Cairo Prince Colt Rules in Timonium

TIMONIUM, MD–A $300,000 colt by Cairo Prince was the priciest purchase made Tuesday and for the entirety of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale during an auction that produced a significantly higher median and an average slightly above last year's corresponding figure, but also featured an increase in the percentage of yearlings that failed to meet their reserves of 29.1% compared to just 17% in 2016.

A shorter second session was added to the sale to accommodate 513 entries including supplements, compared to 368 12 months ago. A total of 312 head changed hands this year for gross receipts of $7,855,100. The average rose by 4.8% to $25,177 from $24,017. The median increased from $10,000 to $14,000 (+40%).

“I think we had a good horse sale,” said Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sales Director Paget Bennett. “We had a good crowd. People stayed until the end and I think we had a good audience. People found horses they wanted, and they battled on the good ones. They're going to good spots and hopefully we'll see them down the road.”

Of the RNA rate, she said: “Really it's been no different from what we've seen all year. It's just a selective market and, unfortunately we'll see that probably at all the sales. We're going to probably see it in Kentucky [at Fasig-Tipton October]. Unfortunately, you just can't find spots for all of them.”

By comparison, the RNA rate was 19.6% at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Sale; 25.4% at Fasig's New York-bred Sale; and 25.2% at Keeneland September.

Last year's topper cost $450,000, and while this year's most expensive lot failed to reach the same heights, Bennett noted that there was still overall strength at the top.

“We didn't get the high-dollar horse like we did last year, but we sold four more horses over $100,000 (15 total) than we did last year,” she said. “That says a lot right there.”

Bennett was also pleased with the outcome of adding a second half-day to the sale: “We've been trying to get to two days, trying to get our numbers up–we didn't quite get to two full days, but hopefully we can build on this and we'll get over 500 to start with next year before we do a supplement at the end.”

EISAMAN ON TOP FOR 'CAIRO' COLT

Yearlings from the first crop of Airdrie Stud resident Cairo Prince have been all the rage at this year's yearling sales, and another one of his colts proved a hot commodity Tuesday in Timonium when Florida horseman Dr. Barry Eisaman fended off several stiff challenges to land hip 294 for a sale and session topping $300,0000. Consigned by Becky Davis, Inc., agent, the striking dark bay–already named World Affairs–hails from the female family of sire and GISW Stephen Got Even (A.P. Indy) and MGISW Artemis Agrotera (Roman Ruler).

“I thought he was the nicest colt in the sale,” Eisaman said. “The stallion's been really popular in the yearling sales so far–they've been good-looking horses and their veterinary work has been impeccable. He's got a chance to be a tremendous sire, so we have one now.”

Eisaman confirmed that the colt would be re-offered next year as a juvenile. Acting on behalf of he and his wife Shari's Eisaman Equine, he was extremely active during the two-day auction, taking home 16 yearlings for a combined $1,123,000. He didn't buy any at this sale last year.

“[Keeneland] September was very, very hard to buy horses at,” he said. “Right until the end it was very hard. There are some nice horses here. When you sift through them there are some usable horses and we've been fortunate enough to get a few.”

Cairo Prince is behind only Will Take Charge by first-crop yearling average among North American stallions. The two-time GSW and early favorite for the 2014 GI Kentucky Derby produced a sale-record $500,000 colt at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearlings Sale, and had a $900,000 colt at KEESEP.

The sale of hip 294 represented a nice score for his breeder, Maryland-based Stephen Sinatra of Sinatra Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding. Sinatra paid just $10,000 for the colt's 0-for-4 dam Current Event (Curlin) in foal to Noonmark at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred mixed sale. The resulting Noonmark filly, now named Untaken, has earned $40,200 this year for Sinatra and trainer Corby Caiazzo. The dam's 2-year-old filly Unbroken One (Yes It's True) is unraced. She was bred to Desert Party this past season.

“I haven't done anything with this horse until coming to the sale,” noted consignor Becky Davis. “I didn't even see him before the sale… The breeder has had some pretty bad luck with both breeding and selling this year, so hopefully this will kind of make up for it.”

Davis knew hip 294 was popular, but admitted she was surprised by the price.

“I put a $100,000 reserve on him, thinking that we would get it going above that… I really thought $200,000 was going to be around where we sold him,” she said. “We knew we had everybody on him–all the big people were waiting for him, but I had no idea that he'd be that popular. He got out a lot, he got shown a lot and he had a lot of vet work. We were pretty sure we had a real strong horse, but as far as that much, no.”

Asked to describe the May 6 foal as an individual, she said, “He's a really nicely put together horse. He's actually I think still a little immature, but I think people can see that and are probably expecting he's going to be a real athlete.”

Davis–who also sold last year-s sale-topping $450,000 Curlin colt–admitted that while the auction had been good to her, she was a bit disappointed in the results overall, particularly the RNA rate.

