Wide mix of horses offered in Tuesday's California winter sale

Tuesday’s California winter mixed sale at Fairplex in Pomona follows a 2022 auction that had substantially higher prices than past years.

Conducted by the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Tuesday’s sale had a main catalog of 148 horses and nine supplemental entries as of Thursday. The auction consists largely of California-bred horses of racing age, 2-year-olds, yearlings, and some broodmares.

The sale begins at noon Pacific. Including supplemental entries, this year’s sale has a slightly larger catalog than last year.

In 2022, the mixed sale saw 113 horses sell for $1,306,500, an average of $11,562 and a median price of $5,450. The figures were considerably higher than the 2021 auction that saw 73 horses sell for $575,100 for an average of $7,878 and a median of $3,200.

Tuesday’s sale includes 2-year-olds by first-crop stallions Catalina Cruiser, Coal Front, Om, and Rumpus Cat as well as I’ll Have Another and Sir Prancealot, who began stud service at California farms in recent years.

The early 2-year-olds also include prospects by Stay Thirsty and Grazen, the top two stallions in the state by progeny earnings in 2022, and three yearlings by Stay Thirsty.

:: DRF BREEDING LIVE: Real-time coverage of breeding and sales

Terry Lovingier’s Lovacres Ranch, who stands Stay Thirsty, has a sizable consignment that includes a 2-year-old filly by Catalina Cruiser who is out of the multiple stakes winner Angelica Zapata. The filly sells as Hip No. 87.

Checkmate Thoroughbreds, Easterbrook Livestock Management, Andy Havens Bloodstock, Rancho San Miguel, and Woodbridge Farm are the other leading consignors.

Rancho San Miguel’s consignment includes eight broodmares, nine 2-year-olds, and seven yearlings. The broodmares includes Dial a Date, a 12-year-old mare by Artie Schiller who is in foal to Mo Forza, whose first foals arrive this year. The mare sells as Hip No. 110.

This is the fifth year the CTBA has held a winter mixed sale, replacing previous wintertime sales conducted by Barretts Sales.

Three auctions are scheduled in the state this year. The CTBA’s yearling sale in Northern California will be held in August, while the Fasig-Tipton yearling sale will be held in late September. Fasig-Tipton no longer conducts a 2-year-olds in training sale in late spring in California.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.