Quality Road Filly Commands $1.5M at Fasig-Tipton
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
The Quality Road filly consigned as Hip 232 in the ring at the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase
A filly by Lane's End Farm's Quality Road boasting one of the deepest pedigrees in the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase set the bid board alight during the afternoon of Sept. 9 when she was purchased for $1.5 million by Robbie Medina, agent for Joseph Allen.
Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, agent, the filly descends from a prolific Coolmore Stud family and is out of the Galileo mare Marvellous, winner of the Etihad Airways Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1). Marvellous is out of English group 2 winner You'resothrilling, who was a full sister to European Horse of the Year and sire Giant's Causeway.
In addition to Marvellous, You'resothrilling has also produced group 1 winner and sire Gleneagles, group 1 winner Happily, group 3 winner Coolmore, Australian group 2 winner Taj Mahal, and group 1-placed Vatican City.
The filly was bred in Kentucky by Orpendale, Chelston, and Wynatt.
"Joe wanted her; she has the best pedigree in the book (sale catalog)," said Medina, a former assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey who now has his own operation at Blackwood Training Center in Central Kentucky. "She's a beautiful filly and you can't get a better pedigree than that. There is plenty of horse there and there is going to be a lot more horse since she is a late April foal."
Robbie Medina signed the ticket for the $1.5 million Quality Road filly on behalf of Joseph Allen at Fasig-Tipton
"She has a world-class pedigree and is a wonderful, lovely filly," said Hill 'n' Dale president John Sikura. "She is a wonderful, classy filly replete with black-type winners. All those sisters and relatives are being bred to the best horses in the world. That's the gold standard of beautifully-bred fillies. I think we have a couple of well-bred fillies but she obviously was the pearl of the group as far as international page and classic winners and champions. There are no holes in that family. Guys like Joe Allen, who race and breed at the top level, that's what they seek."
The filly was not in the ring long as the bidding quickly escalated before being hammered down to the account of Allen.
"When they find those fillies they want to go on and buy them," Sikura said. "It's rare to find them and when you do you have to bid with authority, which is what he did. The best way to try to intimidate your competition is to be aggressive and act like you can't be beat. It's a good strategy."