Smart Strike Filly Sets Midlantic Record

By Jessica Martini

The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale began Monday in Timonium with a powerful opening session highlighted by the Maryland auction house's first-ever million-dollar sale. A filly by Smart Strike (hip 43) set the Midlantic ring alight when selling for $1.25 million to bloodstock agent Ben McElroy, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed partnership. Eddie Woods consigned the filly on behalf of Mike Moreno's Southern Equine Stables. 

“I was always hopeful that we could sell one for a $1 million and it was so thrilling to watch it happen,” commented Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sales director Paget Bennett. 

Trappe Shot was the Midlantic's previous high price, selling for $850,000 at the 2009 2-Year-Olds-in Training sale. 
During Monday's session, 127 horses sold for $13,047,000. The opening-session average jumped 49.4% to $102,732 and the median rose 30.4% to $45,000. The buy-back rate was 23%. 

At last year's opening session, 168 horses sold for $11,553,000, an average of $68,768 and a median of $34,500. The buy-back rate was 26%. 

Led by the $1.25-million Smart Strike filly, 18 horses sold for $200,000 or over Monday in Timonium. Only 10 reached that level a year ago, with the session's top price $520,000. Three horses bettered that top price Monday. 

The Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale continues Tuesday at 10 a.m. 

“We are hoping that we have another fun day tomorrow,” Bennett smiled.

Smart Strike Filly Sets Midlantic Record…

A filly by the late Smart Strike became the highest-priced horse to ever sell at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale Monday, bringing a final bid of $1.25 million from bloodstock agent Ben McElroy. McElroy, acting on behalf of an undisclosed existing partnership, did his bidding while on the phone standing alongside trainer Simon Callaghan. Fasig-Tipton's Boyd Browning, acting for an undisclosed phone bidder, was underbidder on the filly. 

“She is by a top-class stallion,” McElroy said of hip 43, whose sire Smart Strike passed away in March. “I bought a Grade I winner [Swagger Jack] by the stallion before. She's a very good physical, she breezed great on the track and galloped out nicely. She goes back to a great family.” 

The juvenile is out of Crystal Current (A.P. Indy), a daughter of multiple Grade I winner Dream Supreme (Seeking the Gold) and a full-sister to Grade I winner Majestic Warrior. 

The previous Midlantic record was set by Trappe Shot, who sold for $850,000 in 1999. McElroy admitted he was prepared for the filly's record price tag. 

“A lot of these fillies throughout the 2-year-old sales this year have been in great demand,” he said. “And this is probably one of the best pedigrees that's been through the 2-year-old sales this year. So we expected it was going to be close to that [price].” 

Callaghan added, “She was our pick of the sale. She's a great physical and very well-balanced with a pedigree to back it up. We're excited to get this filly.” 

The filly was bred by Southern Equine Stables and was one of 10 juveniles from Mike Moreno's operation catalogued for the two-day sale through Eddie Woods's consignment. Southern Equine purchased Crystal Current, in foal to Distorted Humor, for $3.1 million at the 2008 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale. The mare produced a colt by Medaglia d'Oro in 2014. 

“She's a filly with a beautiful physical, with pedigree and she worked good–she was the whole package,” commented Woods. 

The consignor admitted, “I didn't think she would bring $1 million–I thought she would bring $700,000 or $800,000.” 

Rosenblum Syndicate Grows… 

The Lady Sheila Stable Two syndicate, led by Sheila Rosenblum, added a 10th juvenile to its roster Monday in Timonium when going to $840,000 for a colt by Pioneerof the Nile. Rosenblum sat alongside trainer Linda Rice in a back row of the sales pavilion. 

“He is by Pioneerof the Nile, who has been a great stallion so far.” Rice said of the colt's appeal. “The mare has thrown some nice horses, too. He had a brilliant breeze on the racetrack and he had great conformation at the barn.” 

Hip 165 is out of Lantern Glow (Mineshaft) and is a half-brother to last year's GII Remsen S. winner Leave the Light On (Horse Greeley). He was consigned by De Meric Sales, agent. Nick de Meric purchased the youngster for $150,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. The juvenile worked a quarter in :21 2/5 during last week's under-tack show. 
Rice admitted Rosenblum was determined to add the colt to her all-women syndicate. 

“Sheila really wanted this one,” the trainer said. “I explained to Sheila, because of the stallion he is by this year, he was going to be difficult to buy. The mare's side of the family has been very active, as well. There are a lot of things there–we knew it was going to be difficult to buy him. But every time I wanted to stop, Sheila said to keep going. I shook my head no and she said just one more bid.” 

Rosenblum, a former model, added, “He's got quite a spectacular pedigree with a lot of potential.” 

