Beloveda sells for $510,000 to top Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The broodmare Beloveda sold for $510,000 as the third horse through the ring Tuesday, and multiple stakes winner Saguaro Row sold for $500,000 as the last horse through the ring when the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale concluded its two-day run with gains.

The Fasig-Tipton sale, the final auction of the breeding stock sale season and the final chance for pinhookers to acquire short yearlings at public auction for later turnaround, finished with 425 horses sold for gross receipts of $12,506,700. The 2020 sale, which was held prior to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic upending the market, finished with 368 horses sold for $9,777,100.

The sale's cumulative average price was $29,428, rising 11 percent from $26,568 in 2020. The median was $10,000, jumping 18 percent from $8,500.

The buyback rate in what has been a highly selective marketplace throughout the season finished at 24 percent, compared to 25 percent last year.

Beloveda set the bar early in the session for the sale's top price, selling to Gainesway Farm as it bought out a partnership, and was not surpassed during the day. The 13-year-old Ghostzapper mare, who was sold in foal to Street Sense, came into the sale owned by Gainesway, Brian Graves, and Michael Hernon. Gainesway, which also consigned the mare, bought out the partnership.

Beloveda began her career racing in Poland, then came to the United States, where she won the Tropical Starter Series Stakes in 2012 at Calder and placed in two other stakes in Florida, highlighted by a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Rampart Stakes, beaten 2 1/4 lengths by Awesome Maria. As a broodmare, she has produced two winners from three starters, led by the English stakes-placed Mistress of Love. The latter, bred on the same Scat Daddy-Ghostzapper cross that produced Triple Crown winner Justify, is one of two seven-figure yearlings out of Beloveda.

Beloveda is out of the winning Saint Ballado mare Mysterious Angel, also the dam of Grade 3 winner Golden Mystery. That mare is the dam of stakes winner Apalachee Bay, while another daughter, All Saint's Day, is the dam of stakes winners Holywell and Sinister Brew.

Fasig-Tipton continued to accept supplemental entries after releasing its initial catalog for the February sale, and the final one of those was Saguaro Row, announced as an addition on Feb. 6. She was purchased by Catherine Hudson, as agent for an undisclosed client, from the consignment of Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services, as agent. The 6-year-old Union Rags mare was offered as a racing or broodmare prospect; future plans for her were not immediately disclosed.

Saguaro Row won the 2019 Pumpkin Pie Stakes and the 2020 Interborough Stakes, both at Aqueduct. She has placed in four other stakes, most notably finishing second in the Grade 3 Go for Wand Handicap in December 2019 at Aqueduct, beaten 2 1/4 lengths by Spiced Perfection. She finished third in this year's edition of the Interborough in her most recent start, on Jan. 18.

Saguaro Row is out of the winning Indian Charlie mare Charlie Girl, making her a half-sister to stakes winner Pinnacle Peak. This is the family of Chilean Horse of the Year and U.S. Grade 1 winner Wow Cat and of Puerto Rican champion My Wandy's Girl.

Another noteworthy late supplement was the promising 3-year-old colt Hello Hot Rod, who was coming off a win in the Jimmy Winkfield Stakes on Jan. 31 at Aqueduct. He purchased by George Sharp for $335,000 from the consignment of Elite Sales, as agent.

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