A total of 168 yearlings were on their way to new homes last evening following the annual Canadian Premier Yearling Sale held by the CTHS Ontario at the Woodbine sale pavilion. Topping the sale was a roan colt by Ontario stallion Old Forester from Gladiator Queen by Great Gladiator, making the youngster a full brother to Horse of the Year and multiple champion sprinter Pink Lloyd. Nancy Guest of Woodbridge, ON was the successful bidder on the colt who was sold by John Carey as agent for his T.C. Westmeath Farm in Shelburne.
Breeders, consignors, and prospective buyers went to yesterday’s auction with plenty of optimism based on the large increases in gross, median, and average a year ago and the popular victory by sales graduate, Ontario-sired Paramount Prince in the $1 million King’s Plate on August 20.
And there were some healthy prices as seven horses brought six figures (three reached that level in 2022).
The gross sales reached a new recent high of $4,017,790, in part because the catalogue was bigger than it has been for several years. The average yearling price of $23,915 was down just over 6 percent but still higher than the average had been in almost a decade before 2022. The median price was $15,000, down from $19,500 a year ago (which was up a giant 95 percent from 2021) and the numbers of RNA’s remained very high as 68 horses were bought back.
“I thought it was a tough sale,” said Sherry McLean, who consigns horses through her Northern Dawn Farm and stands the stallions Reload and Mohaymen. “I still don’t think there are enough buyers for the amount of horses. One of the problems is that the economy is down. Many think things [in the industry] are going great guns right now but it’s not the case. I just thought it was a tough market.”
The sale-topping colt was one of several horses purchased by Guest, who races as GG Racing Stable, and her horses are trained by Mark Casse.
“It’s exciting,” said Guest, who has bred and raced horses for over 20 years, including stakes winners Honorable Guest and Preferred Guest. “Mark called me [Tuesday] and gave me his thoughts and off we went. We didn’t get all we wanted but very pleased with what we did.”
This was the second time a full sibling to the great Pink Lloyd has topped the CTHS Ontario sale in three years. In 2021, a chestnut filly, later named Just Pinky, was the highest-priced yearling at $120,000, purchased from Carey by Bruno Schickedanz.
Guest also bought a filly from the first crop of Instagrand (Into Mischief) from the mare Popstar for $40,000 from Jay and Christine Hayden’s Saintsbury Farm through agent Cara Bloodstock (Bernard McCormack) and a colt by Yoshida (Jpn) out of Gold Meal Kitten by Kitten’s Joy from Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency.
The top-priced filly of the sale was a daughter of first-year sire War of Will (War Front) who won the 2019 Preakness Stakes who brought a bid of $135,000 from Goldmart Farm and trainer Robert Tiller. The filly was sold by Richard Hogan, agent for breeder Ivan Dalos.
American owner Paul Braverman has increased his racing stable in Ontario and he purchased a colt by promising young sire Mo Town from the stakes placed mare Samsal for $120,000 from Huntington Stud Farm Corporation, agent. The colt is half-brother to graded stakes-placed Keep Grinding.
The newly formed Canuck Racing Club 2 LP, in its second year of purchasing horses, bought three yearlings plus a fourth in partnership with Dom Romeo’s Terra Racing Stable. The latter acquisition was a $115,000 filly by Souper Speedy from Kin’s Ghost, sold by Sue Foreman as agent for Deborah Holmes’ Phoenix Rising Farms.
“I was really happy with our sale,” said Foreman. “We sold all but one. And I was very proud of my team. They were organized and sharp and we were ready.”
Sue Foreman’s team at the Canadian Premier Yearling sale. “They excelled.” (Sue Foreman photo)
Foreman also brought several ‘summer’ students to assist in showing yearlings, young people who had never been to a horse sale and said they ‘excelled’ at the job.
Three other yearlings reached six figures and two of them were purchased by Woodbine’s perennial top owner Gary Barber, who is a co-owner of Paramount Prince. Fittingly Barber, along with Mike Langlois, bought the half sister to their King’s Plate winner, a filly by Souper Speedy bred by Ericka Rusnak and sold through Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, for $100,000. Barber also picked up a filly by Cairo Prince, sire of his sensational two-year-old stakes winner My Boy Prince, last year’s sale topper, for $100,000 from McCormack’s Cara Bloodstock. Barber also bought a colt by War of Will, whom he raced, from the mare Cost, for $60,000 from the Haydens.
