Sharp's Pinhooking Group Remains Grounded

Despite knocking it out of the park when a modestly priced colt sold at public auction for seven figures, a pinhooking partnership put together by Paul Sharp and Liz Crow will remain grounded and not get too carried away with its instant success.

"We've had an exceptional year," said Sharp, whose large consignment to the May 22-23 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale includes three juveniles on behalf of the partnership he and Crow put together last year. They are selling their first horses this year.

The group, comprised primarily of horse industry professionals, made its biggest score when a Union Rags   colt bought as a yearling for $60,000 sold for $1 million at last month's Ocala Breeders' Sales spring 2-year-olds in training sale.

The colt, bought from Lane's End, agent for breeder Mt. Brilliant Farm at the Keeneland September yearling sale, was acquired at OBS by Red Barons Barn and Rancho Temescal, with trainer Jeff Mullins signing the sale receipt.

"Obviously, we're not going to get carried away," Sharp said of plans by the partnership to reinvest the proceeds from the nine horses bought as yearlings for a total $600,000. "We're going to stay focused on what's done well for us. (The seven-figure sale) does give us a little more wiggle room if we find a horse we feel strongly about."

Sharp said the partnership's business plan calls for the proceeds of the sales to be dispersed among the partners. A new partnership will be formed to buy yearlings this year to be sold as 2-year-olds next year, with Sharp saying he hopes most stay involved.

"At the end of the day, you have to add it all up and see who wants to stay in and see who wants to cash out," the consignor said. "We want to keep it as a tight group. We hope everybody stays in and we can expand it. (Believe it or not) you can only spend so much money."

Sharp said the partnership's Midlantic offerings include a filly from the first crop of Flat Out   that breezed the co-fastest eighth of a mile in :10 during the under tack show. The Kentucky-bred filly produced from the multiple stakes-winning Beau Genius mare Beau Watch was bought by Sharp for $60,000 from Romans Racing and Sales at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale.

"This has always been a sale where we could get mid-level horses sold," the consignor said. "There seems to be a lot of buyers for these types of horses. A good clearance rate is what we're looking for here."