The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium left the gate in a hurry May 19, with three juveniles each fetching $400,000 early in the sale's first session.
Hip No. 13, a colt by Tapit out of the winning War Chant mare Wild Chant, sold to Aaron Cohen, who signed the ticket in the name of his ARC Bloodstock for Earle I. Mack. Wild Chant is a half sister to Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner Untapable (by Tapit) and grade I winner Paddy O'Prado .
Consigned by Bobby Dodd, agent, the colt breezed an eighth of a mile in :10 2/5 at the under tack preview. Additional graded stakes winners in the female family include second dam Fun House, Early Flyer , Olympio, Tapizar , and Pyro.
"The page is beautiful," said Cohen. "The colt is very athletic, (he had) a great breeze. He's got a big heart. What do they say, he checked all the boxes. He's a nice colt."
Bred in New York by Gallagher's Stud, the colt was consigned by Denali Stud to the 2013 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale where he failed to meet his reserve on a final bid of $270,000.
Steve Young, agent, signed for the very next horse through the ring, a colt by War Front--Wildlife Festival, by Seeking the Gold consigned by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds.
Selling as Hip No. 14, the colt, bred in Kentucky by G. Watts Humphrey Jr., was a $190,000 RNA at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s March sale. Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds bought the colt as a yearling for $100,000 out of the Lane's End consignment at the Keeneland September sale.
"He's by one of the best sires in the world," said Young of the colt who drilled an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5 at the under tack preview. "I liked this horse in March when I saw him. He's had a really good two months. Basically, I think he is twice the horse he was in March. He trained great. He stuck out like a sore thumb."
The early fireworks continued with Hip No. 17, Materiality, a colt by Afleet Alex out of the stakes-winning and graded stakes-placed Langfuhr mare Wildwood Flower, also going to Young as agent.
The colt worked a furlong in :10 2/5 at the under tack preview.
Consigned by De Meric Sales, agent, the colt marched into the ring with an important page update. Not reflected in the print catalog, the colt is a half brother to Gazelle Stakes (gr.I) winner My Miss Sophia, who most recently finished second to Untapable in the Kentucky Oaks and has earnings to date of $397,800.
Acquired as a yearling for $260,000 by Venture Six out of the Glennwood Farm consignment at the Keeneland September sale, the colt hails from the female family of grade I stakes winner Afleet Express and grade II winner Fiftyshadesofhay, and was bred in Kentucky by John D. Gunther.
"There's a big pedigree update there," noted Young. "He stands on his own merit. The female family has already crossed very well—with Afleet Express winning the Travers. When you scratch away at the pedigree, there is a lot of two-turn, Saturday afternoon distance in that situation."
Nick de Meric said the horse enjoyed a smooth winter.
"He's a beautiful colt. He did everything right," de Meric said. "He made my job very, very easy. He's the kind of horse you wish you had a barn full like him. He was zero maintenance. He handled everything so beautifully up here. Someone's going to have a lot of fun with this horse. We look forward to seeing him as a 3-year-old."