Written by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis, TDN America
Cover image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton
A filly from the first crop of Bolt D'Oro (USA) brought the day's highest bid at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale when selling for US$1.2 million (AU$1.6 million) to Spendthrift Farm.
At A Glance
Of the 103 juveniles catalogued at the boutique auction, 52 went through the sales ring on Wednesday and 35 sold for a gross of US$13,155,000 (AU$17.5 million).
The average was US$375,857 (AU$501,000) and the median was US$300,000 (AU$400,000) compared to last year when the average was US$378,507 (AU$504,000) and the median was US$300,000 (AU$400,000).
A filly by Bolt D'Oro (USA) and a colt by Justify (USA) both broke through the US$1 million (AU$1.33 million) mark.
Broad demand for quality 2-year-olds
A diverse buying bench vied for a select offering of juveniles during a rapid-fire three hours under the sunshine at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale Wednesday afternoon
“We have been doing this a long time and today was indicative of a typical 2-year-old sale,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “The horses that worked well and vetted well, sold really, really well. There was a lot of interest in them. There was a diverse buying group. For the horses that missed the mark on one of those elements, it wasn't an easy day.”
Boyd Browning | Image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton
Spendthrift Farm purchased three of the day's top 10 lots and M.V. Magnier, via Jamie McCalmont, acquired another two. A strong domestic buying bench included the partnership of West Point Thoroughbreds and Lane's End Farm, as well as Frank Fletcher, Zedan Racing, Robert and Lawana Low and Repole Stable.
“I was pleased with the group of buyers that was in attendance and the level of activity,” Browning said. “It is no secret that we wish we had more horses here. We will work really hard to try and remedy that going forward.
"Overall, the market was very similar to what we experienced in 2021, which is healthy,” Browning said. “I think if we could lock in this market across the Thoroughbred industry through the rest of 2022, we would all say yes, it is a solid market with no real surprises.”
“I think if we could lock in this market across the Thoroughbred industry through the rest of 2022, we would all say yes, it is a solid market with no real surprises.” - Boyd Browning
McCalmont agreed demand for the top offerings was high in Hallandale Wednesday.
“I think the right horses are making the right money,” he said. “There aren't as many horses as there normally are here, but if you've got the right horse, it brings plenty of money. I hope the Sale will be here next year because Miami is a great destination for people to come to in the horse business, especially this time of year.”
The Fasig-Tipton team remained busy with post-Sale transactions even as the auction stand in the Gulfstream paddock was being disassembled Wednesday.
Jamie McCalmont | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
“Post sales have been very active,” Browning said. “It is so hard to judge the value, particularly of a 2-year-old. It is not easy to set reserves. Sometimes sellers are optimistic, then reality sets in. Sometimes buyers get shut out and then circle back around to buy a horse. So there were no real surprises. No euphoria, no despair. We are looking forward to our next 2-year-old sale at Timonium with a 600-horse catalogue and a different feel. It will be the best catalogue we've had there.”
Bolt filly electrifies Fasig Gulfstream
For the second time this week, a filly from the first crop of red-hot freshman sire Bolt D'Oro (USA) (Hip 48) wowed the crowd at Gulfstream Park when bringing a final bid of US$1.2 million (AU$1.6 million) from Spendthrift Farm.
“We have been hearing about this filly for a while,” Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey said after signing the ticket on the juvenile. “She prepped beautifully for the Sale and Tom McCrocklin, we've already bought one from him, and he does a great job.”
The filly's bullet work in the breeze was not a complete shock to the Spendthrift team.
“We'd been hearing good things and on game day she delivered,” Toffey said. “That was as good a breeze as we've seen in quite some time.”
Ned Toffey | Image courtesy of Spendthrift
The bay filly is out of Rich Love (USA) (Not For Love {USA}), a daughter of multiple stakes winner Richetta (USA) (Polis Numbers {USA}) and a half-sister to stakes winners Concealed Identity (USA) (Smarty Jones {USA}) and Peach Of A Gal (USA) (Curlin {USA}).
“She's a big, imposing filly,” Toffey said. “She's classy and athletic-looking and good-minded. Nothing ruffled her feathers. She got shown constantly and never seemed to turn a hair and her energy level stayed good the whole time. So she had all the intangibles that you want to see, as well as the obvious things that she showed everybody.”
“She's (Hip 48) classy and athletic-looking and good-minded. Nothing ruffled her feathers. She got shown constantly and never seemed to turn a hair and her energy level stayed good the whole time." - Ned Toffey
The Sale-topper continued a strong sales season for Spendthrift's Grade 1-winning Bolt D'Oro, whose standout results at the OBS March Sale included a US$900,000 (AU$1.2 million) colt.
