Cupid Colt Tops Midlantic Yearling Sale Opener

Xtreme Racing Stables went to $160,000 to buy a New York-bred colt from the first crop of Cupid  to top the Oct. 5 opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.

From 200 head cataloged for the session, Fasig-Tipton reported 122 horses sold for gross receipts of $2,983,600, an average price of $24,456, and a $15,000 median. The 40 yearlings that went unsold represented an RNA rate of 24.7%.

Due a new format in which a group of 154 New York-breds led off the catalog, there was no comparable session in 2019.

During the New York-bred segment, there were 88 yearlings reported sold for $2,279,600, an average of $25,905, and a $19,000 median. The RNA rate was 26.1%.

The market remains highly polarized with 22 of the 24 horses offered in the price range of $50,000 or above selling, according to BloodHorse MarketWatch. At the $24,999 and under level, of 104 offered, there were 72 sold, for an RNA rate of 30.8%.

The session-topper, consigned by Eaton Sales, agent, as Hip 4, was produced from the winning Stravinsky mare Gottah Penny, the dam of stakes-placed Brokered and Copper Gem. The colt bred by Christopher Shelli and Caliburn Farm had been purchased by agent Alan Quartucci for $52,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York Mixed Sale.

The colt's second-dam is Marshua's Echelon, a hard-knocking daughter of Marshua's Dancer who won nine of 13 starts, including the Fair Grounds Oaks (G3). Marshua's Echelon is also the dam of Malibu Stakes (G1) winner Run Man Run, stakes winner North of Mars, and multiple graded stakes-placed Echelon's Ice Man.

Cupid, a grade 1-winning son of Tapit , stands at Ashford Stud, where his 2020 fee was $10,000.

Xtreme Racing Stables is the nom de plume of Vicki and Mike McGowan, residents of Medina, Minn., who have horses with trainer McLean Robertson and race primarily in the Midwest, with a small group at Delaware Park this year as a result of disruptions caused by COVID-19 at other tracks.

Mike McGowan said one of the couple's first criteria when shopping an auction is pedigree, with the individuals then having to pass the scrutiny of Robertson.

"When we shop these auctions, the first thing we do is look at the bloodlines," McGowan said. "We put a list together that looks like a good fit for us, but at the end of the day it comes down the hands of our trainer Mac Robertson. He's the one that is out there. He goes through all the horses. And we all thought this horse was a very athletic looking colt with some really nice lines. He checked out very well, so we are very excited about him."

McGowan, who did not attend the Midlantic sale but was represented on the grounds by Robertson, said the price was in line with what he and his wife thought they would have to pay.

"Any time you go into these things, you are kind of shooting darts to see where it is going to land, but I think it was definitely within the range we had discussed," he said.

With Vicki leading the way, the McGowans have been involved in racing for four or five years and have between 12-15 horses, Mike McGowan said.

"My wife really was the one that got into it," he said. "We try to differentiate. She usually tries to take the fillies and I take the colts. We are probably skewed to the younger side; we have a lot of 2-year-olds going and we have four or five yearlings right now. I think we will continue to grow it as long as we have success with the ones we have. We have had a pretty good year, even through all of the COVID issues. We have a really nice 2-year-old out at Delaware Park named Sir Wellington. And we have Xtreme Mayhem that we are very excited about also."

One other yearling reached the six-figure mark Monday when Cutair Racing went to $120,000 to acquire an Overanalyze filly that also went through the ring early during the New York-bred portion of the sale.

Consigned as Hip 6 by her breeder, Hibiscus Stables, the filly is out of the multiple stakes-winning Distorted Humor  mare Heavenly Humor.

Included among the eight foals of racing age that are all winners produced from Heavenly Humor are stakes winners Funny Guy and Super Humor as well as stakes-placed Three Jokers. The extended female family includes Delaware Handicap (G1) winner Heavenly Ade, Pennsylvania Derby (G3) winner Devil's Honor, and stakes winner Polaris Star, winner of 18 of 38 starts in the United States and France.

The sale concludes Tuesday, beginning at 10 a.m. ET.