Rock Slide a hit at Timonium sale

Maryland's sire power was on display at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's preferred 2-year-olds in training sale held this past Monday and Tuesday at Timonium, Md.

First-year sire Rock Slide generated a significant buzz, averaging $90,000 for four horses sold.

The timing could not have been better for Rock Slide (a son of A.P. Indy and full brother to Horse of the Year Mineshaft), as a few weeks earlier his daughter Happy Hailey had won her maiden impressively at Pimlico.

But his sales horses also found strong appeal in their own right. His most expensive offspring, a chestnut colt out of the Miswaki mare Oblivious T, from the consignment of Murray Smith, agent, sold on a bid of $170,000 by LRK Stable.

The colt, bred in Pennsylvania by Brandywine Bloodstock, worked an eighth-mile in 10.40 seconds before the sale. This was his second trip through the sales ring at Timonium. As a weanling he sold for $30,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December mixed sale.

Rock Slide stands at Maryland Stallion Station in Glyndon, Md. He has approximately 35 foals in his first crop.

Maryland's stalwart sires Two Punch, Not for Love, Lion Hearted, and Partner's Hero, all standing at Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake City, also posted strong figures.

Two Punch had the most expensive Maryland-sired offering - a chestnut filly out of stakes winner Beautiful Stranger (by Foxhound) who brought $230,000, tying for 10th highest price in the sale.

Also the state's leading sire by gross, Two Punch was represented by eight juveniles selling for a total of $678,700 (average $84,838). Three Two Punch juveniles sold for more than $100,000.

A son of Mr. Prospector, Two Punch has made a major impact as a sales sire. In 2006, he topped the state's juvenile sales sires list, with his offspring registering an average of $139,846.

With five of his offspring selling for a total of $522,000 at this sale, Not for Love led Maryland sires by average ($104,400). His average was the seventh-highest among all sires, and he was one of eight stallions to crack the $100,000 mark in average. Four of Not for Love's juveniles topped $100,000.

Not for Love (by Mr. Prospector) is in his fifth consecutive season as Maryland's leading sire of runners.

Storm Cat's son Lion Hearted, his stock rising with 2007 graded stakes performers Control System and Hobbitontherocks, was represented by only one horse sold. But that colt brought $105,000.

Partner's Hero (by Danzig) rounded out the Maryland leaders, with two sold for a total of $80,000.

Five Maryland-breds brought $100,000 or more, and three of them represented Maryland sires.

The highest price for a Maryland-bred was $200,000, paid by Lakely-Wakelin Bloodstock for a filly by Street Cry out of Peace Tech (by Peace for Peace) from the consignment of Randy Miles, agent. That filly, who ranked among the 10 highest-priced fillies in the sale, was bred by Alan S. Kline Revocable Trust and Darley.

A Two Punch filly out of Wumps (by Oh Say) led the list of Maryland-breds by Maryland sires, at $125,000.

From the family of the Maryland-bred star Sham Say, who two decades ago set a local record when she was sold privately for $2 million, the Two Punch-Wumps daughter has doubled in value each year of her brief life.

Bred by Preston I. Moffett and Stephanie Moffett Litz, she was sold for $30,000 as a weanling at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December mixed sale, and subsequently brought $60,000 as a yearling at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale. Cary Frommer consigned her as agent at this sale, and Carol A. Murray signed the ticket as purchaser.