F-T Midlantic kicks off with $1.5 million Quality Road colt and jump in prices

A $1.5 million Quality Road colt helped the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale open with gains as the auction, held at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, returned to its traditional spot on the calendar a few days after the Preakness Stakes.

Fasig-Tipton reported 170 juveniles sold during Monday's activity, the first of two sessions, for a total of $15,826,500. The opening session of the 2020 sale, which was pushed to late June by the coronavirus pandemic, finished with 152 horses that sold for $12,632,500.

The opening session's average price was $93,097, soaring 12 percent from $83,109 in the comparable 2020 session. The median jumped 13 percent, from $40,000 to $45,000.

The buyback rate was 19 percent, improving slightly from 20 percent.

The session-leading Quality Road colt was purchased by West Point Thoroughbreds, and assured the Midlantic auction, which has steadily grown from a solid regional marketplace into a nationally prominent sale that has produced champions, of finishing with at least one seven-figure horse for the seventh consecutive year.

The session-leading colt, who tied for the bullet work when breezing a furlong in 10 seconds flat during last week's under-tack preview, was consigned by Eddie Woods, as agent, continuing a big week for the Ocala, Fla.-based operation. Woods gave Preakness Stakes winner Rombauer his early education for breeders and owners John and Diane Fradkin before they elected not to offer the colt in last season's turbulent juvenile marketplace.

The colt is out of the unraced Storm Cat mare Stormy Welcome, dam of three winners from six starters, including stakes-placed Welcoming. Out of Grade 3 winner Welcome Surprise, Stormy Welcome is a half-sister to Guest House, dam of Grade 3 winner Guest Suite, by Quality Road. Welcome Surprise is a half-sister to Hall of Famer A.P. Indy and to Summer Squall, both classic winners who went on to become classic sires. This is also the family of champion and successful sire Lemon Drop Kid

Jeff Lifson, head of the Midwest division for West Point, posted on his Twitter account that he felt the colt was "easily the best in this sale."

The Fasig Midlantic sale concludes with a Tuesday session. For hip-by-hip results, click here.