Flanagan Goes to $1M for Twirling Candy Colt at OBS
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Photo: Photos by Z
The Twirling Candy colt consigned as Hip 433 in the ring at the OBS March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale
Four hours into Day 2 of the OBS March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, agent Jeff Mackor, buying for Sean Flanagan, took under bidders all the way up to $1,000,000 March 21 to secure a gray or roan son of Twirling Candy consigned as Hip 433 by Eddie Woods.
The sale was a welcome one for Woods, who purchased the colt for $200,000 at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Gainesway consignment.
"He has been a good horse all year, vetted great, and you couldn't but love him when you looked at him," Woods said. "He's a big, pretty gray. ... It's not all roses, we have had a couple of snafus, but that's just the way it goes. That's why you buy numbers, some work out, some don't. The good takes care of all the bad."
The colt was bred in Kentucky by International Equities Holding out of the Divine Park mare Divine Dawn , who was runner-up in the 2015 Beaumont Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. The dam has only one foal to race from five foals. She also has a yearling filly by Gun Runner and a 2023 Twirling Candy filly.
The colt breezed an eighth in :9 4/5 during the under tack show. Flanagan said he will head to the barn of Saffie Joseph Jr., who trains his other horses.
"I've always wanted a Twirling Candy, that sire is fantastic," Flanagan said. "Saffie is a bad influence and so is Jeff, and Saffie's father. They're all very bad influences on me. That's why we buy these horses, we're having fun. Saffie's going to train them.
"They told me $300,000 (price range) but said keep swinging, that's what these guys do. ... All kidding aside, I have a great team. John Kimmel is a very dear friend of mine. He's here picking out horses; I bought a couple through him, too."
Sean Flanagan at the sale
On Day 1 of the sale, Flanagan purchased a Laoban colt consigned as Hip 168 by Paul Sharp for $425,000, and Hip 223, a Midnight Lute filly consigned by Julie Davies for $370,000. Earlier on Day 2, he bought a $600,000 Bernardini filly who was consigned by Gene Recio as Hip 345. Kimmel signed the tickets for Hips 168 and 345.
"To me, (Hip 168) was a smacking, good-looking colt, looked like a racehorse, super clean vetting and looked great on the racetrack," Kimmel said. "I was done at $300,000, but Sean carried on the rest of the way."