Medaglia d'Oro Colt Tops F-T Midlantic Finale

TIMONIUM, MD – With a $1.2-million son of Medaglia d'Oro leading the way, the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale concluded its two-day run in Timonium Tuesday with figures fairly in line with the auction's 2017 results.

In all, 333 juveniles grossed $24,868,500. The average dipped 2.3% to $74,680, while the median rose 8.6% to $38,000. From a catalogue of 600, 430 horses were offered and 97 failed to sell for a buy-back rate of 22.6%. That figure was 19.9% in 2017.

In 2018, 28 horses sold for $200,000 or more. There were 27 hitting that mark a year ago.

“It was a good sale from start to finish,” said Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sales Director Paget Bennett. “It was well-attended. We got people here that we haven't seen before. It's always good to see new faces and I think they went home with purchases that will get them into the winner's circle quickly.”

Bloodstock agent Dennis O'Neill made the biggest purchase of the auction when seeing off Donato Lanni to land a colt by Medaglia d'Oro (hip 565) for $1.2 million. It was the second year in a row the Midlantic sale produced a million-dollar juvenile. Last year's sale was topped by a record-setting $1.5-million son of Curlin. Both juveniles were consigned by Hartley/de Renzo Thoroughbreds.

“Our consignors have gotten so confident in bringing those type of horses to this marketplace,” Bennett said. “They love the racetrack and they love the area and the timing works. They've been rewarded in the past and are confident to keep doing it year after year.”

Jimbo Gladwell, whose Top Line Sales sold 11 of 14 offered juveniles, was impressed with the depth of the market in Timonium this week, as well as buyers willing to look past a workout time.

“If you put reasonable reserves on them, we've gotten them sold,” he said. “Reasonable reserves have gotten them moved. The top is more spotty than the bottom, there are a lot of trainers looking for good, usable, sound horses. The times aren't playing as much a factor. It's a breath of fresh air to have these trainers come in and just watch how they move and how they show and buy them with a little less time.”

Medaglia d'Oro Colt Lights Up Midlantic Sale

For the second year in a row, the Hartley/de Renzo Thoroughbreds consignment produced a seven-figure juvenile at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale when bloodstock agent Dennis O'Neill saw off a determined Donato Lanni in a protracted bidding duel to secure a colt by Medaglia d'Oro out of graded stakes winner Tapicat (Tapit) for $1.2 million Tuesday in Timonium. O'Neill was bidding on behalf of a new Middle Eastern client.

“It's a new guy from overseas,” O'Neill said of his client. “He just said he wanted the best horse in the sale and I thought this was it from day one, from the first time we laid eyes on him. We were hoping not to go that high. But we did and we're really excited. We are looking for a Derby horse and we hope this is the one.”

The youngster breezed a furlong Sunday in :10 1/5.

WATCH: Hip 565's under-tack preview

“We loved the breeze obviously,” O'Neill said. “It was a sick breeze and he galloped out amazing. And then to see him on the end of a shank, we were hooked.”

The colt (hip 565), the first foal out of Tapicat, was bred by Three Chimneys Farm and Besilu Stables and was purchased by Randy Hartley and Dean De Renzo for $475,000 at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

“When I bought him, Dean wasn't there because of the hurricane,” Hartley said Tuesday. “It was hard to buy horses at Keeneland the first day, so Dean was asking, 'What are you all doing? You aren't buying any horses.' So I bought this colt and Dean showed up later. I wondered, should I let him see him or just wait until I get him home and can look him over and make sure he's ok before Dean sees him. But I took him over to see him and he said, 'I love him.'”

Hartley/de Renzo sold seven juveniles at this year's Midlantic sale for a total of $2,620,000 and an average of $374,286. In addition to the seven-figure juvenile, the operation sold a son of More Than Ready (hip 204) for $750,000 Monday and a colt by Tiznow (hip 533) for $425,000. The More Than Ready colt cost $500,000 as a yearling and the Tiznow was purchased for $250,000.

“It's a lot of risk to spend that much on a yearling and you worry about them from the time you get them home to the time you get them here,” Hartley said. “And you have to do the whole breeze show and everything has to go right and your horses have to perform.”

