11 bring six-figure prices

The Tattersalls January Select Mixed Sale, held Monday, Jan. 15, in the race paddock at the Meadowlands, was buoyed by two conditions: the influx