Trio Share Bullet as Midlantic Show Concludes

TIMONIUM, Md – The sun finally shown on Timonium as the three-session under-tack preview of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale concluded Thursday with a trio of youngsters tying the bullet furlong mark of :10 flat and two juveniles sharing the show's fastest quarter-mile time of :21 2/5.

Hip 527, a filly by Into Mischief, was first to turn in the bullet quarter-mile work of :21 2/5. Out of Firey Glow (Smoke Glacken), she is a half to Panamanian champion Normandia (Scat Daddy). The filly was purchased by Susan Moulton for $110,000 out of this year's Fasig-Tipton Florida sale and is consigned to the Midlantic auction by Nick De Meric's De Meric Sales.

“That was a super breeze for a nice filly who has trained really well at home on the farm,” De Meric said. “She wasn't with us, she was with my friend Danny Pate, and she had been working really well at home and she had a very good prep up here.”

Asked if the intention was always to resell the filly later in the spring, De Meric said, “That would be a question for Susan Moulton. But I think at the [Florida sale] she didn't have any clear intentions, it was a little bit of an impulsive move. But when she started coming around in her training, it seemed like there was an opportunity there and she decided to take advantage of it.”

A filly by Uncle Mo (hip 490) tied the :21 2/5 mark later in the session. Consigned by Pike Racing, the dark bay filly is out of Dream Street (Tale of the Cat) and is a half-sister to graded stakes placed Lassofthemohicans (Indian Charlie).

“We thought she was special all winter,” said Al Pike. “She's been fun to train–she never had a bad day, she loves her job. We're very excited that she showed up today and breezed well.”

The dark bay filly was purchased privately after RNA'ing for $80,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“I bought her privately for a good client of mine from Lafayette, Louisiana named Danny Saloom,” Pike said of the filly's ownership. “And Tom VanMeter, the breeder, stayed in and I think he has some partners in her. So it's a group of us.”

Justin Casse's Casse Sales sent out its third furlong bullet worker of the show Thursday when hip 568, a filly by First Samurai, worked in :10 flat during the day's first set. Out of Grand September, the youngster is from the family of Grade I winner Grasshopper.

Also working in :10 flat during Thursday's first set was hip 592, a daughter of More Than Ready from the Grassroots Training & Sales consignment. The dark bay is out of stakes winner Holly's Way (Seattle Fitz {Arg}).

Scanlon Training & Sales was represented by a :10 flat worker Thursday in hip 461, a colt by Friesan Fire out of stakes winner Crafty Toast (Crafty Prospector).

The preview show began on a rainy and chilly Tuesday, continued with overcast skies and temperatures in the low 50s on Wednesday and concluded with a sunny session and temperatures in the 60s on Thursday. In all, six horses worked in :10 flat during the three-day preview. While the show's fastest quarter-mile time of :21 2/5 was hit twice on Thursday, an additional six juveniles worked in the second-fastest time of :21 3/5 throughout the three sessions.

“It was a good week,” said Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sales Director Paget Bennett. “Obviously today was the prettiest day, but I think the track has been pretty even. It could have been a lot worse, luckily it was just kind of a drizzle Tuesday and it was as even as you could expect with what we had. There were :10 flats throughout the three days.”

De Meric, who also had a bullet quarter-mile worker in hip 112, who worked in :21 3/5 Tuesday, agreed the track was fair throughout the week.

“I think the guys up here do a great job with the racetrack,” he said. “Obviously, the weather wasn't perfect coming into it, but I think they kept it very safe and pretty consistent over the three days. I really don't think you could have any complaints about the surface.”

Of the track condition, Pike added, “It was wet and rainy earlier, but I thought the times were fairly consistent. I thought Fasig and the track crew did a great job. There were fast horses every day.”

The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale will be held next Monday and Tuesday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.