You probably won't be surprised to learn that horses by Storm Catwere attracting the attention of buyers prior to the Fasig-Tipton Florida select sale of 2-year-olds in training, which will be held Tuesday at Calder Race Course. But shoppers also showed a lot of interest in juveniles from the first crops of stallions such as Vindication, Sky Mesa , and Harlan's Holiday.
Following is a list of 2-year-olds that could sell for big prices:
Hip No. 71, a Storm Cat -- Moon Safari colt, consigned by Hoby and Layna Kight, agents for Kight/Adams/Mattox & Raymon.
"He's been really nice all along; Hoby has been in love with him from day one," said Layna Kight of the solid, powerful-looking colt. "There is just something special about him. There's something extra about him. When you ride him, you can feel it while you're on his back. The way he moves, when he breezes, he covers a lot of ground."
Hip No. 211, a Vindication -- Apelia filly, consigned by Eddie Woods, agent.
"This filly is a star in every way," said Woods of the sleek, elegant 2-year-old. "She's stunning. She's a fabulously well-bred filly that looks like she's supposed to look. She's the best filly I've had in years, the best since Harmony Lodge, no ifs, ands, and buts about it. She's a two-turn, 3-year-old filly."
Hip No. 173, a Vindication -- Twosies Answer colt, consigned by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds, agent.
"He's as solid as a rock," said Randy Hartley. "He went (an eighth of a mile) in :10 2/5 last week and then came back and went (a quarter mile) in :21 1/5 this week. He's more of a two-turn horse, a distance horse. He looks just like his daddy. He has a beautiful way of moving, and he gives 110% every time."
Hip No. 235, a Vindication -- Charm a Gendarme colt, consigned by Scanlon Training Center, agent.
"We've been real thrilled with this horse from the first day we got him," said David Scanlon of Scanlon Training Center. "He's a big, beautiful, two turn-looking horse. He's got tremendous size, and he's very symmetrical and very balanced. He's just a total class act. It’s like having a 3-year-old here at a 2-year-old sale."
Hip No. 50, a Storm Cat -- Luna Wells colt, consigned by Hoby and Layna Kight, agents.
"We call him 'Rocket Man,'" said Layna Kight. "He's ready to go, whatever you want to do. He's real aggressive." Also watch out for the Gone West-- Twin Sails colt in the Kights' consignment.
Hip No. 57, a Forestry -- March Magic filly named Timber Trick, consigned by Don R. Graham.
"She's got a great mind, and she's a beautiful mover," Graham said. "She does it with such ease; that's what she has going for her, plus she's got the pedigree to go with it. She shows all the characteristics of being a good one."
Hip No. 163, a Harlan's Holiday -- Third Street colt, consigned by Murray Smith, agent.
"He's very classy; he's very smart, and he loves his job," said Smith. "He's a beautiful mover; there's no wasted energy. He's extremely efficient, and he's easy on the eyes. To me, he's got beautiful conformation, and he's well-balanced. I think he's just as impressive galloping as he is breezing."
Hip No. 254, a Gone West-- Countess Diana colt, consigned by Eddie Woods, agent.
"He's a smashing horse," Woods said. "He's a good mover, and he's got a stallion's pedigree."
Hip No. 263, a Mr. Greeley -- Dancing Naturally colt, consigned by Wavertree Stables, agent.
"He's really nice; he's really well-balanced; he's really smooth," said Wavertree's Ciaran Dunne. "We've got four or five colts here that are probably as good as anything we’ve ever brought to this sale." Besides the Mr. Greely colt, according to Dunne, the others are sons of Tale of the Cat -- Mer de Glace, Sky Mesa -- Cocktail Sauce, Macho Uno -- Fourth Daughter, and Silver Deputy-- Major Wager.
Hip No. 176, a Forestry -- Unbridled Spirit colt, consigned by Four Roses Thoroughbreds.
"The owner (Kassem Masri) and trainer (Enrique Corredor) have both thought a lot of him all along, and he's been showing what he's capable of," said Hanzly Albina of Four Roses. "When the owner purchased him last July, the physical and the balance were what he really saw, and our trainer has done a great job bringing him along. We've taken our time, and we’ve done what's right for the horse."
Hip No. 301, a Forestry -- Frio Town filly, consigned by Hoby and Layna Kight, agents.
"She's a really nice filly, very leggy," Hoby Kight said.
Hip No. 76, a Distorted Humor -- Ms Louisett colt, consigned by Don R. Graham.
"He's by a very popular sire," Graham said. "He showed last week, when there were adverse conditions on the track, that he could really handle it. He went :21 2/5 and galloped out about as strong as anything in the sale."
Hip No. 107, a Sky Mesa -- Procession colt, consigned by Niall Brennan Stables, agent.
"He has always been a very forward colt, and he loves to train," Brennan said. "He's very durable, very tough, and very, very honest. He gives you 110%." Also keep an eye on these other horses in Brennan's consignment: a Not For Love-- My New Pal filly named That's Ok, a Pulpit-- My Prayer filly named Blessing; a Storm Cat -- County Fair filly; and a Maria's Mon-- Sister Girl colt.
