Orientate Filly Brings $130,000 at Fasig-Tipton Texas Sale

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A New York-bred daughter of Orientate   sold for $130,000 Monday to top the opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Texas yearling auction at Lone Star Park. Texan Terry Blanton signed the ticket for the strapping dark bay filly.

"Her conformation was just outstanding," said Blanton. "Along with her conformation, the mare's side of her pedigree really stood out. She was just a nice filly."

Jim Helzer consigned the filly as agent out of his JEH Stallion Station consignment. Helzer originally purchased the filly for $75,000 at the 2005 Keeneland January mixed sale.

"She was an outstanding conformed filly, and she had a nice pedigree to go with it," said Helzer. "I thought she would bring in the range that she did, and I think she can work at that level."

Dr. Jerry Bilinski and Martin Zaretsky bred the filly in New York out of the stakes-placed It's Freezing mare Via Dei Portici, who also produced stakes winner Blue Springs (by Wekiva Springs  ). Billinski purchased the mare in foal to Maria's Mon for $44,000 at the 2001 Keeneland November mixed sale out of the Middlebrook Farm, agent, consignment.

The only other horse to top six figures was a $120,000 son of Officer, purchased by Louisiana resident Lee Young, whose son is trainer Troy Young. The colt is a half-brother to stakes-placed Slider and was produced from the Silver Ghost mare Hunt's Corner. He was sold as the property of New Wave Racing, Liberty Bloodstock, agent.

"Being a later foal (May 12), and being a Louisiana-bred, I was hoping he would stand out down here," said Mark Toothaker of Liberty Bloodstock. "We always liked the way the colt looked. He just stood out."

In all, 170 horses were sold for a gross of $1,914,200, an average of $11,266, and a median of $5,000. A total of 84 horses failed to find new homes.

Last year on opening day of the two-day sale, 132 horses were sold for $1,849,900, an average of $14,014, and a median of $7,750.

"We were just a little down from last year's average," said Tim Boyce, Fasig-Tipton Texas' director of sales. "Tomorrow, I think the catalogue is a little stronger. Today the catalogue was end loaded, and it's the same way tomorrow."

Boyce said the effects of Hurricane Katrina on south Louisiana played a part on opening day results. "Some buyers were concerned with the hurricane and opted to stay home," he said. "We really concentrated on bringing in buyers from southern Louisiana and many of them simply couldn't get here."

Hip-by-hip results

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