A stately Indian Charlie colt, which had created a buzz at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training, lived up to all the hype May 24 by bringing $600,000 just before mid-afternoon during the auction’s second session in Timonium, Md. It was the highest price so far for a horse offered at the sale, surpassing the $390,000 paid by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, as agent, for the Malibu Moon filly Eden’s Moon during the opening session.
Patrice Miller of the Pennsylvania consulting firm EQB purchased the handsome bay colt, which worked an eighth of mile in :10 1/5 prior to the auction.
“We’re ecstatic,” said Miller, who declined to reveal the swift juvenile’s new owner. “In our approach (to selecting sale horses), they have to jump through a lot of hoops and he jumped through them very well. This horse had presence. I watched him all week (before the sale); I had people watching him this winter. This horse just makes the grade. He does everything right.”
Sequel Bloodstock’s Becky Thomas, who consigned the colt, bought him for $95,000 from Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent, at the 2010 Keeneland September yearling auction. She owned him in partnership with Dennis Narlinger and his son, Michael.
Prior to Fasig-Tipton Midlantic auction this year, Thomas consigned the colt to the Fasig-Tipton Florida select and Keeneland April select sales of 2-year-olds in training, but scratched him from both auctions.
“He’s so awesome and so professional; I love him,” Thomas said. “He ended up in this sale through a bunch of circumstances, but I couldn’t be happier. He’s performed well every day of his life and he’s got the most laid-back attitude. Our reserve was way below that (his final price).”
Out of the unraced Summer Squall mare Bally Storm, the colt is a half brother to three winners, including Silver Bayer (by Smoke Glacken), who finished second in the Birdonthewire and Fasig-Tipton Turf Dash Stakes at Calder Race Course (now known as Calder Casino & Race Course) in 2008 and the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park in 2009. Bally Storm is a half sister to grade II winner Yarrow Brae (by Deputy Minister).
Jerry Jamgotchian bred the $600,000 juvenile in Kentucky. In 2009, Hill ‘n’ Dale, as agent, consigned the colt to the Keeneland November breeding stock sale but scratched him.