Stakes Winner Alter Moon Added to Fasig-Tipton Sale

Alter Moon, a 3-year-old filly who has won her last two starts by a combined 19 3/4 lengths, has been added to the catalog for Fasig-Tipton's July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Consigned as Hip 574, by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the filly's addition brings to 174 the number of horses entered in the July 9 sale, for which entries are open until sale time of 4 p.m. ET. The horses of racing age auction precedes The July Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected summer yearling sale that will be held the following day with a 10 a.m. start.

Owned by JAL Racing, the filly from the first crop of Alternation  became the first U.S. stakes winner for her trainer Jose Velez, a native of Puerto Rico, when she won the $75,000 Azalea Stakes June 30 at Gulfstream Park.

The 3-5 favorite in the six-horse field, Alter Moon eased to the lead rounding the far turn in the seven-furlong test and drew off by five lengths in 1:23.35 under a hand ride from jockey Edgard Zayas. The victory improved her record to 3-2-0 from seven starts, with earnings of $128,255. Prior to her 14 3/4-length romp in optional-claiming allowance company, Alter Moon was second in Gulfstream's Game Face Stakes.

"Her upward trajectory is possibly unmatched in the catalog, having won her most recent two starts by more than a combined 19 1/2 lengths and posting impressive speed figures," said Taylor Made's Mark Taylor. "Previously, she faced older horses for the first time in a race at Gulfstream Park. Her fractions included 1:08 4/5 for six furlongs and a final time of 1:16 for 6 1/2 furlongs. Her 14 3/4 lengths victory earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure and 5 1/2 on the Ragozin Sheets.

"To put her Ragozin number in perspective, recent winners of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) have run numbers of 6 3/4 (Judy the Beauty), 4 1/2 (Wavell Avenue), and 3 3/4 (Finest City)," Taylor added.

A $22,000 purchase by Jose A. Lopez, agent for JAL Racing, from SVG Thoroughbreds at the 2017 Ocala Breeders' Sales June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale, Alter Moon was bred in Kentucky by C. Hunter Hager and E. Claire Hager. The filly is out of the winning Malibu Moon  mare Sahara Moon and descends from the female family of grade 2 winners Bio and Naissance Royale, with champion Revidere in her fourth dam.