Tattersalls sues California owner

England’s Tattersalls sale company has filed suit against California-based Thoroughbred owner Jeffrey DeHaven, alleging he has not yet paid for the 3-year-old filly Singapore Lilly.

A Mujadil filly, Singapore Lilly cost about $344,000 at the Tattersalls December sale last year and has since raced twice in California in DeHaven’s name. Trained by James Cassidy, she finished seventh in Santa Anita’s March 13 China Doll Stakes and eighth in Hollywood Park’s June 11 Honeymoon Handicap.

According to the suit filed Aug. 1 in U.S. District Court in California’s central district, DeHaven purchased Singapore Lilly through agent Gordian Troeller. Tattersalls allowed him to take possession of the filly, but withheld the title pending DeHaven’s full payment for her purchase price and tax, totaling about $420,000. “DeHaven kept possession of Singapore Lilly, continued to write that he could not produce any documents supporting his excuses for not paying, and failed to pay any amount on the outstanding balance,” according to the suit.

DeHaven told Paulick Report that he didn’t authorize Troeller to buy the filly or to arrange her shipment to California.

“Tattersalls didn’t want me to run her,” trainer Cassidy said. “I talked them into allowing me to continue training her. I’m in the middle of this. I’m going to find a race and run her.

“I’m trying to stay out of it the best I can,” he added.

– additional reporting by Steve Andersen