“Racing at Woodbine is a great passion of mine. We have won a Queen’s Plate and King’s Plate with two sales grads.” – Gary Barber
Gary Barber could well win his third King’s Plate with another CTHS Ontario yearling sale purchase as champion MY BOY PRINCE will be favoured to win the 165th edition of the prestigious race on Friday, August 23.
In fact, five of the 13 Plate entrants on Friday (the race was unfortunately washed out by a storm on Aug. 17) were purchased from the Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, which has been gaining popularity and momentum in recent years.
FRIENDLY GHOST, by Outwork, sold for $46,000 by agent Sue Foreman for Phoenix Rising Farms to Sue Leslie; MY BOY PRINCE, sold for $115,000 by Gail Wood’s Woodlands Farm for Murray Smith to Gary Barber; PIERRE, sold for $105,000 to Al and Bill Ulwelling by Tall Oaks Farm, Richard Hogan agent; THOR’S CAUSE was a $22,000 buy from Shannondoe Farm by Joe Pignatelli; and ROAD OF THE CROWD was plucked out of the sale for $28,000 by Bill Tharrenos from the Northern Dawn Farm, agent consignment on behalf of Paradox Farm.
The sale is Wednesday, August 28 beginning at 11:00 at the Woodbine sales pavilion.
This year’s auction will be the first for the current board of directors of the Ontario CTHS which is led by president David Anderson, the energetic and very sharp owner of the successful Anderson Farms. Colleen Dalos, president of Tall Oaks Farm, and horse owner and breeder Doug Anderson are vice-presidents.
Anderson had been on the board of the Ontario HBPA for five years before running for the CTHS. He is also on the board of Ontario Racing.
“Breeding is in my heart, my blood, it’s what I do,” said Anderson. “I loved being on the board of the HBPA and I think the world of [president] Sue Leslie. But one thing I think I do well is sell horses and the first thing our board has been doing is to recruit some better stock to our sale. And trust me, we will have the buyers there.
“We have 244 entries in this sale this year and the quality has increased immensely.”
Stallions represented in the sale include big names such as Nyquist, Vekoma, Charlatan, Maclean’s Music, Army Mule, War of Will, Mitole, Code of Honor, Omaha Beach, Cairo Prince, Union Rags, and Yoshida (Jpn). Ontario stallions Point of Entry, Shaman Ghost, Silent Name (Jpn), Reload and Souper Speedy are well represented also.
“We have big-time sire power, above and beyond our top sires, and look how our sires are doing – Paramount Prince, by Society’s Chairman, won the Grade 2 Dominion Day.”
Of note: through August 20 of this year, at least 13 yearlings that went through the 2023 sale have won this season at Woodbine alone, including impressive maiden winners SOUPERGIRL (also open stakes-placed), SKYLIGHT CAPER (Souper Speedy), FLIRTING WITH FIRE (Midnight Storm) and KOKOMO (Flameaway).
The yearling sales stakes for sales graduates will be held this weekend on Aug. 25.
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