by Sarah Mace
Representing one of the bright spots in a sale which saw a 45 percent buy-back rate, New York-bred juveniles were in demand at Fasig-Tipton’s Florida sale of 2-year-olds in training, with eight out of the ten offered (after scratches) changing hands (20 percent buy-back). Steven Young, agent, went to $160,000 to secure the top lot, a Majestic Warrior colt.
Held for the first time at Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs South in Williston, the third juvenile sale of the season was looking to build on double digit increases at Barretts and OBS, but ended up seeing a decline in gross (25 percent), average (26 percent) and median (40 percent).
Commenting that “Buy-backs were higher than we would have liked,” Boyd Browning, president of Fasig-Tipton said, “You’re always a little disappointed when you have a step back statistically and we had a step back this year. We’ll grin and bear it and look forward to our next 2-year-old sale at Timonium in May.” Browning added, “The select sales market has been very selective.”
The top-priced New York-bred was Hip 60, a dark bay / brown colt by Majestic Warrior foaled on March 8, 2012 at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham. A successful pinhooking venture, the $160,000 colt, who posted a :10 1/5 eighth of a mile work in the under tack show (VIDEO), sold for more than five times the $30,000 paid for him at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale in Saratoga.
Bred by Steve Taglienti, best known in New York-bred circles as the owner-breeder of stakes winner and multiple graded stakes performer Hangover Kid ($464,578), the colt is the most recent reported foal out of Artistic Cat, a daughter of Sir Cat, who started once and did not place. The producer of three winners, led by Artistic Lion by Lion Cavern ($123,330), Artistic Cat is a half-sister to three stakes performers, including Grade 2-placed Truart by Yes It’s True.
The top New York-bred filly at the sale was Hip 121, a daughter of City Zip bred by Barry R. Ostrager and foaled at Dutchess Views Farm in Pine Plains. The March filly was purchased by Hidden Brook Farm, agent, for $130,000 after working a sharp eighth of a mile in :10 flat [VIDEO]. The sale filly passed twice through the sales ring before, purchased by Spring Dell Farm as a short yearling at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale for $60,000 and then by Kings Equine at the Fasig-Tipton select yearling sale in Saratoga for $100,000.
The filly’s dam is Lady Buckingham, a graded stakes performer by Formal Dinner purchased by Ostrager from the consignment of Thomas J. Gallo Sales Agency, agent, for $2,000 at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale. A producer of three winners, she is a full-sister to stakes-winner Admiral Lance and a half-sister to Lovmeaton (Wheaton), the dam of stakes winner and multiple graded stakes performer Ruler of Love (Peace Rules).
The ten New York-breds to sell on Monday sold for an average price of $100,000 and a median price of $97,500.
