Top New Yorkers bring $400K each at Calder sale

Two New York-bred colts who each brought $400,000 topped the state's contingent at last Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton Calder selected 2-year-olds in training sale.

First through the ring, as Hip No. 110, was a son of Stormy Atlantic out of the Conquistador Cielo mare Quistador, from the consignment of Nick de Meric, agent.

A half-brother to stakes winners Sophisticated Cielo and Patuxent River, the colt was purchased by Doug O'Neill and descends from the family of Coaching Club American Oaks winner Two Altazano.

Stormy Atlantic is the sire of Stormello, winner of the Grade 1 Hollywood Futurity and a leading runner on the Kentucky Derby trail this year.

O'Neill was also the buyer of the second $400,000 New York-bred, from the consignment of Old South Farm as Hip No. 189.

He is by Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos out of Way of Life, by Gulch.

Way of Life is a daughter of Dixieland Dream, winner of the Ellis Park Budweiser Breeders' Cup Handicap and herself a half-sister to Adhocracy, winner of the Grade 3 Fairmount Derby.

At $375,000 was a statebred son of Distorted Humor purchased by Newmarket Meehan Merry from the consignment of Nick de Meric, agent, as Hip No. 87. The colt was one of several who worked a furlong in a quick 10 seconds during the under-tack show of Feb. 25.

He is out of the stakes-winning Tejabo mare Nothing Special, who descends from the marvelous family of Canadian Triple Crown winners With Approval and Izvestia. This family has also produced Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold and Grade 1 winner Healthy Addiction.

O'Neill also purchased a New York-bred son of Horse of the Year Holy Bull for $325,000 from the consignment of Crupi's New Castle Farm, agent. Selling as Hip No. 174, he is out of Twotime, by Two Punch, and is a half-brother to Halicarnassus, winner of the Group 2 Weatherbys Superlative Stakes.

His third dam, Pride's Palace, is the mother of multiple graded stakes winner Palace March and of stakes winner Executive Pride, who placed in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby and Grade 1 Arlington Handicap.

A colt out of New York-bred stakes winner Wake Up Kiss sold for $290,000. Hirotsogu Hirai made the purchase from the consignment of Hoby and Layna Kight, agent, as Hip No. 185.

By Forest Wildcat, he is the first foal of Yaddo Stakes winner Wake Up Kiss, whose dam, Good Morning Smile, placed in the Grade 2 Orchid Handicap and who has also produced New York-bred stakes-placed runner Pearly White.

Overall, receipts for the nine New York-breds sold at Fasig-Tipton Calder were $2,350,000, for an average of $261,111. This continues an upward trend for New York-breds at the Fasig-Tipton Calder sale. In 2006, seven sold for $1,345,000, averaging $192,143, while in 2005 the average price for the same sale was $154,167.

Strong Ocala showing

As a group, New York-breds at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company selected 2-year-olds in training sale on Feb. 13 turned in outstanding numbers. The 10 sold averaged $206,500 each, a figure that was 55 percent above the overall sale average of $133,656.

The New York-bred average price was sharply higher than in recent years. In 2004 the figure was $99,750, in 2005 it was $130,167, and in 2006 it was $125,833.

Three of the 13 offered were listed as not sold, a rate of 23 percent, better the overall sale rate of 30 percent in that category.

Perhaps most striking was the pinhooking profits on the New York contingent at the Ocala sale. Eight of the 10 sold were pinhooks, purchased collectively for $577,000 as yearlings.

At OBS February, that group produced sales of $1,865,000 for a 223 percent profit.

J'ray takes graded stakes

The top New York-bred turf filly J'ray became a graded stakes winner when she captured the Grade 3 Bayou Breeders' Cup Handicap on Feb. 24 at Fair Grounds.

A daughter of of Distant View bred and owned by Lawrence Goichman, she won by nearly five lengths, sending her career earnings to $360,218 with a record of 5-3-1 in 11 starts.

J'ray had finished a close second in her previous two outings, the Frances A. Genter Handicap at Calder and Suwannee River Handicap at Gulfstream Park, both Grade 3 races.

J'ray was named the champion 2-year-old filly and champion turf female of 2005 in the annual New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. awards.