A Street Sense filly brought $280,000 a little after 4 p.m. (EDT) May 23 to become the second-most-expensive horse sold so far during the opening session Fasig-Tipton sale of 2-year-olds in training in Maryland. Bill and Terry Mathis of Mathis Stables purchased the dark bay or brown juvenile, who worked an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5 prior to the auction.
The Mathises, who live in Oklahoma City, Okla., were accompanied by David Ingordo of Lane’s End Bloodstock.
“She’s a beautiful horse,” Ingordo said. “Number one, you look at her and no filly that I’ve seen in a while has looked that good at a sale. She’s in great condition and has beautiful dapples on her. She handled everything well even though those weren’t the best conditions to breeze under. Mr. and Mrs. Mathis have hired (trainer) John Shirreffs, who was here for the Preakness (gr. I), and I said, ‘John, you better come over to the sale and look at this horse.’ He and Dottie (Shirreff’s wife and Ingordo’s mother) came over (to the sale grounds) and they loved her. It was pretty much a done deal after that.”
Produced from the winning Polish Numbers mare Polish Nana, the filly is a half sister to the winners Northern Indy (by A.P. Indy) and Five Star General (by Mineshaft ). Polish Nana is a half sister to grade II winner Love of Money (by Not For Love) and added-money winner Astrid (by Concern).
“We were in the (Thoroughbred) business in the ‘80s with a few horses that were successful,” said Bill Mathis, who is involved in the furniture industry. “We’ve been out for close to 20 years, and Terry and I are getting back in as kind of a second business. We’re having fun with it, and we think the business is going through somewhat of a renaissance right now. We got interested in racing again by watching (2010 Horse of the Year) Zenyatta, so we spoke to John and Dottie Shirreffs and we’ve been working with David Ingordo. We have, I guess, four horses now. We’re excited to get back into the business and we hope we have some luck.”
Zenyatta was trained by John Shirreffs.
Eisaman Equine, agent, consigned the Street Sense filly.