“For me, it's been good,” she said. “I've gotten everything sold pretty much where I thought they were going to be, with [hip 294] quite a bit in excess of what I thought he was going to bring, but I was a little disappointed when I looked at the numbers from [Monday]. I don't know if people aren't being as realistic with their numbers, but there were a lot of horses not sold yesterday compared to last year.”

She continued, “There were a lot of big buyers that came in for this sale. There were a lot of strong sire names in the sale, but what kind of helped me were that I think a decent amount of those horses either didn't vet or didn't have the physical of what some of the bigger buyers wanted. [Hip 294] was kind of everything. He was a good physical specimen and he had real good vet work, which is what you need to get there.”

HALL STAYING BUSY IN RETIREMENT

John Hall may be semi-retired from his 20-year-plus career at Taylor Made Farm, where he served in roles including yearling manager, but he's been staying plenty busy. He took home a Flatter filly Tuesday on behalf of Maryland-based owner/breeder Alan Burkhard for $170,000.

The Maryland-bred miss was consigned to the sale by David Wade's Northview Stallion Station as hip 230. She is a granddaughter of talented turfer and productive broodmare Who Did It and Run (Polish Numbers). Her placed dam Apple Cider (More Than Ready) was acquired for $100,000 by Richard Golden's Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds at the 2014 Keeneland November sale. Her first foal, a filly now named Scat Gal, cost $145,000 from Patrick Hoppel here 12 months ago and breezed up at Saratoga Sept. 28.

“He plans to race her and wants to take part in the Maryland program,” said Hall. “This is the first horse I ever bought for him, and I'm excited for him. I think she's a nice filly.”

Of the new purchase's appeal, he said, “For one thing, she's by Flatter. She's out of a good mare and we heard that the Scat Daddy is with Christophe Clement and he supposedly really likes the Scat Daddy. We liked everything about her–she's got a good mind, she's a nice, big filly. She checked all the boxes, so we'll just have to see what happens.”

Burkhard, owner of Somewhere Stable KY, has campaigned the likes of MGSW and Maryland-bred champion Slew Valley, and has been closely associated with the Pocket Aces Racing syndicate.

“He lives in Chesapeake City, he's lived there all his life, and he wants to take part in the Maryland-bred program,” Hall, who himself has relocated to Delaware to be closer to family, said of Burkhard. “[The Maryland-bred program] is very attractive right now, and hopefully he'll do well.”

THOMAS LEADS THE EARLY 'CHARGE'

Bridlewood Farm trainer and conditioner of this summer's

GII With Anticipation S. winner Catholic Boy (More Than Ready) Jonathan Thomas was the first to land a major blow during Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic session when he snapped up hip 173 for $150,000. The filly from the first crop of champion Will Take Charge was a $50,000 KEENOV weanling buy by consignor Marshall Silverman. She RNA'd for $60,000 at Fasig-Tipton July.

“She's a beautiful filly, we love Will Take Charge–we're a big believer in him, and we just thought she was a lovely filly we needed to take home,” said Thomas, noting that he wasn't sure yet who would be involved on the ownership side. “We'll kind of figure out her future here in a few weeks… She looks pretty forward, which I like.”

A Feb. 15 foal, the bay is a half to MGSP Woodford Belle (Arch). Her eight-time-winning dam Tis Me (Notebook) is a full-sister to the stakes-winning dam of G1 Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed (Tiznow). This is also the female family of this year's GI Maker's 46 Mile hero American Patriot (War Front).

Heading into this sale, Will Take Charge was the leading first-crop sire by yearling average, with a $975,000 colt at Keeneland September and a pair who went for $500,000 and a $475,000 youngster at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga.

Thomas said he had tried for other Will Take Charges at previous sales, but this was the first he was able to take home.

“Honestly, I thought she'd go for more,” he said. “[Will Take Charge's] yearling average was [$178,648 through KEESEP] and from what I've seen I thought she stacked up well with almost anything I've seen by him. Time will tell, but I think we actually paid less than what I thought we should.”

Of the market, the Virginia native said, “It's like any other market–strongish at the top and then feast or famine at the bottom. That's definitely been the trend of what we've seen. If a seller brings a good horse who vets cleanly they're going to get rewarded for it because there are plenty of people looking for quality animals–even here.”

DATA LINK COLT FOR CHAMPION EQUINE

A colt from the second crop of Grade I-winning turfer Data Link provided some excitement late in Tuesday's session, selling to Michael Sucher's Champion Equine, LLC for $150,000. The half-brother to stakes winner Stately Character (Pleasant Tap) was consigned by Scott Mallory, agent, who bred the Feb. 7 foal (hip 432) in partnership with Catherine Jennings. The colt RNA'd for $14,000 as a KEENOV weanling.

Ocala horsewoman Lisa McGreevy signed the ticket on Sucher's behalf.

“He has a handful of racehorses, but I think he's going to try to take this horse to a [2-year-old] sale,” McGreevy said. “We really loved him and thought he was the best horse of the day. We're really happy to have him… Scott Mallory does a great job and I really like buying from him.”

McGreevy echoed the sentiments of others when asked about the market: “I think the good ones really stand out, and there's always money for the good ones.”