$500,000 Kantharos filly tops Fasig-Tipton Midlantic June sale

A Kantharos filly sold for $500,000 to lead the way as the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic June 2-year-olds in training sale closed out this segment of the season in North America.

Fasig-Tipton reported that 57 juveniles sold for gross receipts of $2,509,000 at Wednesday's single-session sale at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. The average price was $44,018, and the median was $27,000. The buyback rate was 28 percent.

There are no comparable year-to-year figures, as this is a new sale on the calendar. This year, Fasig-Tipton put its Gulfstream sale, traditionally held in March, on hiatus after the sale sold a smaller number of horses last year. In a counter move to that, the company added another breeze-up sale in Maryland, where its May sale has continued to grow in success and prestige. Fasig-Tipton did hold a June sale in this location in 2020; however, that two-session sale was replacing its May sale in the pandemic-shuffled marketplace and does not provide comparable figures to this sale.

Bloodstock agent Steven Young, bidding for an undisclosed client, purchased the sale-topping daughter of Kantharos from the consignment of Crane Thoroughbred Services, as agent. The filly had distinguished herself by breezing a quarter-mile in 20 4/5 seconds during Tuesday's under-tack preview show, standing alone with the bullet work at that distance.

The filly is the second foal out of the Distorted Humor mare La Titina, a half-sister to Grade 3-placed stakes winner Belgrano and to Grade 3-placed Sundaysatthebeach. Their dam is Grade 1 winner Ask the Moon.

The second- and third-highest prices of the sale were brought by the two fillies from the final crop of champion Arrogate in the catalog. An Arrogate filly who is a half-sister to stakes-placed Harmon went to Hillwood Stables for $225,000. Earlier, John Guarnere went to $150,000 for an Arrogate half-sister to Grade 1 performer and stakes producer Ria Antonia.

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