Temple City Terror's Dowager win makes selling her a tough decision

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Temple City Terror has her people in a quandary.

Temple City Terror was a dominant winner of the Grade 3 Dowager on the Keeneland turf Sunday with a career-high 97 Beyer Speed Figure, and the owners of the 6-year-old mare must now decide whether to sell her at the upcoming Keeneland November sale. Temple City Terror is in Book 1 at the sale, which begins Nov. 7.

“Right now, I think we’re still going to put her through the ring,” said Marc Wampler, who manages the Pocket Aces Racing partnership, which owns Temple City Terror with Somewhere Stable Kentucky. “But it’s going to be with a strong reserve.”

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Trainer Brendan Walsh, naturally, would like to keep Temple City Terror in his barn. And who could blame him? After taking all of 10 starts to win for the first time, the mare has evolved into an elite performer in filly-mare turf marathons. The daughter of Temple City earned 96 Beyers in her two starts prior to the Dowager.

“I’ve kind of been telling the owners all along that she’s really on top of her game now,” Walsh said.

It’s not an uncommon dilemma that Wampler and his partners are facing. There’s always the reward of what a high-dollar sale would bring – but there’s also the potential misgivings of unfulfilled earnings (and great fun for the partners) at the track.

“Somebody’s always gone before you, and there are examples of what the right thing to do is,” Wampler said. “She’s the best she’s ever been, but if she doesn’t continue to do as well at 7, that would probably amount to a big loss on a potential sale right now. That’s the risk we’re facing now. Is she going to improve, even off this big race? It makes for a really tough decision.”

Essentially the same situation is brewing in regard to another stakes-winning mare who won on the Keeneland turf this weekend. Pass the Plate, winner of a $139,425 allowance Saturday, also is listed to be sold during Book 1 at the Keeneland November sale, but Tommy Hamilton of owner Silverton Hill Farm said he is undecided whether to follow through with selling the homebred 5-year-old mare. She upped her bankroll to $553,919 in winning off a 5 1/2-month layoff on Saturday. Joe Talamo was aboard for trainer Paul McGee.

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