Fasig-Tipton December Sale Offers Diverse Catalog

The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December Mixed and Horses of Racing Age Sale will bring the 2020 sales season to a close Dec. 8 as the major sale of the year. 

A total of 204 horses were originally cataloged to the one-day sale, but 83 were later added as supplements—more than 70 of which were horses of racing age—to bring the final catalog to 287 head. As of Dec. 7, 46 horses were listed as out bringing the total down to 241. 

"We've had good traffic in the barn area and a lot of the right people are here," said Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic director of sales Paget Bennett. "Based on what they saw in the catalog, they obviously made the trip up here so we will see how that translates into tomorrow." 

Among some of the more interesting weanling prospects on offer will be a handful of youngsters from the first crop of freshman sires Irish War Cry  and Hoppertunity , both of whom joined the Northview Stallion Station roster in 2019. 

The sole weanling by Irish War Cry is Hip 118, a bay colt out of the stakes-placed Ready's Image mare Pret Say Eye. Bred in Maryland by D Hatman Thoroughbreds, Jaclyn O'Donnell, and Kingdom Bloodstock, the colt is consigned by Northview Stallion Station (David Wade), agent. 

A multiple graded stakes winner and earner of more than $1.2 million, Irish War Cry raced from 2 to 4 for breeder Isabelle de Tomaso and trainer Graham Motion. In addition to his four stakes victories, the son of Curlin  also finished second in the 2017 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1). 

Three weanlings by multi-millionaire and fan favorite Hoppertunity will be on offer on Wednesday beginning with Hip 94, a bay filly out of Like a Lion (by Great Notion). Bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, the filly is from the family of several stakes winners including Raise the Bluff and Double Crown and will be consigned by Becky Davis, agent. 

From the consignment of Bill Reightler, agent, is Hip 127, a bay colt named Secret Addiction out of Secret Affair (Can the Man). Bred in Pennsylvania by Hannah LaRue Minnich, the colt's third dam, Half Secret, produced Top Secret, a multiple graded stakes winner and hard-knocking mare who earned just shy of $1 million in purses from 31 career starts. 

The only other Hoppertunity weanling is Hip 132, a colt consigned by Northview Stallion Station. The chestnut is the fourth foal out of the Badge of Silver mare Silvikova, a half sister to stakes winners Mighty Rule, Tazz, and Ms. Lydonia. He was bred in Pennsylvania by Steve Holliday. 

Racing from 3 to 7, Hoppertunity made 34 starts for owners Karl Watson, Michael Pegram, and Paul Weitman and trainer Bob Baffert. The son of Any Given Saturday retired in 2018 with more than $4.7 million in purses. 

The addition of so many horses of racing age is sure to prove attractive to potential buyers looking for a race-ready prospect to fill out their barn. One of the last to go through the ring will be Hip 280, Fly On Angel, a 3-year-old Palace Malice  filly consigned by Northview Stallion Station as part of a reduction of Joseph Besecker's reduction of racing stock.

Bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall and Haymarket Farm, Fly On Angel earned her first graded stakes win this summer when she took the Aug. 28 Charles Town Oaks at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races by a half length. The filly holds a 4-2-0 record from 11 starts and earnings of $226,660. 

"We feel good about it and the racehorses will be very popular with our trainers, both local and from out of town, especially based on what they've seen in the race videos," said Bennett. "(Racehorses) are what people want. They might not be something that fits into the schedule of their original owners, but for a lot of other people this will be something good. We're looking forward to a good day tomorrow." 

The sale begins Wednesday at 11 a.m. EST.