“I don’t know if people realize how much Gary puts into the Ontario racing industry,” said leading trainer Mark Casse. “He has supported racing here for years and years and he always buys at the sale.”
And, a colt by Silent Name (Jpn) – Casablanca Kiss, offered by Foreman for Ken Lee, Dennis Mitchell, Gaye Bell, and the estate of Don Bell was purchased for $100,000 by Lee, reportedly on behalf of the selling partnership who will keep the colt to race.
Peter Berringer, President and Sales Chair of CTHS Ontario, remarked, “This year’s catalogue was one of the largest in recent years attracting over 250 entries. One of those entries was a half sister to this year’s Kings Plate winner – Paramount Prince, who was a graduate from our 2021 sale. Selling as hip 174, his half sister, sold to Gary Barber for $100,000. This year’s sales topper a full brother to classic champion Pink Lloyd sold for $150,000.
“It’s been a great few days with our four CTHS Sales Stakes run on August 27th where we witnessed My Boy Prince (last year’s sale topper) winning the CTHS Simcoe Stakes by an impressive 14 lengths. My Boy Prince is now one of the leading two-year-olds in training across North America, with a 95 Beyer figure.
“We thank the breeders / owners who have supported the sale as more than ever it pays to Breed, Buy and Race in Ontario.”
The top-priced filly was by first-year sire War of Will and the first foal of Avie’s Mineshaft. Bought by Goldmart Farms for $135,000. (Sale photo)
SALE TREND – CANADIAN PREMIER YEARLING SALE
Yr / No. Sold / Gross / Average / Median
2023 / 168 / $4,017, 790 / $23,915 / $15,000
2022 / 150 / $3,837,700 / $25,584 / $19,500
2021 / 159 / $3,184,400 / $20,027 / $10,000
2020 / 142 / $2,795,300 / $19,685 / $14,500
2019 / 157 / $3,381,400 / $21,538 / $13,000
2018 / 152 / $2,816,900 / $18,532 / $10,750
TOP PRICES – 2023 CANADIAN PREMIER YEARLING SALE
FULL RESULTS HERE.
$150,000 – c. by Old Forester – Gladiator Queen by Great Gladiator (consigned by John Carey, agent for T.C. Westmeath Stud Farm, Inc.) – purchased by Nancy Guest
$135,000 – f. by War of Will – Avie’s Mineshaft, by Mineshaft (consigned by Richard Hogan, agent) – purchased by Goldmart Farm.
$120,000 – c. by Mo Town 0 Samsal by Consolidator (consigned by Huntington Stud Farm Corp, agent) – purchased by Paul Braverman
$115,000 – f. by Souper Speedy – Kin’s Ghost, by Ghhostzapper (consigned by Susan Y. Foreman, agent for Phoenix Rising Farms) – purchased by Canuck Racing Club 2LP and Terra Racing
$100,000 – f. by Cairo Prince – Hurricane Lorraine by Weather Warning (consigned by Cara Bloodstock (Bernard McComrach), agent) – purchased by Gary Barber
$100,000 – c. by Silent Name (Jpn) – Casablanca Kiss, by Pure Prize (consigned by Susan Y. Foreman, agent for Ken Lee, Dennis Mitchell, Gaye Bell, and the Estate of Don Bell) – purchased by Ken Lee
$100,000– f. by Souper Speedy – Platinum Steel by Eddington (consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent) – purchased by Gary Barber
$90,000 – c. by Frosted – Naughty Holiday by Harlan’s Holiday (consigned by Richard Hogan, agent) – purchased by Thomas Uniacke and Joe Pignatelli
$80,000 – c. by Instagrand – Jesters Jazz by Mr. Jester (consigned by Susan Y. Foreman, agent) – Purchased by Santino DiPaoloa
$75,000 – c. by Big Screen – Executive Affair by Bold Executive (consigned by Spring Farm) – purchased by Derek Chin
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