Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale: Banke, Bolton buy Indian Charlie colt for $750K

Citing past successes as partners, Barbara Banke and George Bolton teamed up again, this time on a $750,000 yearling colt by Indian Charlie the pair bought on Tuesday night at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale.

The colt, a February foal, is out of Queenie Cat, an unraced mare by Storm Cat who broke her pelvis while training for her racing career, according to Bolton. Queenie Cat is out of the Grade 3 winner Strawberry Reason, by Strawberry Road. Strawberry Reason is a remarkably productive mare who is the dam of champion Vindication, Grade 3 winners Scipion, stakes winner In Step, and graded/group stakes-placed runners Blackberry Road and True Reason.

“He is out of a top, top family,” Bolton said of the yearling colt, after signing the ticket. “And what happened was the mare broke her pelvis, but the mare could run. And so it isn’t a fair page. The mare could run, and if the mare could have [raced], this would have been the best-bred horse in the catalog.”

Bolton said the pair’s agent, John Moynihan, said he believed the horse was the “best-looking physical specimen” in the sale.

Banke and Bolton, along with Banke’s late husband, Jess Jackson, were partners together in Curlin, the Horse of the Year in 2007 and 2008. Banke and Bolton also raced 2011 2-year-old filly champion My Miss Aurelia and several other stakes winners.

“We have really good luck together,” Banke said.

The yearling will be sent for breaking and training to a property in Ocala, Fla., that Banke acquired from Vinery late in 2012.

“We look forward to some great things in Saratoga at this time next year,” Banke said.

Shortly afterward, a Distorted Humor filly sold for $650,000 to Solis Bloodstock to become the co- highest priced filly in the early going.

Consigned by Denali Stud, as agent, the filly is the second foal out of the unraced Forest Wildcat mare Remember, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Dancing Forever, as well as to stakes placed Puzzling. Their dam, Grade 1-placed Dancinginmydreams, is a full sister to champion and prominent producer Heavenly Prize, Grade 1 winner Oh What a Windfall, and Grade 3-placed Hunting Hard. It is the family of Grade 1 winners Dancing Spree, Furlough and Fantastic Find.

Other family members include Grade 3 winner Optimizer, whose half-sister by Dynaformer sold for $1,225,000 to lead Monday’s opening session.

--additional reporting by Nicole Russo