High Demand colt early topper

A colt by High Demand was purchased for $290,000 at Tuesday's Barretts California October yearling sale, bringing the highest price in the first three hours of the one-day sale.

The High Demand colt was bought by trainer John Sadler, agent, who said he was acting on behalf of a newly formed syndicate of existing racehorse owners. Golden Eagle Farm of Ramona, Calif., consigned the colt, who is from the first crop of High Demand, whose oldest foals are yearlings.

The colt is out of the unraced Kingmambo mare Cover Letter.

One other horse sold for six figures among the first 100 hips of the sale, comprising 324 yearlings. That was a Cee's Tizzy colt which went for $150,000 to Mike Machowsky. The colt is a half-brother to the three-time stakes winner Shalini. He was consigned by Harris Farm, agent for Briere Thoroughbreds.

Tuesday's sale was teh result of the merger of the defunct Del Mar yearling sale with Barretts's annual October yearling sale.

The sale began quietly - of the first 24 horses presented in the catalog, 11 were listed as sold, 11 were not sold, and two were withdrawn.

After 71 hips had gone through the ring, 43 were listed as sold, 20 were not sold, and eight had been withdrawn.