Pool Land topped the sale – she is headed to Live Oak Plantation
Fasig Tipton photo
MELNYK MARES BOOST FASIG-TIPTON WINTER SALE
It was a long day but the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed sale provided lots of fun and fireworks for those in attednance and everyone else watching on-line. By dinner-time, the supplemental catalogue kicked in and in it were 28 of Eugene Melnyk mares (some with newborns). The average price was up some 230% to just over $56,000.
Melnyk, who is getting out of the breeding business to focus on racing and purchasing young horses, sold most of his mares but said he may still breed a few each season.
The offerings were big, bold and beautiful and the money was there to buy them.
POOL LAND, at $900,000, topped the auction and the Melnyk consignment. She is a Grade I winner by Silver Deputy who sold in foal to Smart Strike to Live oak Plantation. Live Oak, based in kentucky, has been known to race horses in ontario and Malcolm Pierce has been the trainer for that stable.
Multiple Woodbine stakes winner ROXY GAP, who is up for 3 Sovereign Awards on April 19, sold for $850,000 to a syndicate headed by car dealership owner Fred Hertrich. Hertrich, who has bred and raced Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds for decades, recently won a race with Canadian John Fielding at Tampa Bay Downs (Hearty Laugh). He said Roxy Gap will remain in training in 2013 but no decision had been made on where she would race.
A little one by Kodiak Kowboy checks with mama while in the ring – Fasig Tipton photo
INDIAN VALE was bought for $725,000 by Whisper Hill Farm.
SEALY HILL, the Horse of the Year in Canada in 2007, ignited an overload of cute-ness at the sale as she was brought into the ring with her newborn Distorted Humor filly who arrived the night before i the sales barns. Sealy Hill, who has a 3yo raced this year (Hillaby), was bought by NAT REA, the Canadian farm owner who has been on a shopping spree in the last year. Rea, who declines interviews, also bought 2 other horses including stakes winner Carem Crescent and GOLDEN MYSTERY, who arrived at the sale from Florida during the auction. Golden Mystery is a 7yo who won the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie Stakes on Sunday, the day before the sale. She cost $625,000.
