Young 2-year-olds showcased at California sale
The results of Wednesday’s January mixed sale at Fairplex in Pomona, Calif., will largely depend on buyers’ enthusiasm for early-season 2-year-olds in training.
The mixed sale, which begins at noon Pacific, replaces an annual sale held in past decades by Barretts Sales, which ceased operations last fall. The mixed sale will be held at the same facility used by Barretts since 1990. Wednesday’s sale is being conducted by the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, which is leasing the facility for the sale.
The catalog has 151 yearlings, broodmares, 2-year-olds, and horses of racing age. There are 68 2-year-olds in training in the catalog. Doug Burge, the general manager of the CTBA, said the sale will have approximately 135 horses after withdrawals. There will be a small supplemental catalog.
“I think the strength of the sale will be the newly turned 2-year-olds, and that’s where the depth is as well,” Burge said. “That will play an important role in the success.
“These 2-year-olds are broke and galloping. A lot of these horses could be in someone’s barn pretty soon.”
The largest consignments of 2-year-olds are from Andy Havens Bloodstock, agent for Liberty Road Stables, with 19 prospects, most by U S Ranger, and 17 juveniles from Lovacres Ranch, agent.
Wednesday’s catalog is smaller than a similar event last year where 112 horses sold for a gross of $1,226,400, or an average of $10,950. There were 49 horses listed as not sold and 32 withdrawn.
In the 2018 sale, 38 2-year-olds sold for $535,700, or an average of $14,097, and were the strongest group of the sale. At the 2017 January mixed sale, horses of racing age were the leading division, averaging $12,020. The 2017 overall sale averaged $7,966.
The CTBA is hosting Wednesday’s sale and a yearling sale in Pleasanton in August. Without Barretts in the market, Fasig-Tipton will hold two sales in California this year at Santa Anita – a sale of 2-year-olds in training in June and a yearling sale in September.
