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Arrogate Filly On Top As October Sale Remains On Record-Setting Course

LEXINGTON, KY – The Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings Sale continued its pace to another record-setting renewal with a solid day of trade during its third session Wednesday in Lexington.

Through three sessions, 804 yearlings have grossed $41,540,500. Following three sessions a year ago, the gross was $39,511,600 before the auction concluded it fourth session with an all-time high aggregate of $52,607,500.

The average of $51,667 is up 11.9% from the same point of the 2021 auction and the median is up 19% to $25,000. Still well ahead of the record figures of $45,627 and $22,000, respectively, that were set at last year's sale.

“It was a continuation of the strong market that we saw in the first two days of the sale,” said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning Wednesday night. “There was wide-spread participation from buyers across the United States and around the world. Quality horses are in great demand. And we are fortunate to be in the midst of a strong and resilient marketplace.”

Legacy Ranch manager Terry Knight made the highest bid of Wednesday's session, going to $450,000 to acquire a filly by the late Arrogate. The session topper was one of 43 to sell for $200,000 or over during the three sessions, compared to 28 who reached that figure a year ago.

Looking ahead to the final session of the October sale, Browning said, “We anticipate some fireworks tomorrow and some strong highlights. We look forward to a successful conclusion of the October sale tomorrow.”

Thursday's final session of the auction begins at 10 a.m.

Wait Pays off For Legacy Ranch

Terry Knight of Legacy Ranch waited all day for a filly by Arrogate (hip 1152) to walk into the Fasig-Tipton October sales ring and as afternoon turned to evening, he would not be denied, ultimately going to $450,000 to acquire the yearling from the Mill Ridge Sales consignment.

“We just loved her,” Knight said. “We liked everything about her. She's the one we sat here and waited all day for. Fortunately, we got her.”

The filly was the second purchase of the week for Legacy Ranch, which acquired a daughter of Into Mischief (hip 226) for $190,000 during Monday's first session of the auction.

“We bought the Into Mischief on the first day and now we have this filly and I think we are done,” Knight said.

The yearling, bred by Robert Chasanoff's Gentry Stable, is out of stakes-winner Lemon Splendor (Lemon Drop Kid) and is a half-sister to stakes winner Mo Maverick (Uncle Mo).

“We've had a great privilege of raising horses for the Chasanoff family for a number of years,” said Mill Ridge's Price Bell. “Tom Bozarth works with the Chasanoff family and they picked this mare out a number of years ago when the market was down and they have bred her well and she's produced. It's a great reward for everyone involved.”

Bozarth's Arch Bloodstock signed for Lemon Splendor as a 4-year-old for $10,000 at the 2013 Keeneland January sale. Mo Maverick, the mare's first foal, sold for $200,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September sale. She also had yearlings sell for $375,000 in 2018 and $190,000 in 2019.

“I don't know that you can ever expect anything,” Bell said of the result. “I think what's most flattering is that there were a lot of really good judges who really liked her. That's a credit to her because she came in and she showed herself well, she took it all in and she showed a ton of class. It was a most rewarding moment for the whole team at Mill Ridge. We all wake up at all hours of the night to take care of the horses and when they come and perform like that, we are just so excited and appreciative.”

Into Mischief Filly to White Birch

A filly by Into Mischief (hip 991) attracted a host of bidders before ultimately selling for $400,000 to White Birch Farm. BSW/Crow Bloodstock's Jake Memolo signed the ticket on behalf of Peter Brant's operation.

The yearling is the first foal out of stakes-placed Hayworth (Arch) and from the family of Grade I winner Critical Eye and Takeover Target. She was bred by Richard Roberts's Brinker Hill Farm and was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield.

“Obviously, she's a very nice filly, very athletic,” said Francis Vanlangendonck. “And she's by the right sire. The mare could really run. Her race record got cut short with an injury and this is a really nice filly.”

Hayworth, bred and campaigned by Brinker Hill Farm, was third in the 2018 Purple Violet S. in her six-race career. Summerfield purchased her graded stakes-placed dam Glamorista (Unbridled's Song) for $200,000 at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

Liam's Map Colt Makes Up for Lost Time

A mishap forced a colt by Liam's Map out of Book 1 of the Keeneland September sale last month, but the yearling was rerouted to the Fasig-Tipton October sale and attracted a bevy of admirers before selling to the $350,000 bid of bloodstock agent David Ingordo Wednesday in Lexington.

