Idiot Proof colt tops CTBA Northern California yearling sale

A colt by leading California sire Idiot Proof sold for $72,000 at Tuesday’s California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Northern California yearling sale in Pleasanton., Calif., the leading hip of the one-day sale of yearlings and horses of racing age.

John Brocklebank, who pinhooks yearlings to 2-year-old sales and has trained a small stable of 2-year-olds in Southern California this year, purchased the Idiot Proof colt on behalf of Dickman Legacy Ranch, agent.

Overall, 117 yearlings sold for $1,349,800, an average of $11,537 and a median price of $7,000. The number sold, gross, and median were higher than the corresponding sale in 2014, which had a smaller catalog of 108 yearlings.

The gross increased 28 percent from the 2014 figure of $1,054,700, while the average was down 8 percent, from $12,556 in 2014. The median rose 40 percent, from $5,000 in 2014.

This year, there were 157 yearlings through the ring following the withdrawal of 19 prospects. There were 40 horses listed as bought back.

The Idiot Proof colt was consigned by Woodbridge Farm, agent, and is out of Reine des Neiges, a Smart Strike mare who is the dam of Bright Abyss, a nine-time winner who was stakes-placed at Parx Racing in 2011. Reine des Neiges is out of Miss Snowflake, the dam of Snow Chief, the champion 3-year-old male of 1986 and one of the most popular California-breds in the last 35 years.

In addition to the yearlings, there were 10 horses of racing age that sold for sold for an average $8,870 on Tuesday.

This is a busy week for yearling sales in California. Saturday, Barretts will conduct an evening select sale of yearlings at Del Mar.