Fasig-Tipton photo
By Sarah Mace
Samantha Siegel of Jay Em Ess Stable scored the top-seller in the opening session of the four-day Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale, going to $275,000 to buy a New York-bred Ghostzapper filly bred by Dr. Jon Davis’ Milfer Farm in Unadilla.
Consigned as agent by Legacy Bloodstock and sold as Hip 96, the dark bay or brown filly was originally cataloged for this year’s Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling sale, but, as Tommy Eastham of Legacy Bloodstock explained, he and Davis decided to opt for Plan B.
“Most of her development came after June,” said Eastham. “She never was bad, just kind of plain. She just kept on developing with the green grass and sunshine, and we just didn’t think she was ready to sell yet and she’d be better in a few months, and it worked out.”
Hip 96 is the second foal out of Princesa de Papi, a placed daughter of Birdstone whose first foal, a 2-year-old colt by Curlin named Finvarra, has not yet started. Acquired in foal by Milfer Farm at the 2015 Keeneland November sale for $70,000, Princesa de Papi is out of graded performer Rutledge Ballado and is a half-sister to stakes winners Silent Bird and A Brilliant Idea. The filly’s third dam is multiple graded stakes performer Gold from the West.
Eastham said, “We’re certainly proud of [the sale filly] for a good client, Dr. Davis. They raise a really nice horse and they’ve been kind enough to be with me for a really long time, so it’s nice to do well for people that have gone through good sales and bad sales, and been your biggest cheerleaders through good times and bad. It’s a really satisfying sale for us.”
Samantha Siegel (Fasig-Tipton photo)
Siegel, who was all smiles after the purchase, said, “Nowadays, you have to pay a decent amount of money for a good horse. You just have to steel yourself to that fact, pick your number, and be prepared to go a little bit above it and be flexible. It’s a tough market for a good horse.”
Siegel explained further that after being unable to attend the Kentucky yearling sale as a “vet scratch,” she was still looking for horses to fill out her “group.” The Ghostzapper filly fit the bill. “She’s a pretty, well-balanced filly and a New York-bred,” Siegel said. “We know Ghostzapper can get a good filly so, as they say, she ticked off all the boxes.”
In a session which saw 230 horses sell for $6,479,500, an average price of $28,172 and median of $10,000, New York-breds fared well. Of 13 sold, four individuals brought six figures, averaged $53,069 and posted a $25,000 median.
The 2017 October sale continues on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with daily sessions beginning at 10 a.m. Click here to review New York-bred hip numbers with links to catalogue pages.
