Candy Ride Colt Tops Record Fasig-Tipton October Sale

A well-bred Candy Ride  colt that missed an intended date at The Saratoga Sale due to a freak accident lit up the bid board Oct. 24 at the Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale when he was purchased by Florida horseman Carlo Vaccarezza for $560,000.

The sale topper paced a vibrant end-of-season auction that posted records for gross and average.

Consigned as Hip 1503 by Eaton Sales as agent for breeder Forging Oaks Farm, the colt is a half brother to multiple grade 2 winner Takeover Target and stakes winner Ladies' Privilege. He is out of the winning Empire Maker  mare Vanquished, a half sister to multiple grade 1-winning millionaire Critical Eye.

On behalf of Forging Oaks, Eaton purchased Vanquished for $475,000 from Claiborne Farm while she was carrying the Candy Ride colt in utero at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Eaton's Reiley McDonald said the colt sustained a gash on his left shoulder after he ran through a fence at Gail Peyton's Forging Oaks. Although the injuries were superficial, they were sufficient enough to scratch him from Fasig-Tipton's selected yearling sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., two months ago.

"A week before the Saratoga sale, at 2:30 in the morning a neighbor's five cattle got loose and ran through (Forging Oaks)," McDonald said. "It ran two colts, including this one, through the fence. He had a really nasty cut, but it didn't involve any muscle or nerves, and it was just a very bad blemish."

Recovered, the colt was entered in the October sale and was able to stand out in the crowd, delivering a positive outcome for Peyton.

"It proves how many professional horsemen are here who are able to look beyond a blemish," McDonald said. "Mrs. Peyton has a nice broodmare band of 15 mares, and I'm very happy for her because we thought he would be unsalable for a while when he first did it."

Undeterred by the injuries, Vaccarezza was intent on getting the colt.

"I really love him; he's an outstanding individual who had everything going for him," said Vaccarezza, noting he planned to pinhook the colt into The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected 2-year-olds in training sale, next year.

With resplendent autumn weather for most of the four-day event, the auction attracted a diverse group of buyers from all levels of North American racing, coupled with a strong supporting cast of foreign buyers, especially from South Korea and South American countries.

From 1,590 head cataloged, Fasig-Tipton reported 1,008 yearlings sold for record gross receipts of $38,258,900 and an average price of $37,955, also a record. The median price was $13,000. The RNA rate was 24.5%, with 327 yearlings unsold. 

During the 2018 edition, 963 yearlings grossed $34,260,100 for an average price of $35,576 and a $15,000 median.

"It was a very good way to end the yearling season," said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning Jr., noting that coming into the auction the sales company wanted figures in line with last year. "We're very, very pleased overall. At the end of the day, we were well supported by consignors with more horses than we've ever had and with the best quality we've ever had.

"If Vegas had made the line, they would have said hope like heck you can get close to last year's results, and to exceed those is a pleasant surprise and another indication of the growth and maturity of this sale."

Thursday's two second-highest-priced yearlings sold for $400,000 each, including an Into Mischief  colt that had also been intended for an earlier yearling sale but was scratched due to unforeseen circumstances.

Consigned as Hip 1306 by Taylor Made Sales Agency on behalf of Kentucky breeder Alastar Thoroughbred Company, the colt was bought by agent Jacob West on behalf of an unnamed client. The colt was produced from the two-time winning Empire Maker  mare Spanish Empiress. His second dam is the stakes-winning, track-record-setting Deputy Minister mare Miraloma, who descends from the female family of champions Gold Beauty, Dayjur, and Sky Beauty and numerous graded stakes winners.

"He was scheduled to go in the Keeneland September Yearling Sale but got a little foot abscess behind and just couldn't make the sale," Taylor Made's Mark Taylor said. "So he had a physical setback. They brought him into October, and the horse cleared up fine, was healthy, showed great, and got a great result."

"(He's a) nice colt," West said. "The sire needs no introduction, and he hails from a family of champions. He's a big, beautiful horse who looks like he will be fast. Now we just have to keep our fingers crossed. It was the last opportunity to buy an Into Mischief this year and a good way to go out with a bang."

West declined to identify his client. "He's been around the game peripherally but is going to jump in with both feet and race on the West Coast," he said. "We'll just keep trucking along."

The other $400,000 yearling Thursday was a Ghostzapper  colt consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised, bought by trainer Ken McPeek on behalf of an undisclosed new client. Hip 1558 was produced from the grade 3-winning Malibu Moon  mare Winding Way, a full sister to Kauai Katie, whose six wins in 11 starts included three grade 2 and one grade 3 stakes. 

The colt was bought back for $335,000 at the Keeneland September sale. 

"I don't remember him at Keeneland at all. For me, I kind of clear it all out, and this is a horse I liked," McPeek said. "For a Ghostzapper, he was very light on his feet. You've got to like the broodmare sire, Malibu Moon. He's just a really energetic colt, a horse who never stopped. Every time they brought him out, he was bouncing. He's a natural athlete."