Shot’ Puts Baccari on the Leaders List…

Consignor Chris Baccari had a big Saturday at Keeneland, selling five of six on offer for $1,205,000–an average of $241,000 that was almost exactly twice the session average. They included a blockbuster pinhook that saw the Kentucky-based horseman turn an $80,000 weanling acquisition into a $385,000 yearling. That 380% appreciation was courtesy of a Trappe Shot colt that Baccari purchased last year at Keeneland November and re-offered yesterday as hip 1129 through his Baccari Bloodstock. 

The striking chestnut, from Foxy Friend (Crafty Friend) and thus a 3/4-sibling to GSP Tap for Luck (Tapit), was purchased by Crupi’s New Castle’s Jim Crupi for the day’s fourth-highest price. Trappe Shot, represented by his first crop at September, is also the sire of yesterday’s topper. 

Baccari said his charge was a stand-out from the start. “He was always good, and just kept going the right way the whole time,” Baccari said. “He had an extremely racy-looking body, and I liked the fact the mother had produced a stakes horse to Tapit. So obviously the cross works.” 

Asked if he had been looking for a Trappe Shot in particular last fall, Baccari said, “No, not really, though I liked his foals a lot. But I liked him as a physical. I only buy horses that I feel comfortable racing myself if I have to. I won’t buy anything else.” 

Baccari enjoyed another big transaction with a colt from a first-crop sire after selling an Uncle Mo youngster yesterday for $300,000. Crupi, a Florida-based pinhooker who also has purchased for Mike Repole, purchased that one, as well. The Uncle Mo colt was produced by Sparkling City (Cape Town), a half to GSP Desert Warrior (Deputy Minister) from the family of Storm Cat. He was cataloged as hip 919. 

Baccari says he’s got plenty of more good stock coming in the next few days. “In Book 3, I have a lot of really good physicals,” he said. “There are five or six who could be standouts. Then in Book 4, I have a Concord Point [hip 2708] who is the man.” 

He added, “I love selling out of Book 3, because it’s all about buying physicals. When you sell out of Book 1, you’re hoping a giant tuna comes along and gets your fish, because that’s the only thing in play. In Book 3, everyone can play, and if you’ve something really nice, someone will make a phone call to a person with the wherewithal to buy it.” 

There’s been plenty of discussion about the current Keeneland format, with some feeling that four days of Book 1, at least with the current number of horses, was too many. Baccari wasn’t without an opinion. “I don’t want to talk out of turn, but I don’t love Book 1 being that many days,” he said. “I did well in Book 1, but it’s only big tunas there, and there were a lot of nice racehorses that didn’t get sold. The people in the middle market come and look at a nice horse, and they think it’s going to bring too much and they don’t even bid. When someone says, ‘You’re horse is too nice for us,’ I don’t know how to respond to that.” -LM