By Jessica Martini
When Sippican Harbor (Orb–Blossomed, by Deputy Minister) swept to victory in the GI Spinaway S. at Saratoga in August, it marked the first Grade I winner for the burgeoning broodmare band of Justin and Kalvert Spaeth. The Colorado-based couple will offer a half-brother to the Breeders' Cup-bound juvenile filly at the upcoming Fasig-Tipton October Sale. By Bodemeister, the yearling will sell as hip 217 from Gerry Dilger's Dromoland Farm consignment.
“It was quite the race and we're thrilled with the way she performed,” Justin Spaeth said of Sippican Harbor's 16-1 upset in the Harbor.
Sippican Harbor, who the Spaeths co-bred with Equine Equity Partners, sold for $260,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale before RNA'ing for $110,000 at this year's OBS March sale. She opened her career with a fifth-place effort over the turf before romping home a 17-length winner of a rained-off special weight at the Spa Aug. 12. That effort put the filly in the line-up for the Spinaway where she made a strong last-to-first move to win by two lengths for owner Lee Pokoik and trainer Gary Contessa.
“When they switched her from the turf to the dirt, we knew they had a lot of confidence in her,” Spaeth said. “We've been excited following her and she's appeared to be special from the very beginning. We took her to Saratoga to sell as a yearling, so we've always liked her.”
Spaeth, whose business interests involve water treatment in the oil and gas industries, admits his entrance into the Thoroughbred breeding business started with his wife's family.
“My father-in-law [Dr. Kirk Shiner] has been in the equine business for a very long time,” Spaeth said. “He was a partner at Hagyard, I don't know how long ago, in Lexington. So there is a family connection [to the racing industry].”
The Spaeths initially got involved in breeding through small partnerships. When they decided to build their own broodmare band, one of their first purchases was Blossomed (Deputy Minister). They purchased the unraced 10-year-old mare in foal to Bodemeister for $100,000 at the 2013 Keeneland November sale.
“She was one of the earlier mares that we purchased,” Spaeth said. “She had a lot of visual appeal and a very nice family page as well.”
Blossomed is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Cinemine (Mining), as well as to the dam of graded winner Greengrassofwyoming (Quest). In addition to Sippican Harbor, Blossomed is also the dam of graded-placed Bodacious Babe (Mineshaft), who was a weanling the year the Spaeths purchased the mare.
The Bodemeister foal Blossomed was carrying in 2013, Speedmeister, sold for $140,000 as a Keeneland November weanling in 2014. He sold for $250,000 at the following year's Fasig-Tipton July Sale before bringing $650,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream juvenile in 2016.
Blossomed's yearling colt by Bodemeister was originally entered in the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, but the decision was made to wait for a later auction in hopes his half-sister would make a name for herself. The Saratoga sale came a week before Sippican Harbor's romping maiden score.
“That was the right move to scratch him from that sale,” Spaeth said. “We wanted to see her get out again and so we're glad that we made that decision.”
Boarded at Dromoland Farm, Blossomed has a weanling colt by Malibu Moon and was bred back to Honor Code.
The Spaeths' broodmare band currently has about six mares, but expect that number to gradually increase.
“We have continually grown over the last six years that we've been in the business,” Spaeth explained. “We are focused on quality over quantity, but we will definitely continue to grow as we find mares that fit our program. We'll just steadily grow.”
While he credits his wife's family with his initial involvement in the sport, Spaeth is clearly enjoying the experience.
“Honestly, I didn't have any connection to racing, but it was always very intriguing to me,” he said. “It's an exciting business. We're glad to be part of it. We go to Kentucky whenever we can and have enjoyed the relationships and connections that we've been able to make in the industry. Most of horses are boarded in Kentucky, so that's a neat interaction to do that. I'm constantly learning, which I think is a good thing throughout life. We're always learning and always eager to learn more.”
The Fasig-Tipton October sale will be held Oct. 22-25 at the company's Newtown Paddocks in Lexington. Sessions begin daily at 10 a.m.
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