Steady Opener to Fasig-Tipton Midlantic

TIMONIUM, MD – The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale opened Monday in Timonium with figures largely in line with last year's opening session of a record-setting renewal of the auction. A colt by More Than Ready (hip 204) brought the day's top price of $750,000 when selling to trainer Simon Callaghan, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client.

Overall, Fasig-Tipton sold 172 juveniles Monday for a total of $12,066,000, compared to 162 grossing $11,537,500 in 2017. The average dipped slightly to $70,151, down 1.5% from last year's figure of $71,219. The median fell 10% to $36,000 from $40,000 at last year's opening session. From 300 head catalogued, 223 horses were offered and 51 failed to sell for a buy-back rate of 22.9%. It was 25% a year ago.

“I think we have seen a fairly similar marketplace throughout the 2-year-old sales season,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “There is still some polarization in the market, but there was certainly more diversity and depth, as you would expect with the larger catalogue and a wide variety of horses that were on offer today. There was plenty of interest and a huge crowd here today. It was a solid, solid day and that's what you hope for in this marketplace.”

Nick De Meric, whose De Meric Sales sold 13 horses Monday for an average of $87,731, was happy with the competition across the board.

“I think it feels like a pretty good market,” de Meric said. “I think there seem to be shoppers at every level. And if you appraise your horse realistically, you can get them sold here.”

The Midlantic sale concludes Tuesday with a session beginning at 2 p.m.

More Than Ready Colt to Callaghan

Fireworks broke out Tuesday in Timonium when bloodstock agent Ben McElroy, bidding alongside trainer Simon Callaghan, went to $750,000 to acquire a colt by More Than Ready (hip 204). The juvenile, who worked a co-fastest furlong in :10 1/5 last Wednesday, was consigned by Hartley/de Renzo Thoroughbreds, which purchased him for $500,000 at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

“I thought his breeze was pretty exceptional,” Callaghan, who purchased the colt on behalf of an undisclosed client, said. “He's a really good-looking horse with a great attitude. He did everything right.”

Hip 204 is out of Canadian champion Embur's Song (Unbridled's Song) and was purchased in utero for $900,000 by Bridlewood Farm.

“More Than Ready is obviously a very proven stallion,” Callaghan said. “I thought this horse had a lot more substance than a lot of the More Than Readys. Some of them could run on turf, but I felt this was going to be a top-class performer on dirt.”

Dean DeRenzo acknowledged the colt's potential on dirt led to his appearance in Timonium.

“We feel like the Unbridled's Song gives him a lot of dirt,” he

explained last Wednesday. “And More Than Readys have run on dirt, like Verrazano, so we brought him here with the dirt in mind.”

Callaghan said he had seen the dark bay colt at the September sale, but felt the mark-up to purchase him as a 2-year-old was worth it.

“He was obviously a very good yearling,” the California-based trainer said. “I remembered him and I liked him then. So to pay a little bit more than that after you've seen him breeze so well and vet and jump through all the hoops, I thought it made sense.”

De Renzo was also satisfied with Monday's result.

“We are happy with that for a couple of reasons,” De Renzo said after watching the colt sell. “One is that now we get to watch him run right here in the United States. And that's really important for us to build our client base–which happens when you sell good horses and they go to good trainers, like Simon Callaghan in California. Of course you always want more money for a More Than Ready, but [the $250,000 profit] works. You can't do that in too many places. So, it works for us.”

De Renzo paused before adding with a chuckle, “But I think they got a bargain, to be honest.”

Speedy Mucho Macho Man Colt to Petersen

The last time hip 278, a colt from the first crop of GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man, went through the sales ring, he RNA'd for $55,000 at the OBS March sale. The chestnut attracted significantly more attention after zipping a quarter-mile in a bullet :21 1/5 last week in Timonium and sold Monday for $625,000 to California owner Michael Lund Petersen.

The youngster was consigned by Kip Elser's Kirkwood Stables, which also consigned him at OBS two months ago.

“He matured a little bit,” Elser said of the different sales results. “I thought he looked great here and other people agreed.”

The colt worked a furlong in :10 flat over the synthetic Safetrack at OBS before moving to the dirt for his Timonium breeze.

