By Sarah Mace
Next week, Fasig-Tipton’s annual Saratoga Fall Sale will focus buyers’ attention on this year’s New York-bred weanling class, but this week the yearlings had a last hurrah at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company 2022 October Sale. The first session for selected yearlings, held on Tuesday October 11, produced a pair of New York-bred standouts. The New York toppers of each sex in the open session on Wednesday, October 12 are progeny of current or former New York sires.
The New York-bred topper of the sale was Hip 30, a dark bay or brown filly from the first crop of champion sprinter Mitole, who went to Classic Bloodstock for Gary Anderson for $125,000, the co-seventh top price of the session and sale. Bred by Trail Creek Stables LLC and foaled at Mill Creek Farm on April 30, 2021, the topper issued from the consignment of Abbie Road Farm (Lisa McGreevy), Agent XX.
The Mitole filly is the first foal out of Sinister Siren, an unplaced Kentucky-bred daughter of Empire Maker who brought $210,000 as a yearling when purchased by Kim Valerio at the 2018 Keeneland September sale. She is a half-sister to stakes performer Unanimously. The filly’s second dam, Dakota Wind, is a half-sister to outstanding race mare Delightful Mary, the 2010 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in Canada, and to millionaire and multiple graded stakes winner Delightful Kiss, a track record setter at Golden Gate going nine furlongs.
Sinister Siren had no reported foal for 2022 after being bred to King for a Day, and was bred to Vekoma this year.
The New York-bred male topper of the selected session at OBS, Hip 164, is a bay colt from the first crop of Champion Vino Rosso out of a mare from the family of Fusaichi Pegasus.
Bred by Drumkenny Farm and Joe Senkovich and foaled on March 22, 2021 at Sugar Maple Farm in Poughquag, the colt was well-received as a short yearling at the Keeneland January Sale, where he went to Barry Lamb for $100,000. At OBS, Davis A. Basalo was able to take him home for $50,000.
The Vino Rosso colt is out of Lauded, an unplaced Kentucky-bred runner by Medaglia d’Oro who has produced a winner by Nyquist from two foals to start. She is also a half-sister to graded stakes winner Brave Tin Solder. His second dam Bless is a full sister to Fusaichi Pegasus, Grade 1 Kentucky Derby hero in 2000 and sire. Third dam Angel Fever is a full-sister to Grade 1 winner Pine Bluff and half-sister to Grade 1 winner Demons Begone.
Lauded has a 2022 New York-bred filly by Practical Joke and has been bred to Goldencents.
New York-sired New York-breds proved popular in Wednesday’s “open” session at OBS. The New York male topper of the session is a son of Leofric and the top filly is by Central Banker.
Hip 457, a colt bred by Larry F. Botting and foaled at Countryside Stables in Martville on April 23, 2021, fetched $47,000 from Pro Selection Stable. Offered by Kaizen Sales (Richard Kent), Agent I, the youngster is from the inaugural crop of Leofric, who began his stud career in 2020 at Rockridge Stud before relocating to Darby Dan in Kentucky for the 2022 breeding season. A successful pinhook, he was purchased as a weanling in 2021 by Ramiro Salazar for just $7,500 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed sale.
The Leofric colt is out of Bobby’s Brickhouse, a juvenile winner by Bob and John bred in New York by Patricia Purdy who has three foals of racing age, including an unraced 2-year-old by The Lieutenant. Bobby’s Brickhouse, who had a colt by Big Brown this year and has been bred to Combatant, is a half-sister to a pair of stakes performers and four more winners. The colt’s third dam Cozy Blues is a graded winner, multiple graded stakes performer and earner of $365,638.
Bringing $43,000 from Kathryn Martin was Hip 602, a daughter of leading New York sire Central Banker, standing at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds. McMahon of Saratoga are co-breeders of the filly along with Spruce Lane Farm, and she was foaled at McMahon’s farm on April 7, 2021.
The filly’s dam is Lady Daphne, a winning daughter of Harlan’s Holiday and producer of three winners from three foals to start. She produced a colt by Solomini in 2022 and has been bred back to Central Banker. The family under the filly’s second and third dams is littered with black type. Second dam Littlebitabling is a stakes winner and producer of a stakes performer. Third dam Rose Colored Lady is a stakes winner with stakes-winning siblings, and is the producer of four stakes winners in all, led by graded winner Too Much Bling, who bankrolled more than $500,000.
For those looking forward to scouting weanlings and broodmares at next week’s Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale, click here for a listing of all the New York-bred hips with information on registration status and links to catalogue pages.
In the words of Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, “This is an important sale for those that actively participate in the New York-bred program. Saratoga Fall annually offers the highest concentration of New York-bred weanlings of any mixed sale in North America. This year we have 175 weanlings catalogued – all of which are New York-bred.” Browning added, “There are also good opportunities in the broodmare portion of the sale, with a number of mares in foal to promising young sires.”
Taking place on Monday, October 17, the sale will be held in the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs and will begin at 10 am.
