By Sarah Mace
The top-selling New York-bred at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling sale was a colt by Girvin whose second dam is Eclipse Champion Proud Spell. Bred by Mary Lester and foaled on February 8, 2021 at Irish Hill Century Farm in Stillwater, the colt was purchased by Tom McCrocklin on behalf of Champion Equine from the consignment of Vinery Sales for $140,000. The top-selling New York-bred filly at the auction was a daughter of leading New York sire Central Banker bred by Richard Nicolai who fetched six figures.
The Midlantic Yearling sale was held in the rain on Monday and Tuesday, October 3-4, at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. Although the results did not match the record-breaking indicators of its 2021 renewal, the auction did manage to post its second-highest average in sale history ($26,597), and tied its third-best median ($15,000). The New York-breds sold steadily throughout. In all, 65 New York-breds sold for an average price of $22,343 and a $12,000 median. The RNA rate for Empire State-breds was 15.6%, which outperformed the 16.9% RNA percentage for the sale overall.
Selling midway through Monday’s first session, the New York-bred Girvin colt (Hip 101) was the fifth top-seller of the session and tenth top-seller at the auction overall. His dam, Tiz Possible, an unraced daughter of Tiznow, is the second of only three foals produced by Proud Spell— Eclipse Champion 3-year-old filly and earner of more than $2.1 million—before she relocated to Japan in 2013. Her first foal Indian Spell was a stakes winner. Her third foal Etruscan is a stakes performer. Eclipse Champion Letruska as well as Grade 1 winners J P’s Gusto and Imaginary Lady appear under the fourth dam. McCrocklin told the TDN, “[The colt]’s by Girvin from a very good female family. He’s a good-balanced colt. I think he has a lot of room to improve. And the plan would be to resell him at the 2-year-old sales.”
The colt’s dam Tiz Possible, bred by Brereton C. Jones/Airdrie Stud, changed hands at public auction for the first time in 2020, when Erin Fisher purchased her with the sale colt in utero for just $5,500. In 2022, Tiz Possible produced a colt by New York sire War Dancer and has been bred back to the same sire.
The top New York-bred filly of the auction, who changed hands in Tuesday’s second session, had the added appeal of being a daughter of Central Banker, the leading New York sire in 2021-2022. Central Banker stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds for $7,500. Offered by the auction’s leading consignor Marshall W. Silverman as Hip 416, she was purchased by Michael Kipness for $100,000. She was foaled on April 25, 2021 at Carlland Stables in Avon.
The Central Banker filly is the first foal out of stakes performer Might Be, by Posse, a full sister to multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Sheriffa, who earned nearly $470,000. Her half-brother by Afleet Alex is s stakes winner. Third dam Erica’s Smile is a stakes winner and her half-sister Purely Cozzene is a graded winner. Might Be produced a full brother to the sale filly in 2022 and has been bred to Maryland-based sire Uncle Lino.
The top colt of the second session, Hip 218, issues from the penultimate crop of late Claiborne stallion Flatter and went to Cary Frommer, the sale’s leading buyer, for $90,000. Bred by Newtown Anner Stud and foaled on May 31, 2021 at Jack’s Farm on the Hill in Millbrook, he was consigned by Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services LLC, Agent II. His dam Cap is a Kentucky-bred two-time winner by Arch. Her lone foal to start is a winner and she is a half-sister to a pair of stakes-winning fillies: Sower, by Flatter, a multiple stakes winner; and Vast by Lea. The colt’s third dam is Limit, another stakes winner whose stakes-winning progeny include Cease, earner of over $700,000. The family under the stakes-winning fourth dam Bound features luminaries such as Nureyev; Liable, the dam of Blame; and Jade Robbery.
The next stop on the sales calendar for yearlings of 2022 is Ocala, where the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company will offer selected yearlings on October 11 (Hips 1-185, plus supplements) and open yearlings on October 12 (Hips 251-660, plus supplements). Click here to see the New York-breds catalogued for the sale by dam name and hip number.