“I don't think the surface makes a difference to him,” Elser said. “That's the key. He was good on the Poly and he was spectacular on the dirt.”

The colt, bred by Teneri Farm and Bernardo Alvarez Calderon, originally sold for $14,000 at the 2017 Keeneland January sale. He was purchased by S.R. Schwartz for $95,000 at the Keeneland September sale. Out of Itsagiantcauseway (Giant's Causeway), the juvenile is from the family of Canadian champion Peaks and Valleys.

Petersen, a founding shareholder in Pandora Jewelry, campaigned Grade I winner Mor Spirit (Eskendereya).

Zacney Stays Busy in Timonium

Chuck Zacney, who has enjoyed Classic success buying out of the Midlantic sales ring, stayed busy during Monday's first session of the Fasig-Tipton sale, purchasing five juveniles for a total of $925,000. His highest-priced acquisition was hip 246, a filly by Bernardini out of Great Look (Giant's Causeway)–a full-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Winning Cause–for $325,000. The filly was consigned by Paul Sharp.

“I have to give [trainer] John Servis all the credit there,” Zacney said of hip 246. “He loved her from the beginning and I just did the bidding, to be honest with you. She was a well-balanced filly with a great work [:10 2/5] and from a good family. We were prepared to go to $500,000 for her.”

Late in Monday's session of the two-day sale, Zacney went to $220,000 to acquire a filly by Medaglia d'Oro (hip 285). The gray juvenile, consigned by Cary Frommer, is the second foal out of Grade I winner Joyful Victory (Tapit). She RNA'd for $335,000 earlier this year at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale.

“I actually followed her at the Fasig-Tipton sale, but she didn't sell,” Zacney said. “I saw her here and I thought she was going to go for over $300,000, so I was happy to get her.”

Zacney, who purchased subsequent GI Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss) out of the 2014 Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale and champion Afleet Alex (Northern Afleet) at the 2-year-old sale in 2004, acquired four fillies and one colt Monday, but he is not specifically targeting the fairer sex.

“We are just looking for good horses,” he said. “We did get a couple nice fillies, but we also picked up a nice colt in hip 123. And we have our eyes on a couple nice colts tomorrow.”

Overall, Zacney has been finding value at the two-day auction.

“So far, so good,” he said. “I think we are buying really good horses for very reasonable numbers. So we are really happy.”

Maclean's Music to Young's Ears

A colt by Maclean's Music became the second to reach the $300,000 mark Monday in Timonium when bloodstock agent Steve Young acquired him for that price on behalf of an undisclosed client. Hip 146, who shared the furlong bullet time of :10 1/5 during last Tuesday's breeze show, was consigned by Scanlon Training & Sales, which purchased him for $70,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton July sale.

“He was an awful nice horse that breezed good on the day and he's from a fast family,” Young said after signing the ticket on the bay colt. “It was over the middle of the plate–I think he is pretty much a standout horse.”

Hip 146 is out of Cheyenne Autumn (Indian Charlie) and his third dam is GI Test S. winner Missed the Storm (Storm Cat).

Young, whose successful Midlantic graduates include graded stakes winner Malagacy (Shackleford), was quick to praise the Maryland auction.

“I think this is one of the best sales in America, if not farther than that,” he said. “I think if you look back, 18-24 months from now, there are a lot of nice horses here. [The sale] is on dirt and it's a place where, it's like being in the middle of a boxing ring here, if you're no good, they are going to find out.”

He added with a laugh, “I'm sure if I never bought a horse here who could run, I wouldn't like it. But we've done good here.”

Uncle Mo Filly to Augustin Stables

A filly by Uncle Mo (hip 106) will be joining George Strawbridge's Augustin Stables after selling for $300,000 during Monday's opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale. The dark bay filly was consigned by De Meric Sales, which acquired her privately after she RNA'd for $100,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“We loved her athletic body type,” Nick De Meric said of the filly who worked a furlong last week in :10 2/5. “She was so streamlined, she was like a Cadillac if you watched her from the side. She was a very balanced filly. She looked precocious, being by Uncle Mo obviously, and she just looked like a perfect fit for a 2-year-old sale. We gave her the time to bring her up here and showcase her on a dirt track. I think it worked out fine.”

