Barretts sale has record numbers

Laddies Poker, a maiden race winner at Santa Anita in April, sold for $525,000 at Tuesday's Barretts summer sale in Pomona, a record purchase in the four-year history of the summer sale.

A 3-year-old, Laddies Poker was purchased by Dennis O'Neill, agent, acting on behalf of owner Paul Reddam. Laddies Poker joined the stable of trainer Doug O'Neill, Dennis's brother, early Wednesday morning.

The colt will be pointed to the Del Mar meeting, according to Dennis O'Neill.

Laddies Poker was the morning-line favorite for the Will Rogers Stakes at Hollywood Park in May, but was scratched on the morning of the race because of illness, according to his previous trainer, Vladimir Cerin.

Laddies Poker was part of a four-horse complete dispersal of Meadow Creek Farm, handled by Andy Havens, agent. The Meadow Creek horses sold for $957,500 and included Gilded, the winner of the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2006. Gilded, a 3-year-old filly, was purchased for $420,000 by trainer Paddy Gallagher, agent.

Overall, 89 horses sold for a sale record gross of $1,680,200 and a record average of $18,879. The average increased 99.7 percent over 2006, while the gross increased 48 percent.

The one-day sale included horses of racing age and 2-year-olds in training.