By Alan Carasso
A filly from the second crop of champion juvenile Shanghai Bobby (Harlan's Holiday) was the dearest of five horses purchased by Bill Heiligbrodt's East Hickman Bloodstock and topped the consignor preferred session of the OBS Winter Mixed Sale in Central Florida Wednesday afternoon on a bid of $110,000.
For the consignor preferred session, a total of 84 horses sold for gross receipts of $1,522,000 for an average of $18,119 and a median of $10,000. The percentage of buybacks was 47.8%.
The fourth horse to go through the ring, hip 10 was consigned to the sale by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield agency and is the latest produce for the stakes-placed mare Yankee Victoria (Yankee Victor), who was purchased by Lorenzo Del Guidice for $17,000 carrying the Shanghai Bobby filly in utero at this auction 12 months back.
“That quality of horse looks very good in this market and there is plenty of money around for them if you have what they want,” commented Francis Vanlangendonck, who indicated that Olin Gentry was the immediate underbidder on the filly. “She had really good size, a beautiful shoulder, walked out well and vetted really well.”
The veteran horseman is bullish on the future for the once-beaten Shanghai Bobby, who capped an undefeated season in 2012 with a determined success in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
“There are a lot of good reports about Shanghai Bobby and the rumor is that he has some of the best 2-year-olds in town,” Vanlangendonck offered. “It certainly doesn't hurt when that sort of word is floating around.”
Another paternal granddaughter of Harlan's Holiday, this one by Into Mischief, provided another solid success on the afternoon, when hip 136, a Florida-bred half-sister to MSW Pashito the Che (Flatter), fetched a final bid of $85,000 from Fox Hill Paso Fino Farm LLC
“She's another that was an athlete. We're fortunate that people that were here to buy and we had plenty of people on her,” Vanlangendonck commented.
East Hickman Farm was easily the consignor preferred session's leading buyer, accounting for over 20% of the day's turnover with five lots for $318,000. The operation was also responsible for the session's second highest-priced offering in hip 115, a Select Sales-consigned daughter of Into Mischief and the first foal from Maren's Melody (Unbridled's Song). Wednesday's purchases by Heiligbrodt are in addition to a half-dozen short yearlings he picked up at Keeneland January, topped by a $160,000 son of Street Sense–Giant Leap (Giant's Causeway).
“I was pretty much able to buy everything I short-listed, so that was good,” Heiligbrodt commented when reached by phone Wednesday evening. “This sale has been very good to me over the years, and being in January, I like it that the horses are now yearlings instead of weanlings from the old October sale.”
Of his session-topping buy, he added, “I really thought she was the best in the sale and I guess others agreed. I've been trying to buy a Shanghai Bobby, and if they run the way they look, they are going to be good. The Flat Out I bought (hip 30 for $65,000 from Stuart Morris, agent) falls into the same category and I was happy to get both.”
The owner of a once far-flung racing operation, Heiligbrodt dispersed at a variety of Fasig-Tipton sales in 2011, but has recently re-engaged and currently has seven horses in training with Steve Asmussen.
“I could see myself having 15 horses or so, but nothing that would require the level of management than it once did,” he explained.
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