Fasig-Tipton photo
By Sarah Mace
The New York-bred cohort at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of two-year-olds in training produced three new headliners in the concluding session of the two-day auction Tuesday. Leader of the pack was a colt by Union Rags who was purchased in the final hour of trading by California owner Michael Lund Peterson for $925,000. He wound up as the sale’s second top-seller overall.
Hip 561, who is named Tangled Union, was bred by Avanti Stable and foaled on February 16, 2016 at Stonebridge Farm in Gansevoort. Offered at Timonium by Bobby Dodd, agent, the $925,000 colt breezed the fastest furlong of the three sessions the under-tack show, covering distance in :10 seconds flat.
Hip 561 (Fasig-Tipton photo)
Dodd said, “That is huge on this racetrack. I’ll take :10 2/5 all day long here, and :10 1/5 is awesome. But :10 flat with a gallop out like he had in :20 3/5 … that’s unbelievable. And then we came back and got my veterinarians and the horse had a good physical, so we are truly blessed.”
Tangled Union increased his value tenfold after being purchased last summer for $90,000 by Brad Grady’s Grand Oaks from the consignment of Paramount Sales at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred sale.
When asked about the price Dodd said, “I have no words. It was a nice horse. Everything went right, and it ended right. That’s about all I can say.”
Tangled Union is the second foal out of Tanglewood Tale, a multiple winner of over $200,000. The colt’s New York-bred full-brother Big Thicket is a two-time winner for the Linda Rice barn. His second dam is a half-sister to two stakes winners and there is abundant black type under his fourth dam, including two-time sprint champion House Buster. Tanglewood Tale has a yearling filly by Lemon Drop Kid named Lemonina and was bred to Tiznow in 2017.
A second standout to change hands Tuesday was Hip 533, a dark bay/brown son of Tiznow, who went to Linda Rice for an undisclosed client for $425,000 after turning in a furlong breeze in :10 2/5.
Said Rice, “He is a beautiful colt who worked great on the track. He went in :10 2/5. For a horse of his size, with his pedigree, it was a magnificent breeze. His conformation is great, and he has a lot of strength in his female family. We are excited to get him.”
The colt also turned heads as a yearling, when Hartley/de Renzo Thoroughbreds went to $250,000 to take him home from the Fasig-Tipton preferred New York-bred yearling sale in Saratoga.
Bred by Thomas Mina and foaled on April 12, 2016 at Five Oaks Farm in Saratoga Springs, Hip 533 is out of Southern Charmer, a stakes-placed daughter of Dixie Union whom Mina purchased at the 2010 Keeneland November sale for $130,000. Out of a graded stakes winner and stakes producer, Southern Charmer’s half-sister Skipper’s Mate is the dam of multiple graded stakes winner Frac Daddy. Her second colt by Uncle Mo was also well-received in the auction ring, bringing $375,000 as a yearling at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale.
The mare has produced two winners from two foals to start. Currently she has a yearling colt by Constitution and was bred in 2017 to the late Effinex.
Also on Tuesday’s New York-bred honor roll is Hip 384, a son of Maclean’s Music named Better B Gud To Me. Mike Ryan, agent, signed a ticket for $325,000 after the colt worked a sharp :10 1/5 furlong for consignor De Meric Sales, agent.
Bred by David W. Kamp and Dr. Patricia S. Purdy and foaled on March 22, 2016 at Purdy’s Ivy League Farm in Ithaca, Better B Gud To Me is, like the other two, a graduate of the 2016 Fasig-Tipton preferred New York-bred yearling sale where he went to Vineyard Ventures for $275,000 from the Vinery Sales consignment. He is the last reported foal for his dam, My Canary, an unplaced Florida-bred daughter of Mineshaft who is a half-sister to a stakes performer. The colt’s third dam is a stakes winner in Canada.
The major indicators for New York-breds over the two days of trading were rock solid. Of 109 juveniles offered, 84 sold for a buyback rate of 23.0%, which was on a par with the 22.5% buyback rate for the sale. Seventeen Empire State-breds brought $100,000 and up, while four topped $240,000. The New York-bred average was $66,726 and median was $30,000 compared to $74,680 and $38,000 for the general population of the sale. The top filly, a youngster by New York freshman sire Alpha, sold in the first session.
