Timing was just about everything when it came to the $100,000 sale topper at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December mixed sale at Timonium Monday Dec. 3. About a week after Unbridled Command won the Hollywood Derby (gr. IT), his weanling half sister by Read the Footnotes commanded that six-figure sum from McMahon/Hill for Edition Farm. The sale-topping filly was sold as the property of Rhapsody Farm LLC and Jon Davis, Rhapsody Farm LLC/Hidden Lake Farm LLC, agents.
A total of 140 lots were sold compared to 260 from last year's comparable sale. This year's average, $8,216, was down 42.8% from last year's average of $14,382. The median price, $4,000, was down 23% from last year's $5,200. The gross fell to $1,150,200 from $3,739,350. Fifty-five horses didn't sell compared to 79 last year.
The sale topper, Hip 156, is one of four winners from five starters out of the Unbridled's Song mare Unbridled Betty, whose half sisters include stakes winners Chartreuse and Tarage and the dam of three-time grade I winner Manistique.
The second-highest price of $50,000 was shared by four individuals. The first of the group to command that figure, Hip 128, is a Bluegrass Cat colt out of the Richman mare Richbabe. The colt is a half brother to graded stakes winner Richwoman. Consigned by Sally Thomas, agent, the colt was bought by Ken and Sarah Ramsey.
A Successful Appeal filly out of the Mr. Greeley mare Bellamusic sold for $50,000 as Hip 166. Bellamusic is a half sister to three stakes winners including grade II winner Silver Music. Tom Keithley bought the filly from Charlton (Mr. and Mrs. Rick Abbott), agent.
Keithley also paid $50,000 for a colt from the first crop by grade I winner Warrior's Reward . Consigned by Sally Thomas, agent, the colt, Hip 197, is out of the winning Private Account mare Gone Private and is a half brother to stakes winner Que Paso.
The last of the ones that sold for $50,000 is a 2-year-old filly named La La's Cookin (Hip 243), who has placed once from three starts. By Harlan's Holiday out of the Notebook mare Cricket Box, La La's Cookin is a half sister to two stakes winners including grade I winner Outofthebox. Consigned by Bill Reightler, agent, she was bought by Foxtale Farm.
Unlike the top prices paid for weanlings and 2-year-old La La's Cookin, the prices paid for horses listed as broodmares, broodmare prospects, and racing/broodmares suffered in comparison. The top price paid for a horse in that category was $30,000 for 9-year-old stakes-placed Solar Powered, who is foal to Jump Start . Consigned by Marshall W. Silverman, agent, Solar Powered is the dam of a yearling and weanling and sold as Hip 41.
