Phone Trick colt tops sale

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Embattle, a $110,000 Phone Trick colt, fetched the highest price at the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's annual 2-year-old in training sale at the Woodbine Sale Pavilion on Tuesday.

Stubbs Investments Inc. purchased Embattle, who is out of the stakes-placed Bold Ruckus mare Embur Sunshine, making him a half-brother to stakes winner Ten Flat. Hill 'N' Dale Sales Agency, agent, consigned the sale topper, who worked three furlongs in 35.20 seconds at the sale's gallop show on Monday.

A total of 33 2-year-olds were reported as sold at the auction. They grossed $1,069,500 for an average of $32,409. Last year, 42 juveniles averaged $28,190 from a gross of $1,184,000. There were 28 buybacks this year, compared with 20 in 2000.

When It Was brought the second-highest price of the sale, $90,000, from George Gronwall. Mark Casse, as agent, consigned When It Was, a son of Peaks and Valleys and the stakes-winning Explodent mare Explo Royale.