Top Horses to Watch at Day 1 F-T Midlantic

When the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale kicks off May 23 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, two of the first horses in the ring, Hip 5 and Hip 12, both striking, well-bred sons of leading sire Tapit  , could be among the sale-toppers.

Hip 5, is out of the Indian Charlie mare, Indian Way, who won the My Juliet Stakes and finished third in the Prioress Stakes (gr. I). She is also the dam of stakes-placed Indian Brava.

The colt was bred in Kentucky by Mercedes Stable and is consigned by Randy Hartley and Dean De Renzo, who purchased him for $400,000 from the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale.

"He figures to be one of the top horses in the sale," De Renzo said of the colt, who is one of the most popular juveniles on the sales grounds. "We hope the market thinks he is worth what we think he is."

De Renzo said the colt, who breezed an eighth of a mile in :10 3/5 during the under tack show, was targeted for the May sale rather than one of the juvenile sales earlier in the year because he is a late developer.

"The clientele we have built are looking for two-turn horses and they develop later than sprinters," the consignor said.

Hip 12 is a gray son of Tapit out of the winning Giant's Causeway mare Jackpot Joanie, a half sister to Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner Summerly. Jackpot Joanie is the dam of recent Fantasy Stakes (gr. III) runner-up Taxable and her sister, stakes-placed Synkros (both by Tapit).

Bred in Kentucky, the colt is one of five horses from Winchell Thoroughbreds offered at the Midlantic sale through agent Randy Miles. Consigned by Gainesway to last year's Keeneland September yearling sale, he was bought back on a final bid of $625,000.

Also being offered Monday is the only 2-year-old in the sale sired by Curlin  , whose growing reputation was enhanced Saturday when Exaggerator scored an impressive Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I) victory at nearby Pimlico Race Course.

Consigned as Hip 121 by Bobby Dodd as agent, the colt was bred in Kentucky by New Life Stables and bought by Chapel Creek Stables for $145,000 from the Darby Dan consignment to last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale.

Monday's catalog includes horses that were among six who shared the under tack show best breeze time of :10 for an eighth-mile. They are Hip 6, a Shackleford  —Intentional Cry colt consigned by Casse Sales, agent for Kinsman Farm, and Hip 185, a Gone Astray  —Salsa City filly from the Crane Thoroughbreds consignment.

HORSES TO WATCH—DAY 1, FASIG-TIPTON MIDLANTIC SALE

Hip, Description, Consignor

5—C. by Tapit—Indian Way, by Indian Charlie/Hartley De Renzo Thoroughbreds, agent

6—C. by Shackleford—Intentional Cry, by Street Cry/Casse Sales, agent for Kinsman Farm

12—C. by Tapit—Jackpot Joanie, by Giant’s Causeway/Randy Miles, agent

87—C. by Giant’s Causeway—Montauk Daisy, by Regal Classic/Crupi’s New Castle Farm

111—G. by Not For Love—Otherwise Perfect, by Lemon Drop Kid/Cary Frommer, agent

121—C. by Curlin—Pathway to Heaven, by Giant’s Causeway/Bobby Dodd, agent

162—F. by The Factor  —Ramblin Rosie, by Roar/Eddie Woods, agent

163—F. by Malibu Moon—Ready Willing Abel, by More Than Ready/Niall Brennan, agent

185—F. by Gone Astray—Salsa City, by Salt Lake/Crane Thoroughbreds, agent

289—C. by The Factor—Tina’s Goal, by El Corredor/Crupi’s New Castle Farm