Fasig-Tipton Midlantic median ties record

A filly from the final crop of Arrogate sold for $1 million as the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-year-olds in training sale concluded two days of trade at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium with solid figures, including a record-tying median.

Fasig-Tipton reported that 373 juveniles changed hands Monday and Tuesday for gross receipts of $34,751,500. That figure was the second highest in the sale’s history, behind last year’s $37,297,700 when 391 sold.

The average price was $93,168, finishing as the third highest in sale history, behind last year’s record mark of $95,391 and the 2021 figure of $94,391. The median was $50,000, tying the sale record established in 2021. Last year’s figure was $47,000.

The cumulative buyback rate was 15 percent, slightly better than last year’s 16 percent achieved. It is the second-lowest buyback rate in sale history, behind 13 percent in 2010.

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This was the first of two juvenile sales Fasig-Tipton will host in Timonium this spring, with a single-session auction set for June 28 for the company, which put its Gulfstream sale on hiatus this year. The Midlantic marketplace has steadily grown to one of the most prominent in the nation, with graduates including Eclipse Award champion Gamine, this year’s Kentucky Derby winner Mage, Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Spun to Run, and Grade 1/Group 1 winners Beyond Brilliant, Got Stormy, and Switzerland.

This week’s sale was led by the seven-figure Arrogate filly, purchased by bloodstock agent Kerri Radcliffe, on behalf of an undisclosed London-based client, from the consignment of Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds.

This is the last of what will be just three crops by Eclipse Award champion Arrogate, who retired as North America’s all-time leading money winner and who was recently voted into this year’s Hall of Fame class. The son of Unbridled’s Song died in 2020, after a brief illness. Each of his first two crops to the track has included multiple Grade 1 winners. His first crop is highlighted by Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath and La Brea winner Fun to Dream, while his second crop includes Grade 1-winning juveniles Cave Rock and And Tell Me Nolies.

With that early success, and with a limited supply of remaining offerings in the pipeline, Arrogate’s third and final crop has been in hot demand at this year’s 2-year-old in training sales, with this filly becoming the third seven-figure horse by the stallion sold in the marketplace this year.

The Kentucky-bred filly, from the immediate family of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Caleb’s Posse, was a $255,000 selection by pinhookers Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo at the Keeneland September yearling sale. She became the talk of Timonium after working a furlong in 10 seconds during the Midlantic under-tack preview show. She was one of six juveniles tied for the fastest time. When Hejazi, now a Grade 1-placed winner, worked in 9 4/5 seconds last year, it was the first time since 2012 a juvenile had shaded 10 seconds at the under-tack show. He subsequently brought a sale-record $3.55 million.

Following the Arrogate filly were an $800,000 Mendelssohn filly purchased by Speedway Stables; a $700,000 Awesome Slew colt to Maverick Racing, Siena Farm, and Commonwealth; a $625,000 Uncle Mo filly to agents Alex Solis II and Jason Litt for LNJ Foxwoods and NK Racing; and a $600,000 Tapit colt to agent Steven Young.

Freshman sires

Spendthrift Farm’s quintet of freshman sires is off to a solid start in the sales ring and on the racetrack.

The highest price by a first-crop stallion at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale was a $425,000 filly by multiple Grade 1 winner and Spendthrift resident Omaha Beach, who ranked as the 11th-highest price overall. She was purchased by Saints or Sinners and Muir Hut Stables. Following that filly, Eclipse Award champion Vino Rosso, also standing at Spendthrift, had the next two highest prices for a freshman, with a $385,000 filly to Team Hanley and 30 Year Farm and a $350,000 filly to West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stable.

Meanwhile, Spendthrift resident Mitole leads the freshman sire earnings list early in the season, with two winners from seven starters through Tuesday to put him ahead of Pavel, a Grade 1 winner standing at Ocean Breeze Ranch in California, who is 2 for 2 with his first runners.

Mitole’s first winner came in Russia. Mitole followed up with his first U.S. winner, V V’s Dream, in a Churchill Downs maiden special weight.

Omaha Beach and Vino Rosso each have one winner, as does Journeyman Stallions resident St Patrick’s Day, a group stakes-placed full brother to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

Spendthrift has two other stallions in this year’s freshman class in graded stakes winners Coal Front and Maximus Mischief.

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