Tapit Filly Tops FTKOCT

by Amanda Duckworth
Peter O’Callaghan of Woods Edge Farm was rewarded for his patience when hip 984 topped not just the Wednesday session of the Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale, but the entire three-day auction. The Tapit filly, out of Sage Cat (Tabasco Cat), was hammered down for $410,000, making her one of only two horses to reach the $400,000 mark during the sale. 

Sarah Campion signed the ticket on behalf of trainer Mark Casse, who was purchasing the filly for Conquest Stables. On Tuesday, Casse went to $400,000 for a Street Cry(Ire)–Never Is a Promise (Capote) colt for the same connections. 

“We would like to thank Mark and his team for buying her,” said O’Callaghan of the sale topper. “We wish them the very best with her. She really looks like she could be a racehorse. She is very correct, very athletic, beautifully made and has a lovely pedigree. She is by the best sire in the country, and for a big outfit like that, she makes a lot of sense.” 
The bay filly is a half-sister to stakes winner Elliecat (Crafty Prospector), as well as Grade II winner and young sire Desert Party (Street Cry {Ire}). 

O’Callaghan purchased her for $300,000 at last year’s Keeneland November sale and attempted to sell her at this year’s Keeneland September yearling sale, but she failed to meet her reserve when bidding stalled at $325,000. 

“It’s a relief that she got sold,” he said. “It is a big risk every time you give a lot of money for a weanling like that, but we really liked her. I was prepared to take a small loss on her coming in here, but we weren’t going to take a big loss. Her price was double her reserve, so we are just delighted it worked out in the end.” 

O’Callaghan noted that the filly was popular at the Keeneland sale, and was even vetted by Casse at that time, but figures several factors worked against her. 

“She was really admired in September and was vetted four or five times, but she was early in the sale,” he said. “It was probably because there were a lot of other Tapits of her mold coming behind her, and she just missed. She also did really well in the five or six weeks from September to now. She is a May foal, and she grew nicely and got stronger. She is a lovely filly.”