Pricey Filly Tops OBS Pinhook Prospects

When a daughter of leading sire Tapit  , produced from multiple grade 1 winner Evening Jewel, was offered at the Keeneland September yearling sale ring last year, it was not surprising that she exited the ring on a hefty bid of $400,000.

Now the chestnut filly bought by White Swan Stables as a yearling from Taylor Made Sales Agency is the top-priced previously purchased individual remaining in the catalog for the Ocala Breeders' Sales spring 2-year-olds in training sale. The auction takes place April 25-28 in Ocala, Fla., with sessions beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET daily.

Consigned to OBS by Eddie Woods, agent, as Hip 402, the filly was bred in Kentucky by Aaron and Marie Jones. Her dam, Evening Jewel (by Northern Afleet), won the Central Bank Ashland and Del Mar Oaks, both grade 1, as well as two grade 2 stakes, and finished second in the 2010 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

There has also been a significant update in the Tapit filly's first dam since the catalog was printed, as Bernadiva, the 3-year-old filly by Bernardini   out of Evening Jewel, has improved her record to 2-0-2 in five starts for trainer Bill Mott and is currently pointing toward the grade 3 Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The second-highest priced pinhook prospect at OBS is Hip 778, a More Than Ready   filly who was one of two entered in the sale to breeze the fastest eighth-mile in :09 3/5 in the pre-sale under tack show. Consigned by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables, agent, the filly was bought by JSM Equine for $390,000 from breeder KatieRich Farms at last year's Keeneland September sale.

Produced from the grade 2-placed Clever Trick mare Miss Mary Apples, the filly is a half sister to stakes winner Dr. Diamonds Prize, who was also grade 2-placed in Canada, and to multiple stakes winner Miss Red Delicious.

"She was as obvious as the nose on your face as a yearling," Dunne said of the decision to buy her on behalf of a partnership. "We might have overpaid for her, but she was so pretty and we got caught up in the heat of the moment and brought her home."

Hip 584, from Paul Sharp, agent, is a bay colt by Medaglia d'Oro   acquired by Bluewater Sales for $300,000 from Timber Town as a  Keeneland September yearling. Bred in Kentucky by Whisper Hill Farm, the colt hails from the A.P. Indy mare Indian Vale, winner of the Falls City and Fleur de Lis handicaps, both grade 2, along with two grade 3 stakes. A daughter of grade 1 winner Marley Vale, Indian Vale also placed in two grade 1 stakes in New York.