Mopotism Most Expensive Auction Buy Among Oaks Fillies

When Crupi's New Castle Farm sent Mopotism to the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Florida March sale of 2-year-olds in training, the well-bred filly's pre-sale vet report showed a chip in her right ankle.

While many potential buyers viewed such a defect as a negative, agent Dennis O'Neill saw it as a competitive advantage. Sired by Uncle Mo  , the filly was produced from the Bernardini   mare Peppy Rafaela, a half sister to grade 1 winner Songster.

Scouting the auction on behalf of Paul Reddam's Reddam Racing, O'Neill was willing to overlook the chip if he could get the bay filly at a lesser price.

"I told Paul she was so well-bred we should still buy her, especially if we could (get) her for 50 cents on the dollar, and that we would be giving her time off anyway," said O'Neill, whose keen eye yielded Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winners I'll Have Another   and Nyquist  , as well as this year's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) winner and Derby contender Irap, all trained by his brother Doug for Reddam. "We thought she would go for $800,000-900,000 and we got her for $300,000."

O'Neill said the chip was removed and "she hasn't taken a bad step since."

Winner of the Island Fashion Stakes at Sunland Park and placed in grade 1 and 2 company at Santa Anita Park, Mopotism is the most expensive of four entrants or also-eligibles for the May 5 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) that were sold at auction.

"She's one we've been waiting on to step up and we hope that's in the Oaks," O'Neill said.

Bred in Kentucky by Frank Batten, Mopotism previously went through the sale ring twice before ending up with Reddam. She was initially bought by McMahon and Hill Bloodstock for $135,000 from Blandford Stud at the 2014 Keeneland November sale and was acquired by Crupi for $200,000 when she was consigned by Hidden Brook at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August yearling sale.

Two in the Oaks field—Vexatious and Sailor's Valentine—as well as also-eligible Summer Luck were purchased out of the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Trained by Neil Drysdale for Calumet Farm, multiple graded-placed Vexatious is a daughter of Giant's Causeway   sold by Taylor Made Sales Agency to BBA (Ireland) for $150,000. Bred in Kentucky by James Weigel, the bay filly is out of Dream of Summer, whose five graded stakes wins included the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1).

Semaphore Racing went to $100,000 to obtain the gray Sailor's Valentine from Highclere at Keeneland, where the filly most recently won the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) for Semaphore and Homewrecker Racing. The daughter of Mizzen Mast  , out of the winning Tale of the Cat   mare Sortilege and bred in Kentucky by Curtis Green, was picked out of the sale by her trainer, Eddie Kenneally.

Gary Barber's Summer Luck, who could get into the Oaks if any of the initial 14 drawn into the field scratch before the 4 p.m. ET deadline May 4, went through the sale ring twice. The daughter of Lookin At Lucky   trained by Mark Casse was bought by Walter Bloodstock for $17,000 from Hidden Brook at the 2014 Keeneland November sale and then purchased by Atlantic Bloodstock for $40,000 from Hunter Valley Farm at Keeneland as a yearling.

Bred in Kentucky by Imperious Stable and Lookin at Lucky Syndicate, the filly is out of the unraced Deputy Minister mare Seasonal.