By Jessica Martini
Barretts will present its final Select Yearling Sale Tuesday in Del Mar with the first of 86 catalogued head scheduled to go through the sales ring at 2 p.m. PT.
“We are standing out here in the middle of the arena right now and we have a big crowd looking at horses and we've got an extremly good vibe going,” Barretts General Manager Kim Lloyd said from the sales barns Monday afternoon. “Consignors are excited. There are plenty of buyers and plenty of good horses here for them to buy.”
Last year's auction was topped by a filly by Bodemeister who sold for $300,000 to Jay Em Ess Stable. The 2018 edition of the auction will include a half-brother to that sales topper, and to stakes winner and Grade I placed Take the One O One (Acclamation). By Square Eddie, hip 54 is consigned by breeder Tom Bachman's Fairview, LLC.
In addition to racetrack winners like 'TDN Rising Star' Mr Paytience (Paynter) and recent Del Mar maiden winner Creative Instinct (Creative Cause)–who goes postward in Wednesday's Generous Portion S.–the 2017 auction also produced notable pinhooking successes. A colt by Uncle Mo purchased by Quarter Pole Enterprises for $60,000 last year returned to top the Barretts Spring Sale with a final bid of $600,000.
“The pinhookers did really well at this sale last year and they are all back again,” Lloyd said.
In all, 53 yearlings sold at the 2017 auction for a total of $2,177,000. The average was $41,075 and the median was $32,000.
“Last year we hit our stride with this sale, we had goals to meet and last year we hit our stride,” Lloyd said. “We had a $300,000 horse and horses that were bought that were pinhooked well. Now this year, the sale has really taken off with the quality of the horses. It's really a terrific group of horses, a big upgrade from what we've offered in the past. Unfortunately, it's the last one we're going to have, but at least we are going to go out with a big bang.”
Among the yearlings with recent updates in this year's catalogue is a half-sister by Champ Pegasus to graded stakes winner Spectator (Jimmy Creed). Consigned by McCarthy Bloodstock, hip 17's 2-year-old half-brother Policy (Strong Mandate) broke his maiden on debut at Del Mar Aug. 19. The catalogue also includes yearlings by stallions such as Animal Kingdom, Cairo Prince, Candy Ride (Arg), City Zip, Creative Cause, Fed Biz, Goldencents, Liam's Map, Shackleford, Street Sense, Tiznow, Tonalist, Union Rags, Verrazano, Violence, Wicked Strong and Will Take Charge.
Barretts is in its final year of conducting auctions and will host its last sale with the Oct. 16 Fall Sale of Yearlings and Horses of Racing Age.
“I am grateful that I got to be a part of this sale,” Lloyd said. “We built this from scratch out of necessity. When Fairplex got out of racing, that changed everything for Barretts. I had a great run at Barretts and Barretts has been very important to the industry out here. So I'm grateful for the whole experience.”
Results from Tuesday's auction will appear in Thursday's TDN.
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