Tale of the Cat Colt Tops Strong Texas Juvenile Sale
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Photo: Denis Blake/Texas Thoroughbred Association
Hip 49, a Tale of the Cat colt, was the sale topper at $120,000
The Texas Thoroughbred Association’s sale of 2-year-olds in training April 4 soared over last year’s auction at Lone Star Park.
TTA reported 70 horses were sold for gross receipts of $1,873,900, an increase of 91% over the $981,300 paid for 53 horses a year ago. The average spiked 44.6% from $18,515 to $26,770 and the median price rose from $12,000 to $16,000.
With 11 horses withdrawn from the 105 entries, the 24 horses not sold this year represented an RNA rate of 24.7%.
This year's auction was the second under the TTA banner after Fasig-Tipton withdrew from the Texas market. Sales director Tim Boyce said the sale has gained the support of buyers and sellers.
“Our consignors brought really good horses to the sale,” said Boyce, who also ran the Texas sales for Fasig-Tipton. “The pedigrees and horses looked that much better (than a year ago). There was a lot of energy here.
"The top end of the market was extremely strong today thanks to some high-quality stock brought in by our consignors. And I'm also encouraged by the middle and lower end. We had a very good median for this sale and the sales pavilion has not been filled with so many buyers in quite a while. After having last year's sale under our belt, I think consignors and buyers had the confidence to fully support the sale this year and now going forward."
The sale-topper was a Tale of the Cat colt purchased by Carrol Castille of Whispering Oaks Farm in Louisiana for $120,000 from the consignment of Benchmark Training Center, agent. Named Dicken’s Tale, the colt bred in Kentucky by George Krikorian was produced from a winning Kris S. mare who is a half sister to grade 1 winner and sire Bandini and British group 3 winner Discourse.
The colt, from the female family of top sire Stormy Atlantic , had been acquired by Keene Thoroughbreds for $27,000 from Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency at last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale.
Hip 67, an Into Mischief colt named Bad Cop, was bought by Peter Redekop B.C. Ltd. for $110,000 from Garza Bloodstock, agent. Out of the winning Officer mare Lacey Officer, the colt bred in Kentucky by Jerry Durant is a half brother to stakes winner U S Officer.
An Uncle Mo filly who was a supplemental entry from Inside Move, agent, went to Susan Naylor on a final bid of $100,000. Produced from Pure Value, a winning half sister to multiple stakes winner Got Shades, the gray filly, named Mo Value and consigned as Hip 13, is from the female family of grade 1 winners Madcap Escapade and Dubai Escapade, among others.
Consigned by Select Sales as a weanling to the 2015 Keeneland November sale, the Louisiana-bred filly was purchased by Tunley Farms Louisiana for $35,000.