The yearling was bred by Brereton Jones and was consigned by Airdrie Stud. He is out of Listen to Libby (Indian Charlie) and is a half-brother to graded winner Chanteline (Majesticperfection).

“He's a colt who has been beautiful from the start,” said Bret Jones. “It's a family that's been good to us by a stallion who was certainly brilliant and could get you a brilliant horse. We had some bad luck with him right before the Keeneland September sale. He was entered in Book 1 and, just by a freak occurrence, got loose and hurt himself a little bit. But he lived to tell the tale and came here a healthy and happy horse and really delivered for us. We couldn't be happier. He was bought by a group that has weekend in front of them and I think they just had a special night here because they bought a real good colt.”

Of having to reroute the yearling to the October sale, Jones said, “This is a great horse sale. And we have all seen how many great horses come out of here. It would be tough to convince me otherwise that we didn't just see one there.”

Zito on the Board with War Front Colt

Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito got in on the action at the Fasig-Tipton October sale, going to $150,000 to acquire a colt by War Front (hip 817) on behalf of Robert LaPenta. LaPenta and Zito have enjoyed plenty of success over the years, with the likes of champion War Pass and Grade I winners Dialed In and Ice Box, as well as longshot GI Belmont S. winner Da'Tara.

“I like Toby Keith,” Zito said. “I've had horses for him and I am friends with him. The song of his that I like the best the last few years, he sings, 'I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was.' And all trainers, Charlie Whittingham, Allen Jerkens, they all went through slumps. Right now I don't have the horses I used to have, everyone knows that. Bob sent me a couple of horses this spring, which was nice. Unfortunately, one was claimed. And he told me to pick one out for him here.”

LaPenta at first was surprised Zito picked a yearling by traditional turf sire, War Front. But the trainer pointed out the yearling's first two dams are by Scat Daddy and Fusaichi Pegasus.

“Bob said, 'What do you want with a War Front? You're not a turf trainer,” Zito said. “But if you look at Scat Daddy, you know what he did with Justify, you look at Fusiachi Pegasus, he won the Kentucky Derby. So the War Front might be turf, but with the rest, you have a chance to run on the dirt.”

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Mr. Big Filly Tops ‘Solid’ Fasig-Tipton California Sale

by Dan Ross & Jessica Martini

POMONA, CA – The Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings and Horses of Racing Age Sale, held Tuesday at Fairplex in Pomona, produced 14 six-figure lots, led by a filly by Mr. Big who sold for $250,000 to Todd Tomazic. Numbers declined from last year's lively renewal of the auction, with 205 head grossing $6,257,100 and the average falling 22% to $30,522 and the median dipping 15% to $17,000. The buy-back rate was 25.7%. It was 24.4% in 2021.

“It was a very solid session,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said at the close of business Tuesday. “There was lots of traffic and activity at the barns before the sale and there was spirited bidding on the majority of the horses. There still remained some selectivity in the marketplace–you have to have acceptable conformation, and, like at every sale in the world, you have to jump through the vetting hoops. But I thought, all in all, it was a good follow-up to an exceptional year last year.”

A year ago, 177 horses sold for $6,933,550 for an average of $39,173 and a median of $20,000. The top lot of $350,000 was one of 17 yearlings to bring six figures.

“We probably didn't have quite as much sire power from out-of-state sires this year in the catalogue, but we knew that going in,” Browning said. “But I think that's truthfully part of the rebuilding process where people are starting to have confidence and hopefully a couple of good yearling sales in a row will give breeders more confidence that there will be better quality horses that are Cal-breds. Not that there aren't some nice Cal-breds now, but I think it's a restoration of confidence in the marketplace. I think we are seeing some real indications of that amongst the breeders that sold horses today.”

Hockey Dad (Nyquist) (hip 335) brought the highest price during the horses of racing age section of the sale when bloodstock agent Kim Lloyd went to $175,000 to acquire the 4-year-old on behalf of Gary Hartunian's Rockingham Ranch. Bred and campaigned by Reddam Racing, the bay colt was third in last year's GII Del Mar Derby and GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks.

Tomazic Goes Big

Todd Tomazic, who has been a minority owner on some racehorses in the past, jumped into the fray at the Fasig-Tipton California Yearlings Sale Tuesday when purchasing three yearlings, led by a sale-topping daughter of Mr. Big (hip 228) who sold for $250,000.

“I am not new to being a fan, but I'm new to being an owner,” Tomazic said. “I've been a minority investor in some horses, but I hadn't even been to an auction before.”

