A $250,000 colt by late California sire Vronsky led Tuesday's one-session Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings and Horses of Racing Age Sale, topping a dozen lots to sell for six figures. While the $5,751,500 gross for 185 head and $15,000 median (-11.76%) declined somewhat from the 2022 edition, average was up slightly from $30,522 in 2022 to $31,089 (+1.86%) this year. The buy-back rate, 25.7% in 2022, rose to 34%.

“Buy-backs may be up a little bit,” said Fasig-Tipton's California representative Mike Machowsky. “But the guys that breed these Cal-breds are happy to race them. The Cal-bred program is a very strong program and, as you see, we get great horses out here. It's solid. We're very happy and things are going the right way.”

Now in its fifth edition, the sale was headed by a new buyer to the California market in West Point Thoroughbreds. The organization, a major yearling purchaser in Kentucky and New York, was making their first purchase at the California sale.

“We're very pleased we had some new people buying before that we haven't had in the past,” said Machowsky.

“Overall the yearling market was very positive,” continued Machowsky. “It was strong all the way through. People are always looking for quality, what kind of fits their program, whatever they need. We had some very nice horses.

“It's resilient, this business. We'll be looking forward to next year and hopefully the Breeders' Cup [at Santa Anita] will add a little confidence. It turned out to be a really good sale in the yearling market. We're moving upward and next year hopefully we can capitalize on it again. We're here to make it work.”

The horses of racing age portion of the sale was led by Hip 357, an 2-year-old daughter of Outwork named Work It who broke her maiden on debut Sept. 15 at Los Alamitos. G. Chris Coleman picked up the Havens Bloodstock Agency-consigned filly for $85,000.

John Sadler, second from right, and the West Point team | Fasig-Tipton

Sadler Picks Up Vronsky Colt for West Point

West Point Thoroughbreds, which sprung for all or part of 14 yearlings at the recently concluded Keeneland September Yearling Sale, including the $3-million Into Mischief topper, added a California-bred Vronsky colt to the stable Tuesday. Out of Seasontoperfection (Poteen), the Jan. 23-foaled colt topped the Fasig-Tipton sale at $250,000.

Consigned by Harris Farms, Inc. and bred by Old English Rancho and Ken Tevelde, the colt is a half to Sept. 16 E.B. Johnston S. winner Kings River Knight (Acclamation). Trainer John Sadler, representing West Point, said the breeders “stayed in for a leg.”

Sadler trains Kings River Knight.

“We have the half-brother,” said Sadler, “who won three or four stakes this year. This horse looks a lot like the brother so we thought he'd be good for the Cal-bred program.”

In addition to Hip 211, West Point also bought a Violence filly out of Tryst (Candy Ride {Arg}) for $32,000. Consigned by McCarthy Bloodstock, agent, Hip 270 is out of a half-sister to GISW A Z Warrior (Bernardini) and additional GSWs/GISPs JoJoWarrior (Pioneerof the Nile) and E Z Warrior (Exploit).

Knapp Springs for Full-Brother to Finneus

California trainer Steve Knapp, whose Bus Buzz (Stay Thirsty) won Del Mar's Real Good Deal S. Aug. 4 after being purchased out of this same sale for $97,000 in 2021, made the $225,000 winning bid for Hip 165–also by Stay Thirsty–on behalf of owner Todd Sheehan. The Apr. 22 colt, already named Rumble King, is by the current second-leading California sire by 2023 progeny earnings.

A son of stakes-winning My Fiona (Ghostzapper), the colt was bred in California by Terry C. Lovingier and consigned by his Lovacres Ranch, where Stay Thirsty also stands. The colt is a full-brother to Golden State Juvenile S. winner and GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity runner-up Finneus, as well as a half to Melair S. winner Fi Fi Pharoah (American Pharoah).

Knapp was bullish on getting the colt. “He's beautiful and the whole family has won nothing but money. The mama's won almost $500,000 and the two babies have both won stakes races, so it's a good family.

“Stay Thirsty has had a lot of nice babies. Of all the ones they've given me, all of them can run. He's great for California. We like to keep them in California and run for the big money at Del Mar.”

Hip 81 | Fasig-Tipton

Wallers Get Back into Family with Improbable Filly

Eric and Sharon Waller bred and raced GII Sorrento S. winner and MGISP Spectator (Jimmy Creed), but had sold her dam, Diva's Tribute (Henny Hughes) when that filly was just a weanling. They got back into the family for $200,000 with Hip 81, an Improbable half-sister to Spectator.

