Fasig-Tipton California: Reddams consign yearlings and horses of racing age

In the aftermath of an expensive Keeneland sale, the bloodstock market turns to California’s leading auction at Tuesday’s Fasig-Tipton California sale of yearlings and horses of racing age.

By catalog size, the sale has an excellent chance to surpass the gross of $6,933,550 from 2021, which was substantially higher than the 2020 figure of $3,735,700.

This year’s sale is boosted by a large number of yearlings and horses of racing age owned by prominent breeders Paul and Zillah Reddam. Earlier this month, Paul Reddam said the couple planned to downsize their racing and breeding operation.

Before withdrawals, Tuesday’s catalog has 354 horses, with California-breds dominating the yearling portion of the sale. The sale begins at 11 a.m. at Fairplex in Pomona at the facility once operated by Barretts Sales.

The 2021 auction had an average price of $39,173 compared to an average of $22,504 in 2020 when the sale was held at Los Alamitos in Orange County because of crowd restrictions in place at the time in Los Angeles County.

Last year, 17 yearlings sold for $100,000 or more, led by an American Pharoah filly purchased for $350,000. Named E Z Pharis, the filly won her debut in a maiden special weight race at Santa Anita in April, her lone victory in four starts. E Z Pharis has since finished third in the Fasig-Tipton Debutante at Santa Anita in June, but was unplaced in two stakes at Del Mar.

E Z Pharis is out of Ez Indy, by A.P. Indy. On Tuesday, a colt by Smokem out of Ez Indy is Hip No. 153 from the consignment of Terry Lovingier’s Lovacres Farm. Lovingier sold E Z Pharis last year, but retained an ownership share.

Lovacres Farm, agent, has 34 yearlings in Tuesday’s sale. The Reddams have 20 yearlings consigned through Bruno deBerdt’s Excel Bloodstock.

The Excel consignment includes Hip No. 13, a colt by Pavel who is a half-brother to the stakes winners Ralis and B Squared, and Hip No. 54, a colt by Mrazek who is a half-brother to Eddie’s New Dream, who won the Irish O’Brien Stakes for statebred fillies and mares on turf at Santa Anita in March.

The Keeneland sale, which ends Saturday, surpassed its 2021 gross with several sessions remaining.

Mike Machowsky, a former trainer who is Fasig-Tipton’s California representative, said the robust market in Kentucky could drive interest for Tuesday’s sale.

“I know talking among friends and trainers it was hard to get a horse,” Machowsky said of Keeneland. “I think it will help the regional market. If you race in California, you need to have Cal-breds.”

The horses of racing age section includes a variety of prospects, including Hockey Dad, who was third in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on turf in 2021 and third in an allowance race on turf on Sept. 10 at Del Mar for the Reddams.

Two winners at Los Alamitos on Thursday are in the sale – Self Isolation, who won an allowance race at a mile, sells as Hip No. 303. Encode, winner of a $50,000 claiming race for maidens, sells as Hip No. 328.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.