By Steve Sherack
DEL MAR, CA – Maiden Special Weight, for 2-year-old fillies that sold or RNA'd for $45,000 or less in their most recent sale.
British Idiom (Flashback), a $40,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling graduate, met that criteria and successfully kicked off her career with a stylish, 3 1/2-length debut victory as the 7-2 favorite for trainer Brad Cox at Saratoga in the summer of 2019. The Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and The Elkstone Group colorbearer, of course, followed up with a win in the GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland and concluded her three-for-three championship campaign with a dramatic win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita.
“We're very fortunate to have some high-priced horses, but when you see a horse get off the van and walk into your barn, one of the first things you do is check Equibase or check with the owner,” Cox said.
“Where did you get the horse and what did you pay for them? And when you see $50,000 or less, I immediately perk up and think to myself, 'Alright, mental note, horse is eligible for an auction race.' It's very nice to have that. And it doesn't mean anything in regards to what they're gonna end up being.”
Cox continued, “British Idiom, I could remember her working out of the gate with an older horse and holding her own and feeling very confident about shipping her to Saratoga and being competitive in that race. I will tell you this, I do think people really do look for it now when buying horses.”
“A lot of good horses have found their way through those auction races,” Cox concluded.
Champion British Idiom winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita | Horsephotos
Trainer Kenny McPeek would certainly concur.
Four-time Grade I winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), the 4-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, also launched her career with a win in a maiden-auction race at Keeneland last fall. She romped by 8 1/2 lengths that day at odds of 4-1.
McPeek purchased Thorpedo Anna for just $40,000 out of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling sale. The GI Kentucky Oaks heroine is campaigned in partnership by Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and McPeek's Magdalena Racing.
“The foundation of my business has been middle- and lower-market buyers,” McPeek said. “My first yearling purchase was $8,500 back in the late '80s. I try to do the best I can with sometimes modest budgets, but I've been able to sharpen my eye doing it. I think I'm unique in that because I like picking my own horses and I get to see what works and what doesn't work.”
The 2020 champion 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), a $35,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase by McPeek on behalf of owner Peter Callahan, also debuted with a victory in a maiden-auction race at Churchill Downs in the fall of 2019. The chestnut's stacked resume was headed by wins in the GI Preakness Stakes and GI Alabama Stakes.
“I'm thrilled they invented those races because it does make sense to give those owners and those horses an opportunity,” McPeek said. “I like those races, and when we have one that fits it, great. I do wish they'd raise the level a little bit because I do think those races would fill even more if they raised it to $75,000. It's a unique place to start a horse and like I said, it's worked out well.”
McPeek added with a laugh, “I think I won three out of the first four of them they ever ran. And the only reason I didn't win the fourth one was that I didn't have one in it.”
Saturday's Breeders' Cup program also includes Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance), a 30-1 longshot for Wathnan Racing and trainer Brian Lynch in the Dirt Mile and maiden-auction graduate at second asking at Churchill Downs back in 2022. Tumbarumba, runner-up in the GIII Ack Ack Stakes last time, brought $30,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall yearling.
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