Fasig-Tipton Under Tack Show Continues at Measured Pace

The under tack show for next week's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale continued at a measured pace June 25, with one juvenile getting a quarter-mile in a bullet :21 1/5 and three individuals sharing the day's fastest eighth-mile breeze time of :10.

On a seasonably warm day at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, the session began under cloud cover that later in the day gave way to sun and high humidity levels as consignors, buyers, and agents observed, timed, and analyzed the workouts that will determine which horses will be most in demand at the June 29-30 auction.

Hip 286, a filly by Bourbon Courage  from the consignment of Nomad Farm Training & Sales, agent, breezed the fastest quarter-mile of :21 1/5.

The filly, named Bourbon On Sunday, is one of a handful of horses by Naoise Agnew's Nomad Farm, which operates out of Pennsylvania near Penn National Race Course, where Agnew also trains. 

"I have a farm right next to Penn National, and I have horses on the track as well," said Agnew, who has four horses entered to the two-day sale. "We've been consigning for about eight years. I've been here every year with two or three horses. I have two client horses in this sale, and the others are mine." 

Bred by Dr. Ronald Harris Parker, the filly is consigned on behalf of her breeder, who has a small band of five broodmares in Maryland. Out of the winning Malibu Moon  mare Sunday in Malibu, Hip 286 is a half sister to stakes-placed Faze the Nation and is from the family of Gamely Breeders' Cup Handicap (G1T) winner Mea Domina and Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) winner McCraken .  

"We actually thought she'd go a bit faster than that because she prepped out here going really nice in :21 4/5, and they were just sitting on her, basically," Agnew said. "We're really happy with her. She did it very easily by herself, and one-fifth of a second is give or take here or there. She blew a back shoe as well, so that could have been our :21 as well. She's a really, really nice horse. I would put any money on it that she would be a stakes horse." 

Agnew said the filly's performance benefited from having extra time to train on the racetrack ahead of the Midlantic sale. 

"It's like being on the farm and the racetrack at the same time," Agnew said. "It's the best of both worlds." 

Agnew added he is hopeful that his filly, as a Maryland-bred, will be able to attract more attention in the local market than she would elsewhere. 

"Being here in Maryland will help big time, I think," Agnew said. "The Maryland program is on the rise, so all these things are in our favor. The coronavirus will affect it, but I think the good horses will sell. I think there will definitely be a market for her, and I think she will be very popular." 

Under the banner of Nomad Farm, Parker has also consigned Hip 131, another filly by Bourbon Courage . Out of the Dance With Ravens mare Motherload Hipster, the filly named Motherload Bourbon is from the family of graded stakes winners Middlesex Drive and Mr. Misunderstood. 

Hip 131 worked an eighth-mile in :10 2/5 during the under tack show.

Among the :10 eighth-mile workers was Hip 276, a Fed Biz  filly consigned by Golden Rock Thoroughbreds, agent, that was purchased as a weanling by Scott and Evan Dilworth for $25,000 and was then bought back on a final bid of $21,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Produced from the stakes-placed $183,556 earner Stormin Wendy, the gray or roan filly was bred in Maryland by Thomas Teal. She is from the female family of Ghost Dancing, who produced grade 1 winners Ascend and Roadster.

"At the September sale, she didn't have much action," Keiber Rengifo of Golden Rock Thoroughbreds said of the filly's RNA price. "She is by Fed Biz, who stood for $10,000. The client said she had so much quality, he decided not to let her go for that kind of money. He wanted to send her to a 2-year-old in training sale, and I recommended she come her because she is a Maryland-bred."

Pike Racing, agent, was represented by one of the fastest eighth-mile workers for the second day in a row when Hip 263, a chestnut filly by Goldencents , breezed in :10.

Out of the Ghostzapper  mare Spring Zapper, the filly bred in Kentucky by Two Boys Partnership was acquired for $30,000 at The July Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected yearling sale in Lexington. The filly's second dam is the stakes-winning Seeking the Gold mare Spring Season, a daughter of multiple grade 2 winner and grade 1-placed Alice Springs, the granddam of grade 1 winner Spring Quality.

Hip 261, a bay filly from the first crop of Speightster  that worked in :10 for consignor L.G., agent, was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm and purchased by Gina Fennell for $20,000 at the Keeneland September sale through Warrendale Sales.

The filly is out of the grade 3-placed Gemologist  mare Spirituality and descends from the female family of champion Sacahuista and grade/group 1 winners Ekraaar, Raging Fever, and Geri.

The under tack show concludes Friday, beginning at 8 a.m. ET.