Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Freshmen top Washington sale
The Pegasus Training and Rehabilitation Center’s sale of 2-year-olds in training will be the first opportunity for West Coast buyers to land a juvenile locally from the first crops of five sires at auction.
Freshman sires have been well represented during the auction’s brief history, led by its most prominent graduate Belle Gallantey, a filly from the first crop of After Market who sold for $30,000 and went on to become a Grade 1 winner.
The Pegasus sale will take place Tuesday, March 21, in Redmond, Wash., preceded by a breeze show on March 20.
All of the horses entered in the sale have been under the watch of Pegasus trainer and director of horse operations Mike Puhich since November.
The catalog features a trio of offerings by Smiling Tiger, who stands at Harris Farms in Coalinga, Calif. Hip 4 is a filly out of the unraced Orientate mare Oriental Affair, from the family of Italian classic-placed Shibil.
The lone colt of the group is Hip 31, out of the stakeswinning You and I mare You Me and Ema B. His extended family includes Grade 1 winner The Tin Man.
Rounding out the trio is Hip 35, a filly out of the winning Son of Briartic mare Campanita. The filly is a half-sister to stakes winners Rain Shadow and Bella Campana, and her page includes Grade 1 winners Rings a Chime and Country Star.
“I’m really pleased with them,” Puhich said about the Smiling Tiger juveniles. “They have great minds, very smart, very good students, and they’re really athletic. I think his horses are going to run pretty early.”
Hip 5 is a colt by Graydar, who stands at Taylor Made Stallions in Nicholasville, Ky. The colt is out of the stakes-placed Salt Lake mare Veronica’s Lake, from the family of Grade 2 winner Dice Flavor and Grade 3 winner Swift Warrior.
“He’s really nice,” Puhich said. “They’ve been selling really well, too, I see. He’s got good bone to him, and he’s very big. For his size, he’s very athletic. He’s another one that I think will be targeted to run early. This guy’s just going to get better.”
Representing Take Charge Indy is Hip 7, a colt out of the unraced Seeking the Gold mare Wild Idle, who is out of champion Storm Song. Take Charge Indy stood at WinStar Farm before being sold to Korea.
“I think he’ll be very well bought,” Puhich said. “He’s not real flashy looking yet, but he’s immature. I didn’t have to pay too much for him, and he’s got a really good pedigree on his dam’s side. He’s going to be one that a guy can probably do some good with if he’s willing to wait for the summer.”
Hip 25 is a colt by Justin Phillip, who stands at Castleton Lyons in Lexington, Ky. The colt is out of the unraced Machiavellian mare Demure, whose foals include English Group 3-placed stakes winner Il Warrd and stakes winner Coy. Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Opening Verse is farther down the page.
“He looks like he’s going to be a late-maturing type of horse, one you don’t want to rush,” Puhich said about the colt. “That’s kind of a turf pedigree, too. He’s one that’s going to be a different horse in April or May. He’s just now starting to fill into his frame, but he handles himself really well.”
Hip 32 is a filly by Liaison, a resident of Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, out of the stakeswinning Giacomo mare Lady Giacamo. Champions Arrogate and Meadow Star can be found in the New York-bred’s extended family.
“I like her a lot,” Puhich said. “She’s just tough mentally, tough physically, and I think she’ll run early.”