CLASS OF 2018
Variety of buyers helps spike CTHS Ontario sale
The good news from last night’s CTHS Ontario Canadian Premier Yearling Sale is that there was an expansive list of buyers of horses; the top sellers went to different people from newer syndicates such as young owner/trainer Don MacRae’s group that purchased the $125,000 sale topper and Lousiania’s Bill and Al Ulwelling who began racing at Woodbine in earnest this year. Craig Rounsefell’s Boomer Bloodstock popped in from California (also in Australia) and bought one worth $75,000.
The stalwarts were back: Bear Stables, Robert Tiller, Frank DiGiulio, Colebrook, Catherine Day Phillips, Ricky Griffith and Steven Duffield, Roger Attfield, Bill and Anne Scott and Rocco D’Alimonte and Frank Annechini.
There were some new but familiar faces who purchased horses such as George Bigliardi, John Hillier and trainer Terry Jordan, who has not raced a horse since 2012.
John Burness’ Colebrook Farms led owners with 2 purchases for $140,000.
Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd’s ownership group Entourage Stable purchased 5 babies for $136,000.
In all 152 horses of the 242 were sold with a whopping 90 being bought back.
The median price was up a decent 7% to $10,750 while the average price was up 3%.
The catalogue had 14% less horses than last year’s book as the horse population has been at a new low, still smarting from the disastrous cancellation of the slots-at-racetracks program. Breeders have been treading water ever since.
Breeders with nice individuals were not parting with their prospects unless they absolutely had the right price and thus the large number of buy-backs (37%) held the sale down.
Halfway through the auction, the average price was buzzing along at $21,000-$22,000 but just as the sale started off very slowly, it also fizzled at the end.
The top price of $125,000 was the first six-figure horse to sell at the sale since 2015 and four yearlings reached over $100,000 or more, also the best since 2015.
TALE OF THE TAPE
2018 2017
GROSS 2,816,900 3,630,000
SOLD 152 204
NOT SOLD 90 83
AVERAGE 18,532 17,794
MEDIAN 10,750 10,000
Top Prices
A beautiful OLD FORESTER filly out of Dicey Girl, the same of this year’s stakes winning 3yo Safe to Say topped the CTHS Ontario sale Thursday. Bred by Bay Ridge orchards, sold by Bonnie Rowntree Greener’s Willow Ridge Farm and purchased by Michael Lay, Mike Loughrey, D Mac Racing and La Huerta Racing
The sale topping OLD FORESTER filly, bred by Peter Hansen’s Bay Ridge Orchards is the second sale topper for the mare Dicey Girl.
Consignor Bonnie Greener Rowntree of Willow Ridge Farm encouraged Jennifer Leuty to claim Dicey Girl on behalf of Hansen, her cousin, for $10,000 at Mountaineer Park in 2010. The stakes placed gal had won over $244,000 on the track. In 2016, the mare’s Justin Philip filly SAFE TO SAY co-topped the sale at $95,000 and has gone on to win over $222,000 including the Bison City Stakes and a third place in the G3 Selene Stakes earlier this year. The Old Forester filly is the 4th foal of Dicey Girl and she was foaled on April 30 last year.
Stepping up to buy the sleek bay was a group of owners including trainer Don MacRae. MacRae’s longtime owners Michael Lay and Mike Loughrey have joined forces with the relatively new father and son team of Jim and Graeme Bruce. The Bruce’s, from North Bay, race as La Huerta Stable, named after their fruit and vegetable business. Their first horse was Arthur’s Pass, claimed 2 years ago. They have since bought into three other horses and now the sales topper.
“I got the bug!,” said Jim Bruce. “I just find it so interesting. And it’s on my bucket list to have a good stakes horse.”
The personable Bruce boys also own the Powassan Voodoo’s Junior A Hockey team in North Bay.
