WTBOA catalog up 9 percent

The Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association’s summer yearling and mixed sale has established itself as a competitive auction on the West Coast for its sale prices and graduates, and hopes are that the trend will continue this year.

The auction will be Tuesday at the Morris J. Alhadeff Sales Pavilion at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Wash., beginning at 2 p.m. Pacific.

This year’s catalog features 137 entries, up 9 percent from last year’s 126-horse sale. The majority of the book consists of the sale’s 137 yearlings, most of which are Washington-bred, and five broodmares.

“I think it’s a really good book,” WTBOA President Dana Halvorson said. “We have enough horses in there that I think we’ll draw some people in from other areas. Ideally, I think that’ll end in a strong showing.”

The sale is perhaps best known for its national-level graduates, led by Grade 1 winner and popular young California sire Smiling Tiger.

However, the auction also is a consistent producer of top runners at Emerald Downs and the rest of the Pacific Northwest. Recent local successes include three-time Washington horse of the year Stryker Phd, Oregon horse of the year O B Harbor, and this year’s Grade 3 Longacres Mile runner-up Mach One Rules.

“I think people do a really good job getting their horses ready,” Halvorson said. “We have a good reputation for what we produce and that helps because there’s a lot of good horses that come out of this sale.

“The horses always look the part . . . and the results are positive with regard to how

the horses run,” he continued. “That’s the bottom line. I think people feel confident when they buy something here, they’ve got a good product.”

Yearlings offered at the sale are eligible for two bonuses through the WTBOA sales incentive program after their owners pay the applicable fees. Graduates who win their first race in an Emerald Downs maiden special weight, allowance, or stakes race will earn their owners a $2,500 bonus, while winners of a maidenclaiming race with a tag of $25,000 or more will earn $1,000.

The yearling portion of last year’s sale finished with 83 sold for revenues of $1,422,900, good for a 0.64 percent increase from the 2015 edition.

The average yearling sale price declined 8 percent last year to $17,143, while the median jumped 50 percent to $15,000 and the buyback rate rose to 23 percent.

Topping last year’s sale was Harbor’s Inthename, a Harbor the Gold colt who sold to One Horse Will Do Corp. and Jack Arnold for $78,000. The Washington-bred colt is out of the winning Majesterian mare Dark Diva, whose two foals to race are both winners.

Harbor’s Inthename is unraced but is working toward his debut at Emerald Downs. He breezed four furlongs in 49.20 seconds July 10.

Among last year’s mixed offerings, eight horses brought $7,100, down 75 percent. The average also dropped 75 percent to $888, while the median fell 74 percent to $500.