Flatter Colt Tops F-T Midlantic Sale

The one-day Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale, which was held yesterday in Timonium, Maryland, saw a decrease in gross, average and median compared to last year’s edition. From 450 horses catalogued, 275 sold for a total of $6,023,900, good for an average of $21,905–down 15.25% from last year’s figure of $25,847. A total of 105 yearlings did not sell, for a 27.6% buyback rate, which was up from 13.7% in 2013. The $10,000 median was down 41.18% from last year’s number of $17,000. A colt by Flatter, hip 29, fetched the highest price of $260,000 from Hillwood Stables. Nine hips eclipsed the $100,000-mark with two going for $200,000 or more. Last year, 11 sold for over the $100,000 mark with just one going over $200,000. 

Ellen Charles’s Hillwood Stables, which campaigned recently retired GIII General George H. winner Bandbox (Tapit), purchased the top two lots at Monday’s Fasig-Tipton sale. First going to $260,000 to secure a colt by Flatter, she later spent $200,000 to acquire, hip 180, a filly by Pure Prize. 

The Flatter colt is the second foal out of stakes winner American Victory (Victory Gallop). His second dam, Who Did It and Run (Polish Numbers), is a multiple-graded stakes winner. He was consigned by Northview Stallion Station. 
“He’s a wonderful size and has a wonderful presence, beautiful physical, gorgeous walk and seems to have a very good line,” Charles commented. “He’s a very impressive horse. He’s a lovely horse, it’s a lovely pedigree and he has a lot of promise.” As for the high price, Charles said, “I really didn’t know where it was going to go, it was hard to tell today what the prices were. It became apparent it wasn’t stopping any time soon.” 

Charles was already familiar with the Pure Prize filly who was bred and consigned by Dark Hollow Farm, the same farm where Charles boards her three mares. She is out of GIII Iowa Oaks winner and GI Gazelle H. third-place finisher He Loves Me (Not For Love). Her second dam Palliser Bay (Frost the Snowman) is also a graded stakes winner, and produced multiple-stakes winner For Kisses (Not For Love). 

“She’s a beautiful filly,” she explained. “I’ve known her since she was a foal and she has a beautiful physical and is a nice, sensible animal. I’m standing Bandbox at stud, and she would just suit him perfectly. She fits well into my program.” 

Hillwood campaigns about 20 horses under the care of trainer Rodney Jenkins, as well as running a small breeding operation. They recently retired Bandbox to stand at Northview Stallion Station. Along with those top two lots, Hillwood Stable also purchased hip 216, a Drosselmeyer filly for $53,000.