A yearling colt by Vindication sold for $21,000 to top the open session of the OBS winter mixed sale as of press time Wednesday afternoon, while Tuesday’s consignor-preferred session was led by a mare in foal to two-time Horse of the Year Curlin who drew a final bid of $105,000.
The Vindication colt was purchased by Just for Fun Stables and consigned by Pleasant Crest Farm. Hip No. 211 is out of the Gone West mare Majestically, who won two races at age 2 and earned $67,015. Majestically has produced one other registered foal who just turned 2.
Vindication was the champion 2-year-old colt of 2002 after winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).
During Tuesday’s session, 94 horses were sold for $918,700, an average of $9,773. During the opening session of last year’s winter mixed sale, 168 head sold for $1.45 million, an average of $8,632.
On Tuesday, a mare named East Long Lake, in foal to Curlin, was purchased by Mary K. Haire and was headed to the Dunnellon farm owned by Haire’s daughter, Maria. East Long Lake is an unraced daughter of 1992 Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) winner Sultry Song, who earned $1.62 million at the racetrack.
Mary Haire said the chance to get a foal by Curlin, North America’s richest racehorse with $10.5 million in earnings, was too good to pass up.
“It was mainly that she’s in foal to Curlin,” she said. “I thought she was a good buy because she’s bred to a top horse and her pedigree is good. I’m hoping I get a good foal, naturally. I didn’t have a vet look at this one because I thought she’d go too high. I’m not really in the business, but I thought that maybe I might take a chance.”
East Long Lake, hip No. 111, is out of the Inverness Drive mare Antoinetta, a winner at age 3 who has produced 10 winners of her own. Among them is Ok By Me, a multiple graded stakes winner and an earner of $551,994.
East Long Lake, 4, was consigned by Richard Kent’s Kaizen Sales as agent for Ocala’s J.R. Cavanaugh.
“We were very satisfied,” Kent said. “It was a very fair price given this market, and she’s a nice, young mare in foal to what could be the hottest freshman sire in a couple of years. The owner was happy. It’s a tough market, and maybe in years past she would have brought a lot more money, but we’re very excited.”
A Florida-bred yearling filly by Speightstown brought Tuesday’s second-highest price at $65,000 and was purchased by Henry L. Carroll. Carroll also owns the filly’s half-sister, How Bout Tonight, a stakes-placed filly who has earned $115,750 and is headed toward a spring campaign at Monmouth Park.
“I’ve got How Bout Tonight, and she’s been awfully good to us, so I wanted to come down and take a look at this filly, and I liked what I saw,” said Carroll, who owns Lafayette Farm in St. Matthews, S.C. “I kind of like the stud as well. I thought I’d be able to get her a little bit cheaper, but I came here to try to buy her, so we got that done. We buy to race, so hopefully that’s what we’re going to do with her. We hope she’s as good as her sister.”
The yearling, listed as hip No. 101, and How Bout Tonight are out of the Saint Ballado mare Witchful Saint, who earned $55,870 at the track and has produced two winners.
“She’s a really pretty filly with a lot of hip on her and good bone, and she’s by Speightstown,” said Barbara Vanlangendonck of Summerfield Sales, which consigned the filly as agent. “She looked pretty good in this market. It hasn’t actually been as bad as I thought it would be, frankly. We sold pretty much everything that’s walked through the ring, and as long as you’re careful with your expectations, I think you’re going to get your horses sold.”
A yearling colt by Vinery stallion D’wildcat drew a final bid of $42,000 from B & B Partners on Tuesday. The colt is out of the Ascot Knight mare Miss Bambee Belle, who was stakes-placed and earned $188,287. The dam has produced four other registered foals, including two winners.
The yearling, hip No. 22, was consigned by Mary Ellen Coenen’s Mecco Sales as agent.
“I think he’s a perfectly balanced colt with a lot of depth, and he’s an excellent mover with a great walk,” Coenen said. “Of course, you always have a figure in your mind, and he did what I thought he would bring. We were really happy. He’s a great colt.”
La Defense, a 12-year-old mare in foal to Grade 2-winning millionaire Master Command, sold for $32,000 to Jody Huckabay on Tuesday. The Wild Again mare, hip No. 122, was consigned by Bridlewood Farm as agent.
La Defense was a winner at 3 and earned $71,715. She produced Quelle Surprise, a stakes-winning filly who made $141,706.
Charlie’s Sword, a 6-year-old mare by Indian Charlie who is in foal to Grade 1-winning millionaire Heatseeker, brought a final bid of $30,000 on Tuesday. The mare’s dam, Jealous Sword, also produced Jealous Wildcat, the dam of Evita Argentina, who won the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes last month.
Charlie’s Sword, listed as hip No. 7, was purchased by C C T Trading Co. Inc. and consigned by Michelle Redding as agent. The mare won two races at age 3 and earned $53,518.
“She’s an outstanding mare,” Redding said. “She had a lot of Indian Charlie and a great update with Evita Argentina, who’s a Grade 1 winner. The mare was a big, stout mare, and the people who bought her got a tremendous value.”