Hartley said the auction's dirt training track and placement in the calendar have made it a favorite of the operation.

“For us to have a place to come later in the year to give these horses more time, it makes a big difference,” he said. “The biggest key for us is that we love training on the dirt. We buy dirt horses and for us to be able to come to a place and train and sell 2-year-olds on the dirt is very important. This sale has grown to be a top sale. People can feel good about bringing a top horse to this sale. I've been coming to this sale for 20 years and to see it grow is awesome.”

After producing this Medaglia d'Oro colt, Tapicat sold in foal to Pioneerof the Nile to Summer Wind Equine for $2.2 million at the 2016 Keeneland November sale. She produced a colt by that sire in 2017 and a colt by Medaglia d'Oro this year.

Speedy Union Rags Colt to Petersen

Tangled Union, a colt by Union Rags (hip 561), who set himself apart from the crowd when he worked a bullet furlong in :10 flat Sunday in Timonium, set off fireworks in the sales ring Tuesday before ultimately going the way of California owner Michael Lund Petersen on a final bid of $925,000. The bay colt was consigned by Bobby Dodd and was purchased by Grand Oaks's Brad Grady for $90,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling sale.

“I have no words,” Dodd said of the result. “He was a nice horse. Everything went right and it ended right. That's all I can say. I was expecting him to bring the upside of $500,000, but I didn't know he would get that close to $1 million. I thought maybe we could get $650,000, maybe $750,000, but you never know when lightning is going to strike in this business. That's why we do it.”

While 24 juveniles shared the second fastest furlong work of :10 1/5 during last week's under-tack preview, Tangled Union's :10 flat work was something special, according to Dodd.

WATCH: Hip 561 earned the bullet for this :10 flat move

“That is huge on this racetrack,” he said. “I'll take :10 2/5s all day on this track. :10 1/5 is awesome. :10 flat with a gallop-out like he had in :20 3/5, is unbelievable. Then he came back and he got by the veterinarians. And the horse had a good physical. We are truly blessed.”

The New York-bred colt, bred by Avanti Stable, is out of Tanglewood Tale (Tale of the Cat) and is from the family of champion sprinter Housebuster.

Petersen, a native of Denmark and founding shareholder in Pandora Jewelry, purchased two juveniles at the Midlantic sale. In addition to hip 561, he paid $625,000 for a colt by Mucho Macho Man (hip 278) during Monday's first session of the auction. Both will be trained by Bob Baffert, who also trained Petersen's Grade I winner Mor Spirit (Eskendereya).

Tiznow Colt to Rice

Trainer Linda Rice was extended to $425,000 to acquire a colt by Tiznow from the Hartley/de Renzo Thoroughbreds consignment late in Tuesday's session of the Midlantic sale. Hip 533 is out of the stakes-placed Maryland-bred Southern Charmer (Dixie Union), a daughter of graded stakes winner Power Play (Fast Play) and from the family of graded stakes winner and Grade I-placed Frac Daddy.

“He is a beautiful colt who worked great on the track,” Rice said after signing the ticket on the New York-bred juvenile for an undisclosed client. “He went in :10 2/5. For a horse of his size, with his pedigree, it was a magnificent breeze. His conformation is great and he has a lot of strength in his female family. We are excited to get him.”

Randy Hartley and Dean de Renzo purchased the colt for $250,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale.

WATCH: Hip 533 was one of several NY-breds to shine at the Midlantic Sale

Bloodstock agent Jacob West, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client, went to $350,000 to acquire a son of Cairo Prince during Tuesday's second session of the Midlantic sale. Consigned by Bobby Dodd, the juvenile is out of Perfect Pegasus (Perfect Pegasus), a half-sister to graded stakes winner Perfect Officer (Officer). Brad Grady's Grand Oaks purchased the colt for $160,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton July sale. He worked a furlong last week in :10 2/5.

“He was a lovely horse and obviously by a hot sire,” West said after signing the ticket on hip 418. “He performed well on the racetrack and jumped through all the hoops for everyone. It was pretty straightforward.”

Of the colt's destination, West added, “I don't know if he'll go East Coast or West Coast, they'll figure it out.”

