$1-Million Corniche Colt to Ackerley

A son of Corniche (hip 473) became the third juvenile to reach seven figures at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale when Susan Montanye signed the ticket at $1 million to acquire the colt on behalf of Lee Ackerley Tuesday. The juvenile will be trained by Steve Asmussen.

“Steve Asmussen was here and he watched the breeze and picked this horse out for Mr. Ackerley,” Montanye said. “He went back to the track today and called and asked if I would bid on the horse on behalf of them.”

The bay colt is out of stakes-placed Secret Union (Dixie Union). He was consigned to Tuesday's sale by De Meric Sales, which purchased him for $270,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. He had originally been expected to sell at the OBS March sale.

“He has always trained really, really well, but he didn't have his best day in the breeze show at OBS,” consignor Tristan De Meric said. “He stayed on his left lead and worked in :10 1/5. He had a bit of attention at the sale, but we thought he deserved another shot. He's a May foal and we thought this was an obvious place to bring him. I am thrilled with the way he was received and the way he has blossomed in the last 60 days.”

The De Merics bought into Corniche as a yearling before selling him for $1.5 million at the 2021 OBS April sale.

“We are very proud of the way Corniche has started off his stallion career,” De Meric said. “We sought out a few Corniches to buy last year. Many of them made the list. They all moved very well and they have really handled the training.”

Tuesday's result was Corniche's second million-dollar result of the spring. Legion Bloodstock purchased a colt by the Coolmore stallion for $1.35 million at the OBS March sale. And his 2-year-olds are off to a fast start on the track, with two winners from two starters, including 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' Fanshell Beach.

“They are unbelievably level-headed, classy horses to be around,” De Meric said of Corniche's first 2-year-olds. “We had seven in the barn this year and they all thrived the more pressure you put on them. They just handle it all so easily. I am excited to see what the next few years look like for Corniche.”