U.S. buyers increasingly active at Tattersalls October

International commercial rivals Godolphin and Coolmore dominated the top seats on the buying bench during Book 1 of the Tattersalls sales company's flagship October yearling sale in Newmarket, England – but several other seats on that bench were occupied by an increasingly strong U.S. presence.

Of the top 10 lots in Book 1, five went to Godolphin, including the sale-topping Dubawi colt sold for 3.6 million guineas (about $4.6 million in U.S. funds), and another three sold to Coolmore. Further down on the leaderboard were multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, working with noted bloodstock agent Mike Ryan; fellow multiple Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher; and other prominent outfits who cited increased turf opportunities in U.S. racing, increased commercial competition for horses to fit those races, and access to the world’s top turf stallions as reasons to make the journey to buy.

Brown has won five editions of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf – including the last three straight – since the race was added to the Breeders’ Cup program in 2008, and has won five editions of the Grade 1 Garden City/Belmont Oaks. Acknowledged as the top turf trainer in North America, he currently conditions Horse of the Year candidate Bricks and Mortar, a four-time Grade 1 winner on turf this season.

Brown has been shopping the Tattersalls auction for several seasons, with purchases there including Newspaperofrecord, his 2018 Juvenile Fillies Turf winner for Klaravich Stable. Brown’s clients shopping Tattersalls October this year included Klaravich; the White Birch Stables of Peter Brant, who races in both the U.S. and Europe; Jay Hanley, who owned Eclipse Award champion turf female Lady Eli in partnership; and Bob Edwards of e Five Racing Thoroughbreds. Brown said that Ryan travels to England early to do most of his shortlisting.

“There are a lot of good [turf] bloodlines we’re not able to get in America,” Brown told Tattersalls communications staff. “We tried this out, and so far it’s working well, and as long as it’s working well, we’ll be back.”

Ryan, as agent, signed for 10 yearlings with only his own name, as agent, listed on the ticket for a total of 2.42 million guineas, led by a 500,000 guinea Galileo filly. Ryan signed for 11 horses as the designated agent for Klaravich for a total of 2.41 million guineas, led by a 450,000 guinea Invincible Spirit filly, and landed a trio at 1.375 million as agent for White Birch, including a 475,000 guinea Dubawi filly.

White Birch purchased six yearlings without an agent listed for a total of 1.1 million guineas, and one with Northshore Bloodstock acting as agent for 200,000 guineas. Klaravich also purchased four yearlings without an agent listed for 560,000 guineas.

Pletcher has saddled winners of both the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Juvenile Fillies Turf, and last year won the inaugural Juvenile Turf Sprint. Citing the additional opportunities for turf racing in the U.S., he made his first purchases at Tattersalls last week – a 325,000 guinea Galileo colt for Aquis Farm and John Gunther, and a 110,000 Fastnet Rock filly for Aquis.

“American racing, they’re starting to write a lot more turf races,” Pletcher’s bloodstock assistant Danielle Bricker said. “To be able to compete in America, we need to be where everyone else is buying. Over here, the horses are very different than they are in America. They’re prepped very differently. So you have to kind of look behind that and see if you can find something that’s going to work in America, with our training program, so that’s what we’re focused on.”

The high-profile partnership of China Horse Club and WinStar Farm – which has campaigned Triple Crown winner Justify, among others – landed two lots for a combined 515,000 guineas at Tattersalls October. China Horse Club races internationally, and WinStar has also been unafraid to make forays into international markets, with examples including dual-surface Grade 1 winner Yoshida, purchased in Japan as a yearling.

BSW Bloodstock partner Liz Crow signed as agent for five youngsters for a total of 820,000 guineas.

“We have a bunch of clients that love to buy fillies who have already raced and bring them over to the U.S.,” Crow said. “We thought we would come over here and buy some yearlings before they run, because it’s getting more expensive to buy, and there’s more competition to buy after they’ve won a race. We’re hoping to get them young and be able to develop them ourselves with some of our trainers.”

The Tattersalls October sale was set to continue with Book 2 from Oct. 14 through 16, and then to continue with Books 3 and 4 from Oct. 17 to 19.