Tomazic was being advised at the sale by Terry Knight, farm manager of Legacy Ranch, which raised hip 228 for breeder George Krikorian.

“I did not expect to spend this, but they liked him so we bought him,” Tomazic said. “[Picking horses] is not my forte, but if my trainer likes him, that's what I like. He's a guy who has owned a lot more horses than I have.”

The sale-topping yearling, who was consigned by Havens Bloodstock Agency, is out of Misszippityslewda (City Zip) and is a full-sister to multiple stakes winner Big Sweep. Krikorian purchased the mare for $22,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton February sale and resold her, in foal to Mr. Big, for $11,000 at this year's CTBA February sale.

“We raised her for George and sale prepped her,” Knight said. “She's just kept getting better and better and we've liked her more and more.”

Also Tuesday, Tomazic went to $105,000 to acquire a filly from the first crop of GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso (hip 189). The yearling is out of Keep the Magic (Malibu Moon) and was also bred by Krikorian and consigned by Havens Bloodstock Agency.

Tomazic's Pomona shopping spree was completed by a filly by another Breeders' Cup Classic winner, Accelerate (hip 36), who was purchased for $35,000 from the Harris Farms consignment.

The yearlings will be sent to Legacy Ranch in Lodi, California to be broke.

“We will see what they can do with them,” Tomazic said.

Siegel Stays Busy in Pomona

Samantha Siegel of Jay Em Ess Stable, following the advice of the late bid-spotter Pete McCormick, bid aggressively to secure a pair of yearlings for matching $200,000 price tags late in the Fasig-Tipton California Yearlings Sale Tuesday. She first went to that figure to acquire a filly by Good Magic (hip 241) and came back 10 hips later to purchase a daughter of Stanford (hip 252) for the same price. Both yearlings were consigned by Stormy and Guy Hull's Washington-based Critter Creek Farm.

“She was beautiful,” Siegal said of hip 241. “To get a Cal-bred by a good freshman sire like Good Magic, whose horses are selling well as yearlings and 2-year-olds, we actually thought we would have to give more. Hopefully we can have some fun with her without the Kentucky sales price.”

The yearling is out of Nine Point Nine (Tribal Rule), a half-sister to stakes winner Sweet Saga (Slew's Saga).

Hip 252 is out of Open Mic (Unbridled's Song) and is a half-sister to stakes-placed No Cover Charge (Kafwain). Her third dam is Words of War (Lord at War {Arg}).

“She is really beautiful, too,” Siegal said. “She is a big, strong filly with a great walk.”

Stormy Hull was co-breeder of both yearlings and, along with Lynn Baker, purchased Open Mic, carrying the Stanford filly, for $11,500 at the 2021 CTBA January sale.

“Those guys sold two really, really nice fillies,” Siegal said of the Critter Creek consignment. “They did a great job. They looked great.”

Siegal's Jay Em Ess also purchased a colt by Smokem (hip 52) for $90,000 and a colt by Mr. Big (hip 105) for $50,000 Tuesday in Pomona.

The yearlings will be trained by Brian Koriner.

Of her take-no-prisoner bidding style, Siegal said, “Pete McCormick told me how to bid. They will go up in little increments forever, but if you make a big move, it's a little different. I got aggressive with my bidding. That's the way I was taught.”

Mandella Strikes for Mitole Filly

Trainer Gary Mandella struck early in the Fasig-Tipton California Yearlings Sale Tuesday when going to $190,000 to acquire a filly by champion sprinter Mitole (hip 58) on behalf of owner Tom Nichols.

“She looks fast and she looks early,” Mandella said of the yearling's appeal. “Tom Nichols has a lot of faith in buying at this sale. We've always had something that can last when we've come here. And this one looks as good as anything we've gotten here. We are happy to take this one home.”

Bred and consigned by Richard Barton Thoroughbreds, the dark bay filly is out of Whim (More Than Ready) and from the family of stakes winner Saratoga Humor and multiple graded winner Heart Stealer. Barton purchased the 10-year-old mare, with the filly in utero, for $40,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale.

Mandella had a few other yearlings on his short list, but admitted his shopping might be over after the six-figure purchase.

“I think we spent the budget,” he said. “We were hoping to get that one for a bit less and try for a few a bit later, to be honest, but I liked that one and we went ahead and used up the budget.”

Repole in Action on the West Coast

Mike Repole, a major buyer at the Keeneland September sale, took his buying spree to the West Coast when purchasing a filly by Kantharos (hip 180) for $115,000 Tuesday in Pomona.

“I thought she was a nice filly,” said trainer Michael McCarthy, who signed the ticket on behalf of Repole. “She caught my eye earlier in the week. She looked fast.”

Consigned by Barton Thoroughbreds, the yearling is out of multiple stakes-placed Imperial Pippin (Empire Maker), who is a daughter of graded winner Apple of Kent (Kris S.). She was bred by Richard Barton Enterprises, which purchased Imperial Pippin with the filly in utero, for $16,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale.

Repole, in partnership with St. Elias Stables, was the leading buyer at the Keeneland September sale with 31 yearlings purchased for $12,840,000. On his own, Repole was the auction's fourth-leading buyer with 27 head purchased for $7,940,000.

“He is a guy with a vision,” McCarthy said. “And he thought it was a great idea to take advantage of the state-bred program.”

Sir Prancealot Filly to Mathis and Jawl

A filly by Sir Prancealot (Ire) (hip 143) will be heading to the Golden Gate Fields barn of trainer Andy Mathis after selling for $100,000 Tuesday at the Fasig-Tipton California Sale. The gray yearling is out of Do Dat Blues (Lydgate) and is a half-sister to stakes winner Mo See Cal (Uncle Mo). She was bred by Rozamund Barclay, Sydnee Brown and Dena Murdock and was consigned by McCarthy Bloodstock.

“She impressed me when I saw her,” Mathis, who was bidding on behalf of owner Michael Jawl, said. “She's the right size with a really nice walk. She seemed really smart. From the first time I saw her to when she was in the ring, she never flinched. And we like the Cal-bred angle.”

Of plans for the filly, Mathis laughed and said, “Win some stakes–we better for $100,000. She looks the part and hopefully she runs the part.”

A few hips later, Mathis signed the ticket at $75,000 to acquire a filly by Smiling Tiger (hip 150) on behalf of Robert D. Bone.

Mathis, who has been training since 2001, is coming off a bang-up Del Mar meeting where he had 12 wins from 41 starts.

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Straight Fire Making Waves in California

With just 26 named foals in his first crop, 'TDN Rising Star' Straight Fire (Dominus – Tricky Indy, by A.P. Indy) is reeling off some impressive statistics as his young stock are making waves in California.

Last year, the son of Dominus based at Legacy Ranch produced 10 winners from 13 runners with his first crop of 2-year-olds. So far in 2022, he has had six winners from 10 runners including dual stakes winner Straight Up G and also a pair of sophomores that swept the California-bred stakes on the Santa Anita Derby undercard earlier this month. Power Surge won the Evening Jewel S. and Smuggler's Run took the Echo Eddie S. while another son of Straight Fire, What in Blazes, finished third in the Echo Eddie.

Straight Fire's three stakes winners already this year rank the sire first among North American second-crop sires by stakes winners from named foals. Among the same group of sires, he also ranks first by stakes winners from runners at 30% and is second only to Gun Runner with his average earnings of over $50,000 per starter.

Bred by Spendthrift Farm, Straight Fire was a $250,000 yearling purchase by Solis and Litt Bloodstock at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton July Sale. He was sent to Eddie Woods and showed promise from the start.

“We thought he was special,” Jason Litt recalled. “The horse always had a great attitude. He loved to train and was easy to be around. When we got him to the track, he was tremendously fast and naturally precocious.”

As a juvenile, the colt broke his maiden second time out at Del Mar by 10 ½ lengths to earn his 'Rising Star' badge. He was then second to MGSW Klimt (Quality Road) in the GI Del Mar Futurity and ran third in the GI FrontRunner S. While he suffered a career-ending injury and was unable to return to the starting gate as a 3-year-old, his connections were so impressed by his juvenile campaign that they pursued a stallion career for their precocious bay.

Straight Fire began his stallion career at Legacy Ranch in 2018 for a group of shareholders that included Legacy Ranch, Jim Rome's Jungle Racing, LNJ Foxwoods, Kim and Kevin Nish's KMN Racing, Andrew Molasky, Rigney Racing, Equine Analysis and Solis/Litt Bloodstock. In his first two years at stud, the stallion was solely supported by his shareholders and bred a total of 66 mares.

This year will look quite different for the stallion. After the success of his juveniles, Straight Fire's stud fee was increased from $3,500 to $7,500, but he already has 60 mares on his book this year coming in from an array of outside breeders.

Straight Fire's first crop did not see the sales ring as they were yearlings in 2020 so the owners opted to race them themselves to avoid the uncertain market during COVID. From Straight Fire's second crop of 20 foals, five yearlings saw the sales ring last year to average nearly $50,000. This year he was represented by a 2-year-old colt that delivered the fastest one-furlong breeze of the Texas 2-Year-Old in Training Sale and later sold for $80,000.

Litt explained that when they first launched Straight Fire's stud career, their goal was to produce quality runners for the lucrative 2-year-olds races at Del Mar. Now that the first crop has surpassed shareholders' original expectations as 2-year-olds, Litt said he believes there could be more to come this year for the stallion as his first crop continues to develop and his second crop hits the racetrack.

Power Surge claims the 2022 Evening Jewel S. | Benoit

“His offspring are like him in that they have great minds, they love to train and they have tremendous natural speed,” he said. “If you watch their races, they instantly break on top naturally. It's one thing to get one good runner, but when there are five or six from a small crop that you're happy with, that's fun.”

Power Surge, winner of the Evening Jewel S., was part of the first crop that was sent to the racetrack rather than the sales ring. She was started by Susan Montanye of SBM Training, who broke several Straight Fire progeny for LNJ Foxwoods and their partners.

“She was very cool,” Montanye recalled. “She was very easy and always had a lot of game. That's how all of the Straight Fires have been for me. Every time you ask them to do something, they always said yes and they are wanting to do more. They seem to be forward, early horses.”

The filly was sent to trainer Blaine Wright in California along with several other Straight Fire progeny.

“From early on we thought Power Surge was one of the best ones I had in my possession,” Wright recalled. “She was very precocious and has never done a thing wrong. I've pretty much had Straight Fire fillies up to this point, but the horse throws good bone and they're good-minded and tenacious.”

Power Surge broke her maiden at second asking as a juvenile last year. Since then, she has placed in all but one of her five career starts.

“As she has gotten more races into her, she has leveled out as a racehorse,” Wright explained. “Now she can turn it off pretty easy when you ask her in the morning and turn it back on when you want her to. She has ran well on synthetic, but she showed a different level on dirt in the stakes race. After watching her gallop out after that race, it looks like she might get up to a mile. She posted good fractions and did everything the right way.”

Power Surge will be the first horse of racing age by Straight Fire offered at auction when she sells as Hip 22 this week at the Fasig-Tipton April Digital Selected Sale, which closes Tuesday, April 26 at 2 p.m. Litt explained that because the original intention was to sell Straight Fire's first crop, Power Surge's connections believe that now is the prime time to offer the filly after her stakes victory.

Wright believes the possibilities are endless with Power Surge for the remainder of her sophomore campaign and beyond.

“A filly like her, I think you could probably run her on any surface,” he said. “One thing you can't put into them is a racehorse, and she's got it.”

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California Stallion Mr. Big Moving To Legacy Ranch

Pete and Evelyn Parrella have welcomed Mr. Big to their Legacy Ranch in Clements, Calif., to stand at stud for the 2022 breeding season. A son of Dynaformer out of the stakes-winning Fappiano mare Fashion Delight, Mr. Big is the sire of 2021 stakes winners Big City Lights (Fasig-Tipton Futurity) and Big Fish (California Derby, champion California-bred 2-year-old).

“We thoroughly enjoyed standing Mr. Big at Rancho Temescal and watching his foals find great success in 2021,” stated Tim Cohen president of Rancho Temescal. “We have decided to stop breeding and foaling going forward. Rancho Temescal will continue to provide care for all our clients, while leaving the niche of breeding and foaling to larger farms in California. We will continue to support Mr. Big at Legacy Ranch.”

“Rancho Temescal is a first-class operation and I have enjoyed working with Tim and his skilled staff over the last two years,” said George Krikorian, owner and breeder of Mr. Big. “I am very excited to be able to position Mr. Big in a different part of the state at such an outstanding facility as Legacy Ranch.”

“Myself and my staff led by farm manager Terry Knight look forward to the 2022 breeding season with Mr. Big added to our stallion roster that also includes leading sire Clubhouse Ride and the hot freshman sire Straight Fire,” said Pete Parrella.

Mr. Big stood for $4,500 in 2021. His 2022 stud fee will be announced at a later date. Mr. Big will be available for inspection by appointment (call 209 759-3315) at Legacy Ranch after Aug. 11. Breeding inquiries should be directed to Gayle Van Leer. 858 775-6262 or gayle@gaylevanleer.com.

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