Smiling Tiger filly brings $220,000 at Barretts fall yearling and horses of all ages sale

The 2017 renewal of the Barretts fall yearling and horses of all ages sale posted fairly even returns Tuesday, but was highlighted by the auction’s most expensive offering since 2006, a $220,000 Smiling Tiger filly.

The mixed auction, held in Pomona, Calif., finished with 158 horses sold for $2,315,000, down 7 percent from last year’s auction when 175 horses brought $2,496,500. Tuesday’s average sale price rose 3 percent to $14,652 from $14,226, while the median fell 33 percent to $5,000 from $7,500.

Barretts reported a buyback rate of 36 percent on Tuesday, compared with 37 percent in 2016.

At the top of the market, three horses changed hands for six figures, compared to one last year. However, the 10 horses sold for $50,000 or more was one fewer than the previous sale.

Steve Gasparelli’s Slugo Racing bought the Barretts fall sale’s most expensive horse for the second straight year, and both were yearlings by Smiling Tiger. This year’s topper was a filly named Smiling Diamonds.

The dark bay or brown filly is out of the stakes-placed Slewledo mare Carrie’s a Jewel, whose two winners from three foals to race includes the Grade 3-placed four-time stakes winner California Diamond. Grade 2-placed stakes winner Knight of Armor is in the extended family, as are stakes winners Saints Leader, Heartleaf, Lost Appeal, and Ranger Heartley.

Stormy Hull bred Smiling Diamonds in California and consigned her as agent with Ginger Samples under their Critter Creek Farm.

The filly became the most expensive foal out of Carrie’s a Jewel to sell at public auction, surpassing California Diamond, by Harbor the Gold, who brought $125,000 at last year’s Barretts paddock sale at Del Mar. She is the first pre-racing-age foal out of the mare to bring six figures.

Smiling Diamonds was the most expensive horse sold at the Barretts fall sale since 2006, when the Cape Town filly Charming Hostess went to John Brocklebank, as agent, for $240,000. Charming Hostess was a pinhook buy and sold again to the Godolphin operation for $800,000 at the 2007 Barretts March select sale of 2-year-olds in training. Unfortunately, she died later that year and never raced.

Checkmate Thoroughbreds was Tuesday’s leading consignor, with 16 horses sold for $300,000. Leading the group was a Slew’s Tiznow filly who sold to Slugo Racing for $85,000.

Slugo Racing finished as the auction’s top buyer, with two purchases totaling $305,000.

To view the full auction results, click here. http://www.barretts.com/sales/SalesResults/results/rsoct17.asp