NY-Bred dam of Dennis’ Moment brings $1.4 million at Fasig-Tipton’s “Night of the Stars”

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$1.4 million sale of Transplendid elicits a standing ovation when she closes out F-T November and signals the retirement of veteran announcer Terence Collier (Fasig-Tipton photo)

By Sarah Mace

Transplendid, a 9-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality bred in New York by Dr. William B. Wilmot & Dr. Joan M. Taylor, lit up the bid board to conclude the Fasig-Tipton November “Night of the Stars” sale Tuesday when Eaton Bloodstock made a winning bid of $1.4 million on behalf of Sugar Valley Farm. The mare’s second foal Dennis’ Moment, currently one of the top juveniles in the country, went off as the odds-on favorite in last weekend’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile before a disastrous break took him entirely out of the race. Top New York-bred broodmare/racing prospects Giant Zinger and Bonita Bianca also brought top-shelf prices, while the top New York-bred weanling was a filly by California Chrome bred by the California Chrome Syndicate in partnership with Anthony Russo and Leslie Russo.

The last horse through the ring on Tuesday, Transplendid was offered by Ballysax Bloodstock on behalf of Geoff Nixon’s Grantley Acres as Hip 221[2]. A winner on grass for Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group, she is out of Doyenne (by Deputy Minister), a Kentucky-bred winner purchased by Dr. William B. Wilmot & Dr. Joan M. Taylor’s Stepwise Farm for $300,000 at 2001 the Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Doyenne has changed hands twice since.

Transplendid RNA’d as a yearling at Keeneland for $45,000. When offered next at the Keeneland November sale in 2015, she was purchased in foal by Nixon for $50,000. The resulting Verrazano foal brought $650,000 as a yearling in 2017. Her second foal Dennis’ Moment sold for $400,000. Dennis’ Moment, who is campaigned by Albaugh Family Stables and trained by Dale Romans, won the Grade 3 Iroquois before his hard-luck trip in the Breeders’ Cup.

Said Nixon, “We’re ecstatic with [the sale] result. That was full circle. Transplendid was the first mare that I bought back in 2015. The first foal out of the mare was the first we sold for six figures and now we sold the mare for seven figures. So it was first, first and first.”

Transplendid also has a pair of accomplished half-siblings. Kentucky-bred Time’s Mistress (by Mr. Greeley) won the Grade 3 Miss Preakness in 2007 and earned over $250,000, while hardy New York-bred Most Happy Fella (by Ecton Park) placed in a pair of stakes and earned $432,791 in a 71-race career. Dennis’ Moment is her lone foal to start. Transplendid’s second dam is graded winner Seewillo.

Transplendid was not only the last horse through the ring on Tuesday. Her sale rang down the curtain on the 40-year career of veteran Fasig-Tipton announcer and director of marketing Terence Collier who is retiring.

Leading the New York-bred racing/broodmare prospects was Hip 123[3], Giant Zinger. Consigned by Denali Stud, agent, the 6-year-old daughter of Giant’s Causeway went to Mike G. Rutherford, who won the bidding war with an offer of $450,000.

Bred by Gallagher’s Stud, Giant Zinger is out of Hostess, a multiple graded stakes winner by Chester House who earned $383,918 and set a course record for 1 3/8 miles over the Saratoga inner turf in the Grade 3 Glens Falls Handicap. Hostess is a half-sister to the dam of Grade 1 stakes winner and millionaire Cupid, multiple graded stakes winner Heart Ashley, graded winner Ashley’s Kitty and stakes winner Indianapolis.

After Giant Zinger RNA’d at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale for $225,000 she raced in the colors of Shirl and Mary Ann Penney’s Team Penney Racing. In 15 starts she ran up her record to two wins, three seconds and four thirds from 15 starts and earned $181,187. She meanwhile collected a pair of placings in the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay Stakes and Grade 3 Orchid Stakes.

Accomplished New York-bred race mare Bonita Bianca, offered as a racing or broodmare prospect on Tuesday as Hip 99[4] from the Elite consignment, brought $330,000 from Don Alberto Corporation. The 5-year-old daughter of Curlin has notched six stakes victories in the New York-bred ranks, led by her 6-length romp in the Empire Distaff in 2018. The same year she captured the Union Avenue at Saratoga. In 2017 she won the New York Oaks at Finger Lakes, and, as a juvenile, took the Maid of the Mist and East View. Campaigned for four seasons by Michael Dubb, Michael Caruso’s Bethlehem Stables LLC and Michael Imperio, in all she has chalked up seven wins, one second and three thirds in 21 starts, and earned $673,067.

Bred by Dormellito Stud and foaled at Mill Creek Farm[5] in Stillwater, Bonita Bianca was purchased by Dubb for $97,000 at the 2016 OBS March juvenile sale. Her dam is Friendly Michelle, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Artax who won the Grade 1 Prioress and Grade 3 La Troienne Stakes in 2004. At the Keeneland November sale in 2006 Friendly Michelle sold to Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings for $1.15 million. In 2013 at Keeneland Steven Rowan bought Friendly Michelle for $42,000 with Bonita Bianca in utero. Friendly Michelle has produced six winners.

The top New York-bred weanling filly and colt in the session, both offered through the Taylor Made Sales Agency, brought $117,000 and $95,000 respectively.

The filly, Hip 59[6], is a chestnut youngster from the second crop of California Chrome bred by the California Chrome Syndicate in partnership with Anthony Russo and Leslie Russo. Foaled on April 26, 2019, the filly is a half-sister to Listenlindalisten, an Ontario-bred multiple stakes winner by Court Vision. The filly’s dam, Queen Ofthe Dawn (by Sun King) is a half-sister to Mr. Sinatra, a winner of five graded stakes. Queen Ofthe Dawn’s half-sister Numerous Moves is the dam of multiple stakes winner We’re in the Money, and her half-sister Stroll Fast is the dam of stakes winners Alpine Lass and Alpine Lad.

Calumet Farm signed the $95,000 ticket for the top New York-bred weanling colt of the group, Hip 28[7]. A bay by Honor Code, whose first runners hit the track this year, the colt was bred by Barry R. Ostrager and foaled on February 1, 2019. The colt is out of Jb’s Golden Regret (by Banker’s Gold), a Kentucky-bred stakes winner who was purchased by Ostrager for $17,000 at the 2011 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. She has a perfect record as a producer with seven winners from seven foals to start, topped by New York-bred stakes winner Retonova (by Boys at Tosconova) and New York-bred stakes performers Gypsum Johnny (by City Zip) and E J’s Legacy (by Freud). The colt’s third dam is stakes winner Chores at Dawn. J B’s Golden Regret has been bred this year to West Coast.

Mixed sales action now moves across town to Keeneland, the site of Keeneland Sales’ annual November Breeding Stock. The sale’s 12-day stand runs from November 6-17.

 

Endnotes:
  1. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/CollierTovationFTK0911.jpg
  2. Hip 221: http://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogs/2019/1105/221.pdf
  3. Hip 123: http://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogs/2019/1105/123.pdf
  4. Hip 99: http://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogs/2019/1105/99.pdf
  5. Mill Creek Farm: http://www.millcreeksaratoga.com/
  6. Hip 59: http://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogs/2019/1105/59.pdf
  7. Hip 28: http://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogs/2019/1105/28.pdf

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2019/11/06/transplendid-ft-nov-2019/