Bernardini Filly Tops Inaugural Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita Sale

ARCADIA, CA – Despite uncertainty in the state's racing industry, Fasig-Tipton proved Wednesday if you build an auction at Santa Anita, the buyers will come. The inaugural Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, held in the track's paddock under a brilliantly sunny Southern California sky, produced 10 six-figure lots led by a $420,000 daughter of Bernardini.

“I thought it was a successful initial effort for a 2-year-old sale at Santa Anita,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said at the close of business in Arcadia Wednesday. “I thought overall the horses sold fairly and reasonably well. I thought there was a wide group of buyers at various price ranges and I think hopefully we established a foundation that will provide some confidence for participants in the California marketplace, be it breeders, agents, trainers, etc., that there is a viable sales market in California in 2019. Moving forward, I think it's going to continue to require a lot of hard work and cooperation among the stakeholders. We are going to need the support and participation of the men and women who race here, the men and women who train here, and the men and women who breed here. We don't have any magic potion or recipe to improve the market or make the market, but I think we clearly demonstrated with this sale, under very trying circumstances, the professional capabilities of Fasig-Tipton and our team under pretty adverse conditions.”

Donato Lanni, standing alongside trainer Bob Baffert and longtime owner Jon Kelly, made the day's highest bid, going to $420,000 to acquire a filly by Bernardini (hip 45) on behalf of Sarah Kelly. The youngster was consigned by Raul Reyes's Kings Equine. Reyes purchased the filly for $11,500 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sale.

In all, 69 juveniles sold Wednesday for $3,769,500. The average was $54,630 and the median was $30,000.

“There were a lot of bright spots and there are some things that we learned as well,” Browning said. “We were able to sell several horses for six figures, with a sales topper of $420,000 who was purchased as a yearling for $11,500–that makes for a fairly successful pinhook in my book. I thought there was considerable interest in the Cal-breds that performed on the racetrack and had reasonable videos. I think some people from Florida who brought quality horses out here were rewarded and I think some of the traditional California-based consignors hopefully gained some confidence and realized this thing will work and will continue to work going forward.”

From a catalogue of 169 head, 108 juveniles went through the sales ring Wednesday. The buy-back rate was 36.1%.

“Strong state-bred programs result in higher RNA rates because the owners of those horses have options to go racing,” Browning said. “We will see some horses who were RNAs here running at Del Mar. If you get a fair price, fine sell, if you don't get what you perceive to be a fair price, 'Let's roll. Let's see if we can go win a race.' The quality of the state-bred program will always result in a slightly higher RNA rate because the owners and breeders have options.”

Lanni was impressed with Fasig-Tipton's first sale at Santa Anita.

“There were a lot of people at the breeze show,” he said. “It was nice to see that many people support the sale. I think consignors will bring even nicer horses next year because there are a lot of people here and people in California want to buy horses. It's a beautiful venue and it's a nice place to have a horse sale.”

Bernardini Filly to Kelly

A filly by Bernardini, purchased by Raul Reyes for just $11,500 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October Sale, turned in the fastest furlong work of Monday's under-tack show and did not disappoint in the sales ring paddock Wednesday, bringing a sale-topping final bid of $420,000 from bloodstock agent Donato Lanni on behalf of Sarah Kelly. Lanni did his bidding while standing alongside Kelly's husband Jon and trainer Bob Baffert.

“I thought she had an exceptional work,” said Lanni. “Obviously, I'm not the only one who saw that. She brought a lot of money, but her work was exceptional and she looks like a very classy filly. Bob really liked her. I think she's pretty straightforward and a pretty cool filly.”

Hip 45 is out of Elbe (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and from the family of Group 1 winner Mutual Trust (GB) (Cacique {Ire}). She worked a furlong Monday in :10 1/5.

Asked if he had seen the filly when she sold at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky last October, Lanni said ruefully, “I wish I had.”

Reyes, whose Kings Equine consigned the juvenile, had an easy answer for what he liked about the filly last year.

“She looked fast–that's it,” Reyes said. “That's the only thing you're looking for. I was willing to pay maybe $30,000 or $40,000 for her last year. But she's grown quite a bit over the winter.”

Asked why he had targeted the Santa Anita sale with the filly, Reyes said, “She needed time to grow up and that was the best thing to do with her.”

Tapiture Colt Joins Phoenix Team

A colt from the first crop of multiple graded stakes winner Tapiture will be joining the Phoenix Thoroughbreds team after the operation's Tom Ludt made a final bid of $350,000 on the youngster early in Wednesday's Fasig Santa Anita sale. The juvenile will be trained by Bob Baffert.

Hip 12 is out of Awesomekaylee (Awesome Again) and is a half-brother to stakes winner The Money Monster (Majestic Warrior). He turned in the fastest quarter-mile work of Monday's under-tack preview, covering the distance in :21 1/5.

“He worked a quarter-mile in :21 1/5 and he did it well,” Ludt said after signing the ticket on the chestnut. “It's a small sale and he stood out, so I knew he'd be expensive. But I thought he was the best-looking horse in the sale and he had the best breeze. Let's hope he carries it further than a quarter-mile.”

Of the youngster's final price tag, Ludt said, “I told the boss [Amer Abdulaziz] $350,000 would get him and I'm never right. So I'm 1 for 100.”

Of the inaugural auction, Ludt said, “It's the first year here–they will work through some of the kinks. I hope it goes well. They'll build on it every year.”

Hip 12 was consigned by Tom McCrocklin on behalf of the Solana Beach Sales pinhooking partnership, which purchased him for $100,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“He has been one of our favorites for a long time,” said the partnership's Gary Fenton.

Of the decision to offer the colt at the Santa Anita sale, Fenton explained, “We are California through and through and we wanted to support [Fasig-Tipton President] Boyd [Browning]. We spoke to him a year ago when he was coming out here. We know how important it is for Fasig-Tipton to be here for all of us and it was important for us to support them. But even more importantly, we have partners and we have a fiduciary responsibility to them. We're based here [in California] and if we can't sell one of our good horses out here, maybe we shouldn't be in business.”

Guillot Busy at Santa Anita

Trainer Eric Guillot said he had been shut out in bidding at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale last month, but he was able to add to his Saratoga-based stable Wednesday in Arcadia, purchasing a pair of juveniles in the name of Sand Ridge Stable. Guillot purchased a colt by Curlin (hip 41) for $250,000 and a colt by Bodemeister (hip 98) for $120,000.

“He's by Curlin, for one,” Guillot said of hip 41's appeal. “He's a half to a Grade I horse. He was one of the stand-outs here and with one of the better works. He is good-looking; I loved the length of him and his long neck and how he drops his head when he walks. He's a little on the fine-boned side, but not bad.”

“I went to Baltimore,” Guillot continued. “I got shut out, I bid eight times, and spent six days there for nothing. So I figured I'd come in and try to buy one here. I'm looking to buy a couple because I only have two horses. I'm looking to get back in action. It's been a while since we bought anything. We've been selling a lot of horses.”

Consigned by Kings Equine, hip 41 is out of Drift to the Lead (Yonaguska) and is a half to two-time Grade I-placed Catch My Drift (Pioneerof the Nile). A $330,000 Keeneland September purchase, he worked a furlong Monday in :10 3/5.