Out of stakes winner Bisbee's Prospect, the filly is a half to stakes-placed Kids Kooler (First Samurai) and from the family of stakes winners Taste the Passion, Stopshoppingdebbie, Shampoo and Smarty Deb. She was co-bred by Marette Farrell, Canice Farrell, Zoe Cadman, Tescha Von Bluecher and Shawhan Place and was purchased in utero by Marette Farrell for $60,000 from the Northwest Farms dispersal at the 2015 Keeneland November sale.

Friesan Fire Colt Pops at Midlantic Again

Two years ago, a colt by local stallion Friesan Fire set the Fasig Midlantic sale alight when selling for $825,000. That youngster is now Grade I winner Army Mule. While not quite as big a result, the stallion, who stands at Country Life Farm for $4,000, had another standout in Timonium Monday when hip 92 sold for $210,000 to bloodstock agent Gary Young, bidding on behalf of Michael Dubb. The result was a pinhooking score for Grassroots Training and Sales, which purchased the bay for $20,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic October Yearling Sale.

“He was a big, nice horse who showed up when we brought him here to breeze,” said Grassroots' David McKathan. “He is a classy, long-striding horse who could go fast and that's what people are looking for.”

Out of Avani Force (Forestry) and from the family of graded stakes winner Jade Flush and Grade I winner Startac, the juvenile worked a furlong last week in :10 2/5.

After Army Mule's star turn in the Midlantic sales ring in 2016, it wasn't until April 2017 that he became a 'TDN Rising Star' with an 8 1/2-length debut win at Belmont and he was absent the rest of the year. He has since added this year's GI Carter H. to his resume. The lag time between sale and stakes success may have helped McKathan get a bargain last fall.

“[Hip 92] was a big, good-looking horse then, but they were a little mad at Friesan Fire because the horse that they bought off Scanlon [Army Mule] had only run once,” McKathan said. “But he's done really well, so now Friesan Fire is forgiven.”

Pre-sale activity on the colt had McKathan confident in a good result Monday.

“You get a feel for it in the barn, the clientele who are vetting the horse, and you get a feel that they'll bring good money,” he said. “We had a lot of good players on the horse, so we knew he would do fairly well.”

Alpha Continues Quick Start

The first-crop juveniles of Grade I winner Alpha, who stands at Sequel Thoroughbreds in New York for $5,000, continued to be popular in the sales ring Monday in Timonium, with bloodstock agent Marette Farrell going to $150,000 to acquire a filly by the stallion on behalf of Ryan Exline and Justin Border's Exline-Border Racing. The bay filly (hip 25) was consigned by Kenneth Lejeune, who purchased her for $35,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale. She worked a furlong last week in :10 4/5 despite her rider losing his irons during the drill.

“We thought she was phenomenal and unfortunately she was a little compromised in her work,” Farrell said. “But we really liked how she didn't turn a hair with that. She stayed focused. She knew what her job was and she galloped out really, really well.”

Farrell said the filly, a New York-bred, will join the Southern California barn of trainer Peter Eurton.

“It's a huge plus for us that she's a New York-bred,” Farrell said. “Ryan Exline and Justin Border and their team already own Giant Expectations (Frost Giant), who is a graded stakes winner and a New York-bred and Ryan loves the angle of the New York-breds. But I think Peter might be tearing his hair out because he doesn't know how he's going to handle all this. We keep telling him he needs another division in New York.”

Going into Monday's opening session of the Midlantic sale, Alpha had had five juveniles sell this year for an average of $148,000.

“A few of them have caught my eye at the sales and he's very well-bred himself,” Farrell said of Alpha, a son of Bernardini. “I saw Alpha, he's not very big. She's not big either, but she has a bigger walk and I like that about her. And I loved her demeanor. It was the same every day.”

In addition to last year's GII San Antonio S. and GII Pat O'Brien S. winner Giant Expectations, Exline-Border Racing was co-owner of 2016 champion juvenile filly Champagne Room (Broken Vow).