie, agent.