Consignor SAB Deals in Wide Range of Prices

Scott Bergsrud's 12-horse consignment at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training embodies his pinhooking philosophy of buying a wide range of price levels as long as he feels they can turn a profit.

"I try to buy cheap or reasonable horses that I can make money on when I sell them," said Florida-based Bergsrud, who operates under the SAB Sales banner. "It doesn't matter if I pay $10,000, $15,000, $20,000, or $80,000. I have to make money."

The prices paid by Bergsrud and his three partners for the Midlantic horses purchased mostly as yearlings or, in one case, at a previous 2-year-old in training sale go from $7,000—paid for Hip 422, a Flatter   colt out of the stakes-winning track-record setter Casanova Killer—to $75,000 for Hip 246, a Union Rags   colt named Bro's Dream produced from the winning Speightstown   mare Splendor Town.

Among the others in the SAB consignment are fillies by The Factor   (a $35,000 purchase), More Than Ready   ($19,000), and Majesticperfection   ($52,000).

Bergsrud, 49, won more than 3,000 races as a jockey on the Northwest circuit before going to work for the late Bobby Scanlon in Florida.

"I was just a rider, but I learned everything (about pinhooking) from him during the six years I worked for him. I learned by watching him and riding for him. I would not be doing this were it not for him."

Aided by Jenny Martinez, who oversees the training of the horses at the training center—numbering about 50 head, Bergsrud has been represented by reasonably priced sales graduates that have achieved stakes success.

Probably the most successful SAB-sold horse is Testa Matta, a $60,000 Barretts March sale 2-year-old sold to Narvick International. Testa Matta's seven wins from 37 starts in Japan include the February Stakes (Jpn-I) en route to earning the U.S. equivalent of nearly $4.8 million.

Sophia's Song, winner of the Caesar's Wish Stakes at Laurel Park, was sold by SAB for $30,000 at the 2015 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s June sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Not unlike other consignors, Bergsrud believes the under tack show works play a major role in how a juvenile is received in the marketplace and its effect on the final price.

"Fast horses draw the people," Bergsrud said. "If you don't work in :10, :10 1/5, or :10 2/5 here, they don't look at your horse. You are going to get a buyer who's looking for a horse, but that upper-end buyer wants the horse that goes in 10 flat."