$125,000 82 unnamed Filly Bay Old Forester Dicey Girl Willow Ridge Farm Thoroughbreds Inc., Agent Michael Lay
$110,000 68 unnamed Colt Ches Society’s Chairman-Colbra Shannondoe Farm, Agent C. Day Phillips, Agt. $110,000
$110,000 78 unnamed Colt Bay Society’s Chairman Delray Beach Richard G. Hogan, Agent Colebrook Farms $110,000
$110,000 122 unnamed Filly Bay Souper Speedy Harbour Vixen Woodlands (Gail Wood), Agent for Minshall Farm Al & Bill Ulwelling $110,000
$90,000 76 unnamed Filly Bay Souper Speedy Cumulonimble Richard G. Hogan, Agent for Ron Clarkson Derek Chin
$75,000 unnamed filly Bay Goldencents – I Got This Susan Y Foreman, agent William and Anne Scott
$75,000 unamed filly Bay Majesticperfection – Kid’s Collection Richard G Hogan, agent for Tall Oaks Farm Boomer Bloodstock, agent
$70,000 unnamed filly Dark bay Karakontie (Jpn) – French Dip by Speightstown Spring Farm Bear Stables
ARIKE EVERATT-MEEUSE and her 110,000 Society’s Chairman colt sold to Catherine Day Phillips.
Three horses sold for $110,000 including two colts by SOCIETY’S CHAIRMAN, the number one sire in North America by Average Graded Stakes Winners per foals.
Standing at Shannondoe Farm of Janeane and James Everatt and Arika Everatt -Meeuse, Society’s Chairman’s chestnut colt from the mare Colbra, sold by Everatt-Meeuse, was a stunning individual. Catherine day Phillips, agent signed the ticket for several partners.
The colt’s dam, Colbra, named for Everatt-Meeuse’s children, was a weanling purchase meant to be re-sold but she did not make a sale as a yearling and then suffered an injury in a sizzling workout for a 2-year-old in 2012. Everatt-Meeuse decided to try and breed the mare and her first foal is winner Colby Ol’ Fashion (ON). The Society’s Chairman colt, nicknamed Casey, was “one of the nicest horses I have ever been around”, said Everatt-Meeuse.
The Society’s Chairman bay colt from Delray Beach (Harlan’s Holiday) who was bred by Bonnie Greener Rowntree and sold as a weanling to Richard Hogan who then scored as Colebrook Farms bought the half brother to stakes winner Hopping Not Hoping for $110,000.
Delray Beach, a 2-time winner on the track for Reade Baker, had 3 other sales yearlings that sold from $2,000 to $20,000.
Canada’s exciting first year sire SOUPER SPEEDY, who had both 2-year-old stakes winners on Canadian Millions night on Wednesday, was a popular sire. His $110,000 filly from the mare Harbour Vixen (Rockport Harbor) was bred by Minshall farms and sold by Woodlands Farm to the Ulwellings. The mare was unraced but her 2yo of this year was impressive debut winner Stolen Identity, a son of Old Forester.
Bill and Al Ulwelling of Louisiana posted a photo of their $110,00 Souper Speedy filly purchase
Souper Speedy’s $90,000 bay filly from the stakes winning mare Cumulonimble, who is the dam of the good Canadian bred filly Ms Bad Behavior, graded stakes placed this year. Bred by Ron Clarkson and sold by Hogan, the yearling filly was bought by Derek Chin, who won 2 yearling sales stakes races on Millions night including the Simcoe with his Souper Speedy colt Blessed Two.
SOUPER SPEEDY stands at TC Westmeath Stud of John Carey
2018 TOP 5 CONSIGNORS BY GROSS SALES
Richard G. Hogan, Agent 17 379,500
Hill ‘N’ Dale Sales Agency, Agent 18 370,000
Shannondoe Fam, Agent 11 261,000
Spring Farm 11 226,500
Andrew Stronach 12 226, 500
LEADING BUYERS by Gross
Colebrook Farms 2 $140,000
Entourage Stable 5 $136,000
Michael Lay 1 $125,000
Al & Bill Ulwelling 1 $110,000
C. Day Phillips, Agt. 1 $110,000
In summary, the sale was not unlike the past few years where attractive offerings were getting the big money and the middle market slipped. However, there was quite a bit of bidding action and it appeared that buyers who had selected yearlings in their price range got what they wanted.
There will be more news to come in the special digital issue of Canadian Thoroughbred magazine with reactions and analysis.
LONGRUN HALLOWEEN PARTY!
October 16, 2018, scary good!
