Curlin colt sells for $1.5M

TIMONIUM, Md. – For the third year in a row, the FasigTipton Midlantic sale of 2-yearolds in training was led by a seven-figure offering – this time a sale-record $1.5 million Curlin colt – as it posted acrossthe-board gains and continued to establish itself as a destination event for the market. A total of 329 horses sold over the two days at the Maryland State Fairgrounds for gross receipts of $25.2 million, according to Fasig-Tipton. The gross marked a gain of 8.9 percent from the 2016 sale, where 337 horses sold for $23.1 million. The average price of $76,611 was up 11.6 percent from $68,654 last year. The median price rose 9.4 percent to $35,000 from $32,000.

“We had a legitimate group of top-quality horses and a legitimate group of horses basically at all price ranges,” FasigTipton president Boyd Browning said. “I think folks left here happy and feeling optimistic, whether they were spending $20,000 or $200,000 or $500,000 and upwards. There’s a diverse group of horses that fit a variety of racing operations.”

The buyback rate checked in at 20 percent after finishing at 26 percent last year, and private sales, transactions negotiated back at the barns after horses failed to meet their reserves in the auction ring, were still trickling in Tuesday evening.

“A lot of people don’t want to take them back to Florida to go to the [Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s] June sale,” FasigTipton Midlantic sales director Paget Bennett said. “Somebody comes to the barn and wants to do something, they’re going to try to make something happen.”

With the juvenile sales season approaching its end, consignors felt that urgency, but buyers also found a competitive market.

“I think it’s very strong,” said bloodstock agent Mike Ryan, who purchased eight horses. “The good ones, you’re not stealing them. You’ve got to step up there. We got beat out on a couple.”

Trainer Mark Casse signed the ticket for the sale-leading Curlin colt, bidding on behalf of John Oxley and Breeze Easy LLC.

“Trying to find a Preakness winner for next year,” Casse joked, holding his hands apart to demonstrate the narrow margin he and Oxley’s champion Classic Empire was edged by in last Saturday’s classic.

Curlin has established himself as a classic sire, represented from his first four crops by Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice, Preakness Stakes winner Exaggerator, and two additional classic placed runners. The colt sold Tuesday shattered the FasigTipton Midlantic record of $1.25 million established by a filly by Smart Strike, Curlin’s sire, two years ago.

The colt worked a furlong in 10 seconds during last week’s under-tack preview, making him one of 13 horses to tie for the fastest time at that distance.

“Not many better sires than Curlin,” Casse said. “He worked great. When you look at him, you can see he’s a runner.”

The colt was a successful pinhook for consignors Randy Hartley and Dean De Renzo, who went to a sale-topping $475,000 to acquire him at last summer’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling sale. The operation attempted to purchase higher-end yearlings last year, with the business goal of turning them into profitable pinhooks.

“Our business plan that we designed is exactly where we want it to be,” De Renzo said.

Casse, the underbidder last July, had kept an eye on the colt since that sale.

“I’ve watched him train. I was at the farm a few times and watched him go,” Casse said.

The colt is out of the winning Stormin Fever mare Franscat, the dam of stakes winners Swinger’s Party and Hubba Shake as well as Grade 3-placed Powhatan County. It is the extended family of Grade 1 winners Ogygian and Honour and Glory.

Six horses sold for more than $500,000 each. All but one came Tuesday, helping the second session post massive gains over the comparable session in 2016. Despite fewer horses sold – 167 compared with 180 in 2016 – the second session’s gross spiked 10 percent, the average price climbed 18.6 percent, and the median was up 9.4 percent.

The second-highest price at the sale was fetched by a Distorted Humor colt who brought the hammer down at $850,000 on Tuesday. Trainer Simon Callaghan signed the ticket for a client.

“He’s got a stallion’s pedigree,” Callaghan said. “Great physical, really well-balanced colt. I thought he ticked all the boxes. There’s a lot of good horses come out of this sale, so let’s hope this is one of them.”

The colt, consigned by Eddie Woods as agent, is out of the stakes-winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Lemon Kiss, making him a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Lochte. Lemon Kiss is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Kiss the Kid, and it is the immediate family of champion Black Tie Affair.

Later in the day, a Ghostzapper colt whose dam is a full sister to graded stakes winner Kauai Katie and Winding Way sold for $800,000 to bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, on behalf of owners Charles and Susan Chu’s Baoma Corp., which has horses with trainer Bob Baffert.

A pair of colts from the first crop of Kentucky Derby winner Orb drew high prices on Tuesday, with one selling for $710,000 to Dennis O’Neill, as agent for new owner Amr Zedan, and the other selling for $525,000 to trainer Leon Blusiewicz, for C.P. Beler.

A Smart Strike filly led Monday’s session, selling for $525,000 to Xavier International Bloodstock as agent for a partnership.