Of her prodding Rice for one more bid, Rosenblum said, “Let's hope that little bit more pays off someday.” 

An alumna of The Royal Ballet School and the School of American Ballet, Rosenblum admitted there was one name that jumped out at her on the colt's page. “I saw the name Balanchine in there,” she smiled, referencing the G1 Epsom Oaks winner named for the legendary ballet choreographer. 

Among the Lady Sheila Stable syndicate's notable juvenile purchases this spring was a $950,000 colt by Broken Vow at OBS March and a $900,000 colt by Bernardini at OBS April. 

“Obviously this colt looks like he might be more of a sprinter,” Rice said of Monday's purchase. “Our goal is to get horses to run a route of ground as well. We did that with the Broken Vow colt and the Bernardini colt, so we're trying to mix it up a little bit. Sometimes when you see a brilliant horse, you can't always necessarily worry about whether it's a colt who is going to win the Derby.” 

“We are looking for a team of athletes,” Rosenblum added. 

Pioneerof the Nile Colt to Skychai Racing… 

Trainer Mike Maker, bidding on behalf of Harvey Diamond's Skychai Racing, went to $500,000 to secure a colt by Pioneerof the Nile from the McKathan Brothers consignment. 

“We loved his work, obviously,” Maker said of hip 121, who worked a furlong last week in :10 2/5. “He's a beautiful mover. We loved him.” 

The juvenile is out of Coastal Flag (Boston Harbor), a full-sister to stakes winner and graded stakes placed Boston Park. 
Asked what he thought of the colt's final price tag, Maker admitted, “It's always a little higher than you want.” The trainer then gestured to Diamond and added, “But I couldn't stop him.” 

For his part, Diamond said, “I think we would have gone a little bit more.” 

Diamond, a Louisville-based doctor, was co-owner of juvenile champion Hansen (Tapit) and campaigns multiple stakes winner General A Rod (Roman Ruler), graded stakes placed Moro Tap (Tapit) and stakes-placed Pepper Roani (Broken Vow). 

The bay juvenile was purchased by the McKathan Brothers for $50,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. J.B. McKathan knew he had a special horse at the sale. 

“I really try not to have expectations, but I knew I had brought a really good colt up here,” McKathan said. “We bought a really pretty yearling, but he's grown up and filled out. He's stretched out. He is a really, really beautiful horse.” 
McKathan said he thought he had found a bargain when he signed the ticket on the colt last fall. 

“When we bought him, we thought we were going to have to pay a lot more for him then,” he explained. “He was never a mystery. He was always a good horse from day one. We had high expectations and they paid off.” 

McKathan acknowledged the recent exploits of GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) likely made his charge more popular in the sales ring Monday. 

“I'm sure American Pharoah helped a lot,” said McKathan, who broke the dual-Classic winner. “But we bring horses all over the country to these sales and you know when you have a good one. And when you bring a good one they are hard to hide. That's what makes them bring that kind of money; when you put them on the racetrack and they move properly and show their talent, and come back to the barn on the shank and they are really awesome horses–there are a lot of people looking for a really good horse, so it becomes a wrestling match.” 

McKathan said he saw some similiarities between the juvenile and American Pharoah. 

“American Pharoah is a big, strong beautiful horse and this horse is too,” he said. “Both of them move really good. I would say there are a lot of similiarities.”

Pinhooking Coup for Ordonez…

Monday's session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale may have been topped by the company's first-ever seven-figure sale, but for Angel Ordonez the sale of hip 137 proved just as dramatic. Ordonez, a 23-year-old native of Mexico, purchased the filly by Hat Trick (Jpn) for just $1,800 at last year's OBS October sale. The juvenile rewarded the investment when selling for $85,000 in Timonium. 

“When I looked at her, I thought she was a nice, big filly and I liked her walk,” Ordonez explained through an interpreter. “I thought she had potential.” 

Ordonez, whose family was involved in racing in Mexico, has been in the U.S. since he was 16 and works as an exercise rider for Tom McCrocklin and Ciaran Dunne, who consigned hip 137 on Ordonez's behalf. 

“I've been buying horses for about three years now,” Ordonez said. “I try to buy three or four a year and this was my biggest sale so far.” 

Ordonez has been impressed with how his filly had progressed since he purchased her last fall. 

“I am an exercise rider, so I've been riding her as she's been training and she's just been getting better,” he said. “I knew she was a good filly and I felt really good about the way she'd been training.” 

After working for Ocala consignors in the mornings, Ordonez then goes on to train his own horses during the day. He is already looking ahead to the day he will be able to consign his own horses. 

“It's my intention to keep buying horses and to keep growing,” he said. “Now, I have people consign horses for me, but someday I hope to consign them myself.”