As the juvenile sales season winds down, West saw more of the same during the two-day Midlantic sale.

“It's literally no different than any other sale,” he said. “Good horses are bringing good money. If they are bad horses, nobody wants them. It's a love-it or hate-it market. It's really what it's been the last couple of years and that's what it's going to be for the foreseeable future.”

Justin Phillip Colt Makes Sense for Centeno

Victor Centeno, who served as an assistant to consignor Nick De Meric for 20 years, enjoyed a major pinhooking score of his own Tuesday in Timonium when selling a colt by Justin Phillip (hip 370) for $275,000. Centeno purchased the youngster for $6,000 as a weanling at the 2016 Keeneland November sale.

Consigned by Top Line Sales, the juvenile was purchased by Ro and Ward Williford.

“He put the time in, trained him all year, and was rewarded,” Top Line's Jimbo Gladwell said of Centeno. “He has done all the groundwork with him. We just took care of him here at the sale.”

The chestnut colt is out of Miss Wined Up (Roman Ruler), a half-sister to graded stakes winner Midnight Hawk (Midnight Lute). He worked a furlong last week in :10 1/5.

“When you get people like Mike Ryan and John Servis and other top horsemen on a horse, you get a pretty good idea he's a good horse,” Gladwell said. “So hopefully, he'll go on and be a good horse for them.”

Allsop in Action for Big Lick Farm

Carl Allsop, who has served stints with trainers Kiaran McLaughlin, Dominick Schettino, and Ralph Nicks, has teamed up with Reid Nagle and was busy in Timonium stocking Nagle's Big Luck Farm with turf prospects.

“I hooked up with him just a month ago in Ocala at Oak Ridge,” Allsop said just before heading to the operation's Virginia base to prepare for the arrival of his three newly acquired 2-year-olds. “The plan is to house the horses in Virginia and run up and down the Midlantic, wherever we see appropriate races and the horses fit.”

Nagle, former chairman of SNL Financial, decided to expand his racing operation after a successful 2017 season.

“He just wants to improve on the stock and the quality,” Allsop explained. “He's got the bug. He had a fantastic year last year. He shipped a very nice New York-bred, Lover's Key, to Saratoga and won a stakes up there. And enjoyed every bit of it and he wants to have a repeat.”

Reid trained Lover's Key (Frost Giant), who he claimed for $50,000 last January, to a win in his Big Lick farm colors in the New York Stallion Series S. at Saratoga in August.

Allsop's shopping spree in Maryland included a $110,000 Tiznow filly (hip 5); a $65,000 Successful Appeal colt (hip 222); and a $190,000 Mineshaft filly (hip 425).

“[Nagle] is targeting turf horses right now,” Allsop said. “He just likes the longevity prospects of the turf horses. And that's where we are at right now. I think we pushed [the prices] out a little bit far today, but it's the kind of horses he's looking for. High risk, high reward–it's the kind of animal you need to compete up and down that coast.”

Allsop originally began working with McLaughlin in Dubai.

“Kiaran McLaughlin brought me to America,” the Englishman said. “I was working for him, breaking in babies for Shadwell in Dubai. And then he invited me to join the New York operation. So I went backwards and forwards a couple of years, New York and Dubai. I stayed with him in New York when he became a public trainer.”

He continued, “I was with him for five years and then discovered America was a big place with lots of opportunities. I hooked up with Dominick Schettino. I was with him for four or five years with MeB Racing and the Brooklyn Boyz. I had a great time with those guys. I teamed up with Ralph Nicks and I've been down south since 2013.”

Nagle had been “tapping on his shoulder for a couple of years” before the two finally came up with a mutually agreeable plan.

“I parted ways with Ralph Nicks last year and I've just been throwing a few things around,” Allsop said. “[Nagle] finally came up with a proposal and said the right things at the right time and I made a move.”

Shortly after signing the ticket on his last purchase in Timonium Tuesday, Allsop was on his way to Virginia.

“We will be based at Braeburn Training Center in Crozet,” he said. “It's a great facility with a 5 1/2-furlong training track and a beautiful, safe surface. I am heading there now to set up camp with these three new ones to follow me.”