$1.2 million Bolt d'Oro filly tops Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale

Juveniles from the first crops of Grade 1 winner Bolt d'Oro and Triple Crown winner Justify fetched seven figures as the boutique Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale of selected 2-year-olds in training posted average and median figures relatively steady from last year, despite a much smaller number of horses sold.

Led by a $1.2 million Bolt d'Oro filly, Fasig-Tipton reported 35 horses sold Wednesday afternoon for gross receipts of $13,155,000. In last year's sale, 67 horses were sold for $25,360,000. The buyback rate was relatively steady, as Wednesday's figure was 37 percent, compared to 36 percent last year. The difference in the number of horses sold can be attributed to withdrawals; there were 51 juveniles from a catalog of 103 hips scratched prior to sale this year, representing just less than 50 percent of the catalog, compared to 81 from 186, or 43 percent of the catalog, last year.

The Gulfstream sale's average price was $375,857, a dip of less than 1 percent from $378,507 last year. The median price was steady, at $300,000.

"Overall, the market was very similar to what we experienced in 2021," Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning Jr. said. "I think if we could lock in this market across the Thoroughbred industry through the rest of the year, we would all say yes."

A bullet-working Bolt d'Oro filly was purchased for $1.2 million by Spendthrift Farm, which stands her young sire, to lead the auction. The filly worked a quarter-mile in 20 2/5 seconds during Monday's under-tack preview, which Fasig-Tipton had cited as the fastest work at that distance since the sale moved to Gulfstream in 2015.

"Been following this filly all winter," Spendthrift's Mark Toothaker posted on Twitter. "Glad she will be wearing Spendthrift silks."

This filly, consigned by agent Tom McCrocklin, is out of the winning Not For Love mare Rich Love, dam of four winners from as many starters. The mare is a half-sister to stakes winners Concealed Identity and Peach of a Gal, and Grade 1 winner Bounding Basque appears on the catalog page.

The filly's sale continued the strong commercial reception for her sire. Bolt d’Oro, by Medaglia d’Oro, was a multiple Grade 1 winner as a juvenile, taking the Del Mar Futurity and FrontRunner Stakes, displaying precocity that is often rewarded by the marketplace.

Led by a $1.4 million half-brother to Rachel Alexandra at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale, Bolt d’Oro averaged $145,757 from his 105 first-crop yearlings sold in 2021, more than five times his introductory stud fee of $25,000. He is now averaging $329,865 from 17 juveniles sold early this year, after also recording the two highest prices for a freshman sire at the season opener, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s March sale of 2-year-olds in training.

"I've seen a lot of Bolts, and I've been impressed with them," said Mark Taylor of Taylor Made Sales, one of the nation's leading yearling consignors who handled the stallion's young stock last year. "They're very athletic-looking horses. A lot of them have very good movement. That seems to be something that he's throwing."

The second-highest price of the day was a $1.1 million colt from the first crop of Triple Crown winner Justify, purchased by bloodstock agent Jaime McCalmont on behalf of M.V. Magnier of the Coolmore group, which stands his sire.

The colt, consigned by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables, as agent, breezed a furlong in 10 seconds during Monday's preview show.

The colt is out of the Successful Appeal mare Appealing Zophie, winner of the Grade 1 Spinaway at 2 and the Grade 3 Silverbulletday at 3. She is the dam of six winners from nine starters, including Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit, multiple graded stakes winner Ride a Comet, and Grade 3-placed stakes winner Inject.

For complete sale results, click here.