$50,000 City Zip colt tops California Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s Northern California sale

The California Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s Northern California yearling and racing age sale posted steep declines Tuesday, highlighted by a $50,000 City Zip colt.

A total of 136 horses sold throughout both the yearling and racing-age portions for revenues of $1,028,200, down 32 percent from the 2015 edition when 130 offerings changed hands for $1,503,500.

The average sale price of $7,560 marked a 35 percent decline from last year’s figure of $11,656, while the median fell 47 percent from $7,500 to $4,000.

At the top of the market, one horse sold for $50,000, trailing the two that met or exceeded that threshold last year. Nine horses changed hands for $25,000 or more, well behind the 17 to do so in 2015.

The buyback rate finished at 35 percent, up from 26 percent during the 2015 sale.

A City Zip colt topped the sale, going to Robert Hess for $50,000.

The colt is out of the stakes-placed Runaway Groom mare Mama Ruth, who is the dam of four winners from seven foals to race. Bred in Arizona and sold as property of H&E Ranch, the colt's page features Grade 1-placed stakes winner Life is Delicious and stakes winners Double Affair, Summer Affair, Rita H., Donald's Pride, and D D Ruby.

The sale-topper was offered earlier this year as a short yearling at the Barretts January mixed sale, but finished under his reserve with a final bid of $34,000.

The highest-priced horse in the racing age portion was Willie B Awesome, a multiple stakes-placed Awesome Gambler gelding who sold to Bella Equine for $20,000.

The 5-year-old gelding has won one of seven starts for earnings of $82,662 and hit the board as a 2-year-old in the Willard L. Proctor Memorial Stakes and the Hollywood Juvenile Championship, both at the now-defunct Hollywood Park.

Willie B Awesome was previously trained by Walther Solis for the partnership of Michael Byrnes, Patsy London, Kretz Racing, and Terry Lovingier, and he was consigned at the Northern California sale by Dynamic Sales Prep, agent.

Bred in California by Lovingier, Willie B Awesome is a full brother to Grade 1 winner Willa B Awesome.

Jeff Bonde finished as the auction’s leading buyer by gross, with five purchases totaling $132,000, led by a $40,000 colt from the first crop of Smiling Tiger.

Woodbridge Farm was the sale’s leading consignor for a second straight year, finishing with 24 horses sold for $177,000. The consignment’s top offering was the aforementioned $40,000 Smiling Tiger colt who sold to Bonde.