Mendelssohn filly goes for $800K at first Fasig-Tipton Midlantic session
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A filly by Mendelssohn sold for $800,000 to lead the way as the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale of 2-year-olds in training opened with its figures trending upward and young sires in demand on Monday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.
Fasig-Tipton reported that 161 juveniles sold for gross receipts of $16,975,000 on Monday, the first of two sessions. During last year's opening session, 172 horses sold for $15,755,700 to start off the sale, which ultimately finished with a record gross and record average.
Monday's average price was $105,435, up 15 percent from $91,603 in the corresponding session last year. The session-to-session median rose 20 percent, to $60,000 compared to $50,000. The buyback rate held steady at 25 percent.
The session-topping Mendelssohn filly sold to Speedway Stables from the consignment of Paul Sharp, as agent. The filly, an April foal, was bred in Kentucky by Dr. Kendall Hansen, and sold for $125,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale. She is now a successful pinhook for Sharp, who sent her out to breeze a furlong in 10 1/5 seconds on Timonium's dirt track during last week's under-tack preview show.
"Best of luck to Speedway Stable and the new connections of our Mendelssohn filly," Sharp posted on Twitter. "Great job to our entire team. It’s always fun to sell a session topper!"
This is the second crop for Mendelssohn, who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and was also Group 1-placed in England as a 2-year-old. The following year, he won the Group 2 U.A.E. Derby and was on the board in both the Travers Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup back in the U.S. The well-traveled son of Scat Daddy is a half-brother to four-time reigning leading sire Into Mischief and Hall of Fame racemare Beholder. He kicked off his stud career by finishing seventh on the 2022 freshman earnings list, and is the sire of Grade 2 winner Delight, stakes winners Classical Cat and Opus Forty Two, and Grade 2-placed Miracle.
The filly is out of the stakes-placed Hansen mare Lady Hansen, whose first foal is a winner in Japan. Lady Hansen is out of stakes winner Where Woody Bea, making her a half-sister to stakes-placed Steel Shot. Where Woody Bea is a granddaughter of champion turf mare De La Rose.
The second-highest price of the day, and the top colt of the session, was a $700,000 son of Awesome Slew, purchased by the WinStar Farm-affiliated Maverick Racing, Siena Farm, and Commonwealth, in partnership. The colt, who was consigned by Tom McCrocklin, as agent, breezed a furlong in 10 seconds flat, making him one of six tied for the bullet work at the under-tack show.
"Exciting times ahead for Commonwealth," Chase Chamberlin, co-founder of the sports investment app, posted on Twitter. "A freak on the track and a beautiful specimen upon inspection."
Commonwealth is among the partners who own Kentucky Derby winner Mage.
The Florida-bred colt is from the second crop of millionaire and multiple graded stakes winner Awesome Slew, who emerged as an exciting stallion prospect in the Sunshine State last year. The son of Awesome Again was the runner-up on Florida’s 2022 freshman sire list, behind only breakout success Girvin, who has since moved to Kentucky. Awesome Slew recorded a solid 14 winners from 24 starters in 2022, a 58 percent strike rate. He checked in 12th on the North American freshman sire earnings list, a creditable accomplishment. All the stallions ahead of him had significantly more starters.
The colt is out of the winning Distorted Humor mare Cash Reserve, dam of stakes-placed Campy Cash and Reckling. Out of Grade 2 winner Private Treasure, Cash Reserve is a half-sister to stakes winners Golden Locket and Sam Lord's Castle.
For hip-by-hip results, click here.
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