Lightning Strikes Twice for Frommer at Gulfstream Sale

Consignor Cary Frommer enjoyed a big evening at the March 1 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale of 2-year-olds in training, with two horses from her consignment bringing seven figures to the same buyer.

Lawrence Best, a newcomer to the horse industry who buys under the OXO Equine banner, purchased the sale-topper, an Uncle Mo   filly who is a full sister to stakes-placed Mighty Mo, for $1.5 million and a More Than Ready   colt for $1.1 million.

Frommer's two big sales, and the $1.45 million paid by Coolmore's M. V. Magnier for a Bernardini   colt who dazzled onlookers all week, fueled a strong market for the well-bred, well-conformed juveniles offered at the boutique sale conducted in Gulfstream Park's paddock.

The Gulfstream auction kicks off the annual 2-year-olds in training auction season.

From 160 cataloged, 73 head were withdrawn, with 74 selling for gross receipts of $25,115,000, an average price of $339,392 and a $270,000 median. All three statistical categories represent gains over last year's sale (gross up 14%, average up 3.8%, and median up 8%), when 66 horses grossed $21,590,000, for an average price of $327,121 and a median of $250,000.

The 13 horses that did not sell this year represented a 14.9% RNA rate, but must be taken into context with the large number of outs.

Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning Jr. said the results show a continuation of polarization within the marketplace, with intense competition for offerings perceived by buyers to be the best racing prospects.

"It was very, very hard for people to buy horses tonight, because it was an intense competition on the horses they wanted," he said. "We continue to live in a polarized market. It's really good when you get the stars lined up, but it's not easy getting the stars lined up. But there are a lot of people who want to buy good horses.

"There were more faces and more activity than I've seen in recent years here, and that bodes well for the rest of the 2-year-old season. Horses are still going to have to work well, video well, and have decent conformation at the end of the shank to sell well. One of the reasons the RNA rate was so low was because the scratch rate was high. That's not rocket science, and it would be unrealistic to change people's expectations by saying the RNA rate was less than 15%."

Cataloged as Hip 57, the sale-topping filly was bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall and bought by Frommer for $250,000 from Dromoland at last year's Fasig-Tipon July yearling sale.

The filly is from the female family of group 2 winner Lotus Pool and was initially purchased in the name of Nitiosagan Farm as a weanling for $50,000 from the Select Sales offerings at the 2015 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

"She was so incredibly busy," Frommer said of the pre-sale activity, as buyers inspected the filly. "The poor thing walked, and walked, and walked for every single person who ever came to Gulfstream. She was just so popular and always walking. Sometimes that happens and it still doesn't work out. It certainly doesn't work out this way very often."

This year's sale also marked the second in a row in which Frommer sold an Uncle Mo juvenile for seven figures. Last year, an Uncle Mo colt Frommer purchased as a yearling for $90,000 was sold for $1 million.

Best, who made his first horse purchases at last year's Keeneland September yearling sale, said both 2-year-olds will be sent to Chad Brown to train.

"I like well-bred fillies. Uncle Mo obviously is a highlight in the industry, and I tend to buy fillies that I think can win graded stakes races and at the same time have some residual value," Best said, adding that he bought the More Than Ready colt "because I just liked him."

Best, who served as chief financial officer of medical-devices company Boston Scientific, said the two horses he bought were the only two in the sale he was interested in. Of the amounts paid for the pair, Best said, "you make your calls and you live or die with them."

The More Than Ready colt (Hip 156) is out of the stakes-winning War Front   mare Tensas Punch and from the extended family of grade 1 winner Liaison  . Bred in Kentucky by Gunpowder Farms, the colt was bought by Frommer for $235,000 from the Allied Bloodstock lot at the same Fasig-Tipton July sale where she bought the sale-topper.

"I think they were standouts in the sale, but I was surprised at those prices," said Frommer, who is based in Aiken, S.C., and buys and sells in partnership with Barry Berkelhammer.

The Bernardini—Winner, by Horse Chestnut colt acquired by Magnier had one of the co-fastest pre-sale workouts of :10 and has a stallion prospect pedigree.

Consigned by Hartley/De Renzo as Hip 135, the colt is a half brother to grade 3 winner Ocho Ocho Ocho and boasts Personal Ensign as his third dam. Broodmare of the Year Grecian Banner is in his family. Bred in Kentucky by Chadds Ford Stable, the colt was bought by Hartley/De Renzo for $350,000 from Paramount Sales at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August yearling sale.

Reiley McDonald of Eaton Sales, who signed on behalf of Magnier, said there was little not to like about the colt.

"We thought this was the best horse in the sale," McDonald said, noting the colt had a slow start before finishing well in his workout. "He had a beautiful work. He's a lovely colt. The good horses here bring a lot of money and the ones with a little issues fall through the cracks and don't sell well."

It wasn't hard to find something to like about him," said Reiley McDonald, who signed the ticket for Magnier. "He had a great pedigree, he had a beautiful work. He had a bit of a slow start with his head up, and then when he leveled out he was something different. The good horses here bring a lot of money, the ones that have the little issues or fall through the cracks don't sell, but this colt, we thought was the best horse in the sale."

The colt was one of five horses to tie for the fastest one-furlong under tack show workout time of :10.