by Sarah Mace
A New York-bred filly by Harlan’s Holiday loaded with back type under the second dam was the top-selling female and third highest-priced horse in Monday’s opening session of the four-day Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. spring sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Hip 62 was purchased by California-based Narvick International, agent for Riki Takahashi, from the consignment of de Meric Sales, Agent XI, for $270,000 after working an eighth of a mile in ten seconds flat at the under tack show. Nick de Meric spotted the filly at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred sale last summer in Saratoga, where he bought her for $75,000.
De Meric told the TDN that the filly caught his eye from the first. “Besides the sire, which I’m a big fan of, I loved her build, loved her body type – a smooth, racy profile. I loved her walk also.” The filly has also more than fulfilled his expectations in training. “She developed as well as I could possibly have hoped for,” said de Meric. “She thrived on her training. The more she’s done, the better she’s liked it and somebody’s going to have a lot of fun with that filly.” Buyer Riki Takahashi concurred. “I like the way she moves,” said Takahashi, “she moves so well.”
Bred by Mrs. Gerald Nielsen and foaled at her Sunnyfield Farm in Bedford, Hip 62 is out of the winning A. P Jet mare Garden Party, who was bred and campaigned by Nielsen and her late husband. Garden Party has produced two winners from three foals to start.
The sale filly’s second dam, unraced Damerelle, an Ontario-bred by Kings Bishop, is a half-sister to Grade 3 stakes winner Treekster ($327,350) and to Darnice, who produced ten winning offspring, headed by Grade 1 Monmouth Oaks winner Without Feathers (Brave Shot [GB]). A Nielsen-bred foal, Currency Arbitrage, is a New York-bred multiple stakes winner on turf. Darnice also is the third dam of August Dawn Farm’s Saratoga Snacks, winner of last year’s the Empire Classic and also bred by Nielsen. Garden Party currently has a yearling colt by Tale of the Cat and was bred to Freud in 2013.
The top-selling New York-bred male was Hip 107, a Mineshaft colt purchased by Mr. Terence Murray Stables from Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent XV for $150,000 after posting a furlong breeze in :10 1/5 in the under tack show.
After failing to meet his reserve when bid up to $72,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred sale, the colt was purchased by AEI & Firestone Investments at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale for $40,000.
Bred by Ryan Hanigan, Jasmine Hanigan and Stephan Blanco and foaled at Sequel Stallions in Hudson, Hip 107 is the only registered New York-bred foal to date out of Guiding Star, a multiple winner by Touch Gold ($143,325) who has produced two winners from two foals to start. Guiding Star is a daughter of stakes winner Sweeping (End Sweep) and has two stakes-performing siblings. Half-sister Apt to Star is the dam of graded stakes winner Aegean (Northern Afleet) and stakes winner Light Bringer. There are three other graded winners under the third dam.
In all six New York-breds (including one sold privately) numbered among the 38 horses in the sale’s opening session who brought $100,000 or more, while the major indicators for Empire-breds stacked up well against the strong numbers for the general population of the sale.
Overall, the average price for a 2-year-old in the session was $66,543, an increase of 16 percent from last year’s first-day average of $57,584 and median price rose 27 percent to $45,000 from $35,000 a year ago. The New York-bred average price was $65,615 and New York-bred median was $34,000. The buy-back percentage overall in the first session was 24 percent up from 13 percent. The New York-bred buy-back rate was 25 percent.
The spring sale resumes with its second session on Tuesday, April 22 at 10:30 a.m.
