CTBA auction starts California summer sale season

The California summer sale season begins Tuesday at Pleasanton with the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s auction of yearlings and horses of racing age.

The one-day sale arrives at a time of change in the Southern California sale marketplace. Barretts, the Southern California company that has been at the forefront of the auction market in California since 1990, will cease operations after this year. Fasig-Tipton and Santa Anita announced earlier this summer that they will hold two auctions at Santa Anita in 2019.

The Northern California sale will remain in place, according to CTBA president Doug Burge.

“I think the sale up north will continue its role,” Burge said Thursday. “Historically, it’s an outlet in Northern California. It’s a good place to move horses.”

Tuesday’s sale has 181 yearlings and horses of racing age, slightly larger than the 151 in the 2017 catalog. In 2017, 95 yearlings sold for an average of $6,868, a decline of 2 percent from 2016. Gross receipts for yearlings fell from $947,400 for 128 sold in 2016 to $652,500 in 2017.

Burge said a catalog of 180 horses may be a better fit compared to the last two years. The catalog had more than 200 horses in 2016.

“It’s about 30 more horses than last year,” he said. “You need a large catalog to attract multiple buyers. Cataloging more than 200 horses is more than what buyers can support.”

Ultimately, the prospects available will determine the sale’s success. Two years ago, Take the One O One, a colt by Acclamation, was purchased at the Northern California sale for $47,000.

Owned by Samantha Siegel and trained by Brian Koriner, Take the One O One has won 4 of 9 starts and earned $341,181. He won the Real Good Deal Stakes on July 27 at Del Mar for his second consecutive stakes win and is a candidate for the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 2.

With modest averages, many horses will sell for much less. Last year, Oliver, a colt by Papa Clem, was purchased for $30,000. Owned by William Peeples, Oliver was third in the Graduation Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 4. He has earned $63,080.

Wednesday at Del Mar, Lakerball, a filly by freshman stallion Lakerville, won a $50,000 claiming race for California-bred 2-year-old maidens. Lakerball was bought back for $1,000 at the 2017 Northern California sale.

The two leading hips of the 2017 sale have yet to start – a Smiling Tiger filly purchased for $70,000 and a Lucky Pulpit colt bought for $50,000.

Burge said there are 11 2-year-old winners this year that went through the 2017 sale.

Tuesday’s sale has 12 consignors, including 36 yearlings from Barton Thoroughbreds, 21 yearlings and eight horses of racing age from Easterbrook Livestock Management, and 18 yearlings and seven horses of racing age from Lovacres Ranch.