“Not only did we breed Spectator, but we bred [her first two dams], which is where it all started,” said Eric Waller. “[Spectator's] mother was injured in a paddock accident so she never raced, then I bred her to Into Mischief and that foal had a paddock accident so she couldn't race. We ended up selling the mare at Keeneland before Spectator won a graded stakes, so I wanted to get that family back. This filly is the spitting image of Spectator, so I couldn't let her go.”

Waller lives in California and has “raced Cal-breds my whole life.” He indicated the Mar. 29 filly would go to Phil D'Amato, who also trained Spectator. Richard Barton Enterprises bred the Diva's Tribute filly in Kentucky and his California-based operation, Barton Thoroughbreds, agent, consigned.

Flatter Colt to Gasparrelli

A colt from the penultimate crop of Flatter, who died last year at 23, hammered for $200,000 to Steve Gasparrelli's Slugo Racing. Consigned by Lovacres Ranch LLC as Hip 197, the Apr. 26 colt is out of the winning Arch mare Rapid Repair.

“I like the Flatters,” said Gasparrelli. “They did pretty well at Del Mar, maybe a little more on the turf side but they ran good on dirt, too. Bottom line is the Flatters did pretty good at Del Mar and I like him with an Arch mare.”

Gasparrelli indicated the colt would be sent to trainer Mike Puype, who has all of the approximately 30-strong Slugo stable.

“We probably won't run him early. Puype's pretty conservative so we'll see. We'll let the horse tell us.”

Bred in California by Terry C. Lovingier, the $200,000 colt is out of a half-sister to MGSW & GISP Kitten's Point (Kitten's Joy) from the extended family of GISWs Marquetry (Conquistador Cielo) and You (You and I), as well as MGSW & GISP Five Star Day (Carson City).

“I just liked the horse's conformation,” said Gasparrelli. “He is a nice size, not too big, not too small. And he's a Cal-bred. I'm going more for the Cal-bred angle.”

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“If you race in California, you have to have Cal-breds in your barn,” said Fasig-Tipton's California representative and former California-based trainer Mike Machowsky. “You need a balance in your stables and a lot of trainers and owners realize that. If you want Cal-breds, this is about the only place where you can find them. California has a really great program and if a horse is good enough to advance out to open company, the benefits are huge.

“Breeders in California have really the last few years stepped up the quality of mares they've purchased and brought to California,” Machowsky continued. “If you look at the racing in general out here, Cal-breds are very important to the whole market out here. It works best when people own Cal-breds to balance out their whole stable.”

The one-day sale features a catalogue of 283 yearlings and 60 horses of racing age. Saturday's California-bred GI Cotillion S. winner at Parx–Ceiling Crusher (Mr. Big)–was a $115,000 RNA out of the horses of racing age portion of last year's sale as a 2-year-old. Her 4-year-old full-sister, Cashing Big Checks (Hip 315), sells in the racing age portion this year. Excel Bloodstock consigns the four-time winner.

Among the stallions represented at the sale this year are Kentucky leaders Bolt d'Oro, Ghostzapper, Good Magic, Hard Spun, Kitten's Joy, Maclean's Music, Mitole, Practical Joke, and Vino Rosso, while California stalwarts Clubhouse Ride, Grazen, Mr. Big, Sir Prancealot (Ire), Smiling Tiger, and Stay Thirsty are also a presence.

“I think this year's catalogue is just as strong or stronger than last year's,” said Machowsky. “There's some really interesting young sires and Kentucky sires with their first-crop yearlings. It'll be interesting to see how they size up and how they look.”

The 2022 sale featured 14 six-figure lots, led by a $250,000 Mr. Big filly. A total of 205 horses grossed $6,257,100 with a $30,522 average and a median of $17,000. Machowsky has been busy gauging interest in this year's renewal.

“I've been passing out catalogues, reaching out to trainers and a lot of the buyers. With Keeneland wrapped up, a lot of people out here are waiting for this sale. It's a strong catalogue with a lot of Kentucky-sired Cal-breds out here eligible for the great California program.”

California racing has faced some uncertainty in recent months with the upcoming closure of Golden Gate Fields. In July, 1/ST Racing announced the Northern California track would close its doors at the end of 2023, but it now appears Golden Gate will be able to continue through mid-2024. How does the anticipated closure impact the Fasig-Tipton sale?

“I think we'll be fine; we always get some support from there with trainers and owners,” said Machowsky. “It looks like Golden Gate has been extended through June now and with the fairs filling in, we'll see how that all transpires. Will there be year-round racing up there? I don't know, but they're trying to work something out.

“I don't see it affecting [this sale] a whole lot, honestly. Fingers crossed. If you've got an interest in racing Cal-breds, this is the sale.”

Bidding opens Tuesday at 11 a.m. PST.

“We make it easy for people who have an interest [even if they can't attend in person],” said Machowsky. “Everything is very detailed on the website and there's a lot of ways to bid online.”

