Colt From Barkley's First Crop Tops WTBOA Sale

After seven outs, 75 yearlings went through the sales ring during the 56th annual Washington Thoroughbred Breeders & Owners Association (WTBOA) Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale Aug. 22 at the WTBOA Sales Pavilion located at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Wash.

Topping this year's action was Hip 71, a handsome $55,000 colt by first-year stallion Barkley , a son of Munnings   who won the 2018 Longacres Mile Handicap (G3) and five other Emerald Downs stakes before retiring to Nina and Ron Hagen's El Dorado Farms in Enumclaw, Wash. 

The Hagens bred the sale topper, who was one of a trio of yearlings purchased by the San Francisco-based SmilingTigerStallion.com. The other two yearlings, both $32,000 purchases, were Hip 3, a Smiling Tiger   filly out of stakes winner Rewritten —she was the highest-priced filly—consigned by Critter Creek Farm, agent for Carnation Racing Stables, and Hip 49, an Outwork   half brother to three-time stakes winner Slack Tide  and recent Del Mar maiden special weight winner Impeachalot .

A son of Sir Prancealot  , Impeachalot was the 2022 WTBOA sale topper, selling for $85,000, and races for Philip Lebherz and Richard Meister. Both colts were bred and consigned by Terry and Mary Lou Griffin's Griffin Place and are out of their stakes-placed mare Impeached .

The second highest-priced yearling came from the Griffin Place consignment, Hip 75, a son of Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner Brody's Cause  , the first foal out of Washington champion race mare No Talking Back , whose first three dams were also Washington champions. Popular Emerald Downs trainer Bonnie Jenne signed the ticket for $52,000.

Hip 57, a colt from the final crop of California-based Vronsky  out of three-time Washington champion Lady Rosberg , consigned by Griffin Place as agent for Darlyne Krieg, brought a bid of $38,000 from California trainer Andy Mathis.

Also bringing bids of $25,000 or more were: Hip 1, a Take Charge Indy   colt that California trainer Mark Glatt purchased for $32,000 from the Griffin Place consignment; Hip 54, a colt from the first crop of Pacific Classic (G1) winner Higher Power   out of Connie Belshay's $489,862 stakes winner Kiss Mine  that was hammered down to Where We At for $27,000; and Hip 31, an Om   half brother to Washington titleholders Miss Prospector  and Brilliant Bird  bred by Bret and Julie Christopherson and purchased by John and Janene Maryanski and Gerry and Gail Schneider for $25,000. Bar C Racing Stables consigned the colt.

The 58 yearlings sold for a $730,200 total, at an average of $12,863, down 27.2% over 2022, and a $6,500 median, down a drastic 45.8%. RNAs dropped to seven from nine when 76 yearlings were sold in 2022.

The one mixed session 2-year-old sold for $5,000 and the 15 mares going through the sales ring brought a gross of $16,850, averaging $1,123 apiece. Hip 214, Grazen Valor, a $47,346 winning full sister to grade 2 stakes winner and 2021 California-bred Horse of the Year Lieutenant Dan , brought a $7,500 bid from Carl Seymour of Coulee Dam. After producing her first foal, a filly by Code of Honor , this past spring, the 6-year-old mare was not covered.

For complete sale results, click here.