Donegal Racing, best known for campaigning the likes of grade 1-winning males such as Dullahan, Keen Ice, and Paddy O'Prado , branched out this summer by adding fillies to the roster.
Donegal picked up three yearlings at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale, including the first horse through the ring, a $175,000 Bernardini filly. Offered by Gainesway, Hip 1 is out of Madame Thor (Deputy Minister).
"We have a lot of people on the Donegal waiting list, so we decided to add a small handful of fillies to our usual 10-12 classic-distance horses," said Jerry Crawford, president of Donegal Racing. "In July, we bought a Malibu Moon filly, and here we bought beautiful fillies by Bernardini and Ghostzapper . We will now be able to focus exclusively on colts at Keeneland."
Donegal paid $320,000 for Hip 143, a Distorted Humor colt whose dam, Bonnie Blue Flag (Mineshaft ), placed in both the Test Stakes (G1) and Prioress Stakes (G1). Taylor Made Sales Agency consigned the colt on behalf of breeders Aaron and Marie Jones.
Acquisitions were rounded out by Hip 168, a $200,000 daughter of Ghostzapper out of Coppermine (Unbridled's Song) also offered by Taylor Made.
Crawford felt that the new Donegal recruits represented good value.
"We're especially proud of the prices we paid," he said. "This sale was well above market rate, but the horses we bought were attractively priced."