Merit Man juvenile colt brings $60,000 to top CTBA sale
A 2-year-old colt by Merit Man was purchased for $60,000 at Wednesday’s California Thoroughbred Breeders Association January mixed sale in Pomona, the most expensive hip of the one-day sale.
The colt was bought by Frank Veiga, agent for trainer Bob Hess Jr. Hess trained Merit Man earlier in this decade.
Overall, the sale reported business figures significantly lower than the corresponding sale held by Barretts Sales last year. Barretts Sales ceased operations in 2018, leading the CTBA to organize Wednesday’s sale.
From a catalog of 154 horses, 81 horses sold for a gross of $589,300 and an average of $7,275, according to figures published by the CTBA. There were 41 horses listed as not sold and 32 withdrawn.
At the 2018 sale, 112 horses sold for a gross of $1,226,400, an average of $10,950. There were 49 horses listed as not sold at that sale and 32 withdrawn.
The Merit Man colt was consigned by Lovacres Ranch as agent. The colt is out of Seaside, a 12-year-old mare by Aldebaran who finished second and third in minor stakes at Colonial Downs in 2011 and 2012.
The CTBA will host a yearling sale at Pleasanton in August. Fasig-Tipton will hold two sales in California this year at Santa Anita – one for 2-year-olds in training in June and a yearling sale in September.
