Quality Road colt tops Barretts January mixed sale

Newly turned juveniles ruled the day during the Barretts January mixed sale on Wednesday, occupying the top four spots by price and helping drive higher figures, led by a $120,000 Quality Road colt.

The auction finished with 110 horses sold for revenues of $1,185,400, up 19 percent from last year’s renewal, when 125 horses brought $995,800. The average sale price rose 35 percent to $10,776 from $7,966, the median increased 55 percent to $5,750 from $3,700, and the buyback rate closed at 32 percent compared with 22 percent in 2017.

Wednesday’s sale-topper was the lone offering to hit a six-figure price point after none did so during last year’s January sale. The number of horses sold for $50,000 or more rose to five from one.

The top price came from a newly turned 2-year-old Quality Road colt who sold to Highland Yard for $120,000.

The bay colt is out of the unraced Arch mare Queenofperfection, whose first foal was placed as a juvenile in 2017. His third dam is the Canadian champion Silken Cat, putting the colt in the family of champion sprinter Speightstown, Grade 2 winner Irap, and Grade 3 winner Golden Hawk.

Siena Farm bred the colt in Kentucky.

The sale-topper was consigned by Checkmate Thoroughbreds, as agent. He was an $18,000 purchase at last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale.

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Rounding out the top four juveniles was an Empire Way filly who went to the partnership of Tom London, Hector Perez and Gene Zonolo for $80,000, a $55,000 Overanalyze colt who went to Beau Sully, and an Animal Kingdom filly who sold to George Yager for $54,000.

The auction’s highest-priced broodmare was Tilde, a multiple stakes-winning Swiss Yodeler mare, offered in-foal to Creative Cause, who went to H & E Ranch for $45,000.

The 8-year-old gray or roan mare’s first starter was placed as a juvenile last year. Tilde is herself out of the winning Cee’s Tizzy mare Self Taught, who is the dam of six winners from 10 runners. Further down the page are stakes winners Better Bet, Teach You, Teach Me, and Miss Benson.

On the racetrack, Tilde won 4 of 9 starts for earnings of $345,060, including victories in the Keith E. Card California Cup Juvenile Fillies Stakes, Generous Portion Stakes, and California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Stakes.

Tilde was bred in California by the Revocable Trust of Dr. Mikel Harrington and Patricia Harrington. She was consigned by Havens Bloodstock Agency, Inc., as agent.

The top newly turned yearling was a Street Boss filly who sold to Machmer Hall for $42,000.

The dark bay or brown filly is out of the stakes-placed Comic Strip mare Comedy Girl, whose three winners from four runners includes stakes-placed Pure Comedy and Horse Laugh.

Stakes winners Musical Girl and Joe Ja can be found in the extended family.

The filly was bred in Arizona and consigned at the Barretts sale by H & E Ranch. The same operation purchased Comedy Girl as a broodmare prospect for $10,000 at the 2010 Barretts January sale. Wednesday’s transaction made the filly the most expensive foal out of Comedy Girl to sell at public auction.