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(Editor's Note: On Jan. 17, Keeneland reported that the sale of the while colt had been rescinded and White Prince had been reacquired by his breeder, Warren Rosenthal. Read complete story)
Florida-based pinhooker Christy Whitman bought what she thought was a unique yearling during the fifth session of the Keeneland January horses of all ages auction, and she’s hoping that shoppers at a future sale will be attracted by his white coat color, which is unusual for a Thoroughbred.
Whitman, who paid $60,000 for White Prince, plans to make him part of her consignment at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. August yearling auction. And if he doesn’t find a new home there, she’ll get him ready for a sale of 2-year-olds in training in 2010.
“He is very unique individual,” she said in a telephone interview Jan. 16. “I bought him for his white coat, but I also like his sire, Devil His Due.”
Whitman and her fiancé, Javier Estrada, operate Whitman Sales. If they aren’t able to resell White Prince for the price they want, Whitman said they are prepared to keep the colt and race him themselves.
White Prince sold midway through the afternoon at Keeneland, and his price was the highest of the day. Alex Hernandez signed the sale ticket for the colt.
“We’re very happy with the price,” said Patchen Wilkes manager Barry Ezrine. “In today’s market, we’re extremely happy.”
Rick Trontz of Hopewell Farm consigned White Prince for his breeder, Warren Rosenthal’s Patchen Wilkes Farm near Lexington. The colt’s dam, Patchen Beauty, is white, and she won twice at a racehorse. She has produced five live foals, four of which were registered by The Jockey Club as white and one of which was registered as gray/roan. They include the winners The White Fox (by Pioneering) and Spot of Beauty (by Skip Away). Patchen Prince has finished third twice in his six career races.
Patchen Beauty and White Beauty are due to foal later this year at Patchen Wilkes.
“None of the white horses have been great runners yet, so the color is definitely the thing that sold this horse,” said Trontz of White Prince. “As a stallion, he could have a multi-purpose use. He could be bred to mares of all different breeds because a lot of people breed for color. If you froze his semen and shipped it and marketed him properly, you might be able to make some money with a horse like this.”
The White Fox resides at Hopewell and covers some mares each year.
“As a matter of fact, I’ve got a mare that I’m going to specifically breed to him, I think,” Trontz said. “I think the cross is good, I have a feeling she’ll have a great racehorse by him. That will shock us all.”