“I think they tend to look like the sire, which isn't necessarily important, but I think is a good thing in general,” Toffey said of his early impressions of the stallion's offspring. “They are just athletic and very good-minded.
"We spent a lot of time looking at his first crop as weanlings and we were impressed right away. We got great feedback from breeders and we saw for ourselves; we bought a couple privately. In terms of what we've seen of his offspring from day one, it's just been really encouraging. I know that (Spendthrift founder) Mr (B. Wayne) Hughes was really keen on landing some Bolts. So that is going to clearly continue.”
"In terms of what we've seen of his (Bolt D'Oro's) offspring from day one, it's just been really encouraging. I know that (Spendthrift founder) Mr (B. Wayne) Hughes was really keen on landing some Bolts. So that is going to clearly continue." - Ned Toffey
Spendthrift purchased three juveniles Wednesday at Gulfstream, going to US$800,000 (AU$1.065 million) for a colt by Uncle Mo (USA) (Hip 21) and US$475,000 (AU$633,000) for a son of Curlin (USA) (Hip 57).
The Sale-topper was consigned by Tom McCrocklin on behalf of Solana Beach Sales. Solana Beach, the pinhooking division of Little Red Feather Racing, purchased Rich Love, with the filly in utero, for US$70,000 (AU$93,000) at the 2020 Keeneland January Sale.
Part of a foal share, the filly was sold for US$80,000 (AU$107,000) as a weanling at that year's Keeneland November Sale, but Solana Beach got her back when paying US$85,000 (AU$113,000) at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale.
Bolt D'Oro (USA) | Standing at Spendthrift Farm
“We bred the horse, we sold her as a weanling as part of another partnership,” explained Solana Beach's Gary Fenton. “Tom called us from Keeneland in September and said he wanted to buy her back. We said, 'If you want to buy her back, buy her back'.”
McCrocklin was high on the filly all winter, according to Fenton.
“Tom did a fantastic job,” Fenton said. “He called us in late December and said, 'You have a really special horse.' This horse has not turned a hair and showed she was a special horse for a long time. And she went through all the progressions.”
Coolmore secures regally bred Justify colt
With undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify (USA) as his sire and Appealing Zophie (USA) (Successful Appeal {USA}) as his dam, it was no surprise when Hip 84 summoned US$1.1 million (AU$1.47 million) in Gulfstream's paddock Wednesday. It was also no surprise to see bloodstock agent Jamie McCalmont signing the ticket on the striking bay on behalf of Coolmore's M.V. Magnier.
When asked what the Coolmore team liked about Hip 84, McCalmont said, “Everything.”
He continued, “We have seen a lot of Justifys. The word seems to be getting very strong on them. This one looks like more of a precocious type than some of them look, so you'd hope he'd be running in the summer. I have watched him train here for the last week and he hasn't put a hair wrong. He stood up to the Sale well and we wanted to buy the horse.”
“We have seen a lot of Justifys. The word seems to be getting very strong on them. This one (Hip 48) looks like more of a precocious type than some of them look, so you'd hope he'd be running in the summer." - Jamie McCalmont
Bred by Barronstown Stud, Hip 84 passed in for US$290,000 (AU$386,000) at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale last summer and breezed well for consignor Ciaran Dunne of Wavertree Stables despite a few antics.
“He jumped two shadows and still managed to go :10 flat and stay on his feet. That shows a lot of athleticism,” McCalmont said.
Len Riggio's My Meadowview purchased Grade I winner Appealing Zophie (USA) for US$1.1 million (AU$1.47 million) at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
Her first black-type winner was Tapwrit (USA) (Tapit {USA}), who summoned US$1.2 million (AU$1.6 million) at the Saratoga Sale and went on to win the 2017 GI Belmont S. The following year she produced Ride A Comet (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}), and two years later 'TDN Rising Star' Inject (USA) (Frosted {USA}).
Justify (USA) | Standing at Coolmore
Sent back through the ring at Fasig-Tipton in 2018, Appealing Zophie brought US$1.2 million (AU$1.6 million) from Barronstown Stud, carrying a full sister to Tapwrit now named Teasing (USA), who was most recently third in a Gulfstream maiden.
Towards the end of Wednesday's sale, McCalmont went to US$575,000 (AU$766,000) on behalf of Magnier for Hip 96, a son of Ashford Stud's Uncle Mo (USA) that was also offered by Wavertree.
Acting as agent for Magnier, McCalmont signed the ticket at a Sale-topping US$2.6 million (AU$3.46 million) for a Wavertree-consigned son of Nyquist (USA) at last year's Gulfstream Sale.
