Sale Notebook: Good Magic Colt Headed to Asmussen

Trainer Steve Asmussen said the appeal of a horse entering the sales ring shouldn't be too complicated. 

He said, "It's as simple as fast. Sometimes we try to make it difficult but it is a race."

Speed he is getting as owner Kaleem Shah went to $525,000 for a Good Magic   colt May 20 in the opening session of the two-day Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale in Timonium, Md.

The colt consigned as Hip 168 by Wavertree Stables, agent, last week ran a furlong in :10 2/5 during the sale's under tack show.

"He looked like the best thing here to me. He seems awfully fast, very efficient, beautiful physical with a pedigree that can be anything," said Asmussen. 

Asmussen said knowing Good Magic's success made pursuing the colt a no-brainer. Good Magic stands for $125,000 at Hill 'n' Dale Farms near Paris, Ky. He is the sire of 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage  , as well as 2024 grade 1 winner Muth  and grade 2 winner Dornoch .

Among the Shah-owned horses that Asmussen conditions is grade 3-winning 6-year-old mare Bellamore , who most recently ran in the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1). However, the colt purchased Monday is the first 2-year-old Asmussen has received from the owner. 

The colt is out of the winning Discreet Cat mare Mellonbrook . He is one of four foals of racing age for his dam, who has three starters and two winners.

The colt sold for $220,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale, out of the Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa consignment. 

"It was a little more than I was expecting, based on what had sold earlier," Asmussen said.

Justify Filly Goes for $500,000

A Justify   filly consigned as Hip 171 saw the hammer drop at $500,000.

The sale ticket for the chestnut was signed by Case Clay of Case Clay Thoroughbred Management, who bought her for Qatar-based Wathnan Racing, which plans to keep her in the United States. 

"She's a beautiful filly by Justify that worked well, and really caught my eye and the team's eye," said Clay, who noted the price was what he anticipated. 

Justify stands at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky., for a private fee. 

Clay said that a trainer has not yet been picked out for the filly, who worked a furlong in :10 2/5 during the under tack show.

Consigned by SGV Thoroughbreds, the filly is out of the Jazil mare Mia Karina , who has had two foals but no starters to date. The Justify filly comes from the family of champion older horse Turkoman and Argentine Triple Crown winner Telescopico.

This is the second time through the sales ring for the chestnut filly. She sold for $175,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. She was then purchased for $230,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton July Sale for $230,000.

My Racehorse Partners on $450K Bolt d'Oro Filly

Fractional ownership group MyRacehorse made headlines May 18 in winning the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course with Seize the Grey . Just two days removed from the celebrated victory in the second jewel of the Triple Crown across town, the outfit made its presence felt in the auction ring, partnering with Ramiro Restrepo's Marquee Bloodstock to take home a $450,000 filly by Bolt d'Oro  .

Consigned by de Meric Sales, agent, the filly (Hip 26) is out of the winning Arch mare Final Reward  and is a half sister to winning, graded stakes-placed Yatta , third in last year's Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3T) at Del Mar. The bay filly hails from the family of champion Kitten's Joy , grade 1 winner Precious Kitten , and champion Dreaming of Anna .

Bred in Kentucky by Dr. H. Steve Conboy's Maple Leaf Farm, the filly was purchased by de Meric Sales out of the Kaizen Sales consignment for $135,000 at last year's OBS October Yearling Sale. Prior to that trip through the auction ring, the filly was a $170,000 RNA for Kaizen Sales at the 2023 Keeneland September Sale. She breezed an eighth in :10 2/5 at the under tack preview.

"She had a wonderful breeze on the first day of the breeze show," said Restrepo, who added that Gustavo Delgado will train the filly. "The track was demanding, but she aced it. She came out of it with flying colors. She has a lovely pedigree. Her half sister Yatta is a promising filly for Eclipse Thoroughbreds. You have to love the family: Precious Kitten, Kitten's Joy.

"And Bolt d'Oro is such a versatile sire. She looks so much like him."

MyRacehorse and Restrepo already boast three Classic wins between them. Last year, Restrepo, in partnership with CMNWLTH, Ogma Investments, and Sterling Racing, won the Kentucky Derby (G1) with Delgado-trained Mage, a $290,000 graduate of the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale. MyRacehorse also co-owned 2020 Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year Authentic   with Spendthrift Farm, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing.

"It's a great opportunity to team up with the Preakness winner," Restrepo said. "Hopefully, we'll have some nice magic together."

MyRacehorse made one other purchase Monday, partnering with Peter Leidel for a Practical Joke   colt. Out of the Wavertree Stables consignment, the bay colt (Hip 234) sold for $300,000.

$400K Vekoma Colt Bound for Dubai

Dubai-based trainer Michael Costa signed the $400,000 ticket on behalf of Jebel Ali Stables for a colt from the first crop of Vekoma  .

Consigned by de Meric Sales, agent, the dark bay or brown colt is out of the Malibu Moon mare Lightning Twice , a full sister to multiple graded stakes winner Kauai Katie  and graded stakes winner Winding Way . Acquired by Kathryn Martin for just $17,000 out of the Eaton Sales consignment at last year's Keeneland September Sale, the colt was bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm. Sold as Hip 137, the colt breezed an eighth in :10 2/5 at the under tack preview.

"(He is) a very athletic horse," said Costa. "We looked at a few by the stallion in the early breeze-up sales. He breezed extremely well. He is an athletic horse who I think will do well in a Derby campaign in Dubai. This colt fits in the mold of what we needed. We had to pay a little bit for him, but a bit of competition shows we might be on the right one."