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“This sale is the focal point for all those wanting to participate in the lucrative California-bred program, and this year's catalogue is strong in both quantity and quality,” said Fasig-Tipton California representative Mike Machowsky. “While this sale primarily showcases the best of the California breeding program, there are several leading national sires represented, as well.”

A pair of graduates of the California sale were recent stakes winners at Del Mar, with the 2-year-old filly Pushiness (Kantharos) winning the CTBA S. and 3-year-old Bus Buzz (Stay Thirsty) winning the Real Good Deal S.

Fasig-Tipton will also offer a supplemental catalogue of horses of racing age to be sold immediately following the conclusion of the yearling catalogue. The company will accept horses of racing age nominations through early September.

“This was a popular addition to the yearling sale last year,” Machowsky said of the auction's racing age section. “Two of the horses offered in last year's horses of racing age supplement went on to be stakes winners subsequently.”

The California Fall catalogue can be viewed here.

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These entries, which are catalogued as hips 301-353, will be sold immediately following the conclusion of the yearling portion of the catalogue.

“This is a quality group of horses of racing age, providing buyers with 'ready to run' opportunities ahead of Santa Anita's autumn meet,” said Mike Machowsky, Fasig-Tipton's California Representative. “We have a wide variety of offerings, ranging from stakes horses, to recent winners, to unraced 2-year-olds with several recorded breezes. A large draft from Reddam Racing should draw significant interest, as well.”

These entries may now be viewed online, including Daily Racing Form past performances and race replays for all horses that have started. Print catalogues for the horses of racing age supplement will be available on the sales grounds.

The California Fall Yearlings and Horses of Racing Age sale will take place Tuesday, Sept. 27, at Fairplex in Pomona, California. The sale will begin at 11 a.m. PDT.

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“The catalogue is very strong,” said Fasig-Tipton's California representative Mike Machowsky. “There are some good-pedigreed horses and some good stallions on top of that, with Kentucky-sired Cal-breds, as well as our local sires.”

Shoppers were out in force on the sales grounds Monday, according to consignor Adrian Gonzalez of Checkmate Thoroughbreds.

“We have been very busy, more than usual I would say, so we are very optimistic that hopefully some of the Keeneland momentum from last week will carry into this week,” Gonzalez said. “There were probably a lot of California connections who didn't get the horses they wanted to get at Keeneland and so now they are kind of forced to shop here if they still need something. I am hoping that's the case.”

The California sale comes just on the heels of Keeneland's marathon yearling sale and has made for long hours between Kentucky and back.

“My crew were literally taking horses to the ring at Keeneland on that last session [Friday] and got on an airplane and got here because we were shipping in horses the next day,” Gonzalez said of the turnaround time between sales. “They have not had a single day off.”

The timing of the auctions may also impact potential buyers.

“So far, it's been mostly trainers,” Gonzalez said of the make-up of shoppers on the grounds. “Very few pinhookers. I think part of the timing of this sale didn't really help us with the Florida guys. I know they were probably super busy at Keeneland and probably just got home to check on whatever they bought. And it's probably hard for them to get back on a plane and leave again. I know there are a few agents here who will probably represent some of the Florida pinhookers. Unfortunately, Eddie Woods and Becky Thomas and those people aren't here and they do usually attend our California sales.”

Checkmate Thoroughbreds will offer nine horses in the horses of all ages sale and Gonzalez said it was a welcome addition to the yearling auction.

“I am hopeful that we can sort of start a new trend here,” Gonzalez said. “It seems like in California all we really have is a mixed sale in January that has sort of turned into a place to sell your lesser quality stock that you don't want to carry on another year with. We don't really have another avenue to sell anything we are really excited about it. Fasig was game and gave us this opportunity to put some stuff that we did like into the sale and get a crack at it and just see if there is a market. I believe there is. It seems like right now one of my weanlings is probably my most popular horse in the barn, even more popular than a lot of my yearlings. I hope that translates into bidding activity, but certainly, in terms of looks, we are getting a lot of traffic on the weanlings.”

Fasig-Tipton had its first sale in California in 2019 and has struggled to gain traction in the market due to circumstances well beyond its control. Before its first 2-year-olds in training sale, it came up against safety concerns at Santa Anita and then last year it was forced to juggle its schedule in the face of the global pandemic.

Gonzalez thinks the strength of the catalogue for Tuesday's auction might help the company gain momentum going into next year's 2-year-old sale.

“I think that the catalogue is quite deep, probably deeper than any yearling catalogue I can remember for a long, long time,” Gonzalez said. “The breeders are showing up with their good stock and are offering them up for sale. For a number of years, the purses were high enough and the sales were low enough, that if anybody had something good, they didn't really want to sell it. I think now, if you bring a good one to the sale, you can get good value for it. I think that has turned into a stronger catalogue and any time there is a stronger catalogue, it forces the buyers to come out and see what's here. Hopefully this will turn the tide for Fasig out here and we can have a strong sale.”

Local connections will have plenty of incentive to buy Tuesday, according to Machowsky.

“I trained for 30 years out here, so I know how important it is to have Cal-breds in your barn to win races and create a good racing stable for yourself,” Machowsky said. “And if you want to have a nice Cal-bred, the yearling sales are where you need to buy. If you race in California and you want to race Cal-breds, you need to be here and shopping. A lot of the better Cal-breds that are going to be running next year are here on the grounds.”

Last year's California Fall Yearlings sale, held at Los Alamitos Race Course due to the pandemic, was topped by a $200,000 son of Stay Thirsty, one of three offerings to reach six figures. In all, 166 yearlings sold for $3,735,700 for an average of $22,504 and a median of $10,000.

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Hips 1-248 are all yearlings–primarily bred in California–by leading sires both nationally and regionally. Hips 249-267 consist of broodmares, racing and or broodmare prospects, and weanlings.

“We are very pleased with how this catalogue has come together, especially from a pedigree point of view,” said Fasig-Tipton California Representative Mike Machowsky. “Sire power represented among the yearlings is very strong – an exciting mix of leading sires both locally and nationally, and strong representation from promising first and second crop yearling sires.”

Machowsky continued: “We are also excited to add a horses of all ages segment to this sale for the first time, providing another valuable outlet for local racing and breeding operations to offer quality stock.”

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Hips 1-248 are all yearlings – primarily bred in California – by leading sires both nationally and regionally.

Hips 249-267 consist of broodmares, racing and or broodmare prospects, and weanlings. Covering sires include Danzing Candy, Maximum Security, Sir Prancealot, Smiling Tiger, and Street Boss. Weanling sires include Danzing Candy, Mitole, and Sir Prancealot.

“We are very pleased with how this catalog has come together, especially from a pedigree point of view,” said Fasig-Tipton California representative Mike Machowsky. “Sire power represented among the yearlings is very strong – an exciting mix of leading sires both locally and nationally, and strong representation from promising first and second crop yearling sires.”

Machowsky continued: “We are also excited to add a horses of all ages segment to this sale for the first time, providing another valuable outlet for local racing and breeding operations to offer quality stock.”

Print catalogs are now available.  The catalog may also be viewed online and via the equineline sales catalogue app.

The post Fasig-Tipton California Fall Sale Catalog Now Online appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The under-tack show will take place on Monday, June 21, and begin at 10 a.m. PDT.

“We are pleased to be bringing this auction back following a successful inaugural sale in 2019,” said Fasig-Tipton California representative Mike Machowsky. “We are receiving increased participation from Florida-based consignors this year, and the sale's sire power is much stronger, as well.

Leading national and California-based sires represented include Constitution, Curlin, Empire Maker, Grazen, Hard Spun, Into Mischief, Liam's Map, Malibu Moon, Medaglia d'Oro, Munnings, Nyquist, Pioneerof the Nile, and Square Eddie. Several exciting young sires with their first crop of 2-year-olds are also represented, including Arrogate, Classic Empire, Danzing Candy, Gormley, and Practical Joke.

The catalog primarily consists of California-breds and Kentucky-breds.

The catalog may now be viewed online and will also be available via the equineline sales catalogue app. Print catalogs will be available beginning May 26.

Fasig-Tipton will continue to accept supplemental entries up until sale time.

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The company has cataloged 105 juveniles for the single-session event, who will be put through their paces during the sale's under-track preview Monday, June 21 beginning at 10 a.m. PT.

The inaugural F-T Santa Anita sale was topped by a Bernardini–Elbe (GB) filly that fetched $420,000 from Donato Lanni on behalf of owner Sarah Kelly. The 2020 renewal was canceled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are pleased to be bringing this auction back following a successful inaugural sale in 2019,” said Fasig-Tipton California Representative Mike Machowsky. “We are receiving increased participation from Florida-based consignors this year, and the sale's sire power is much stronger, as well.”

To that end, some of the country's leading 2-year-old consignors have earmarked this sale to display the progeny of such stallions as the late Arrogate, popular young sire Classic Empire, Constitution, Empire Maker, Goldencents, Into Mischief, Kantharos, Maclean's Music, Medaglia d'Oro, Munnings, Nyquist, Pioneerof the Nile, Smiling Tiger, Tiznow and Violence.

Supplemental entries will be accepted up until the date of the sale, which begins June 23 at 1 p.m. PT. Print catalogs will be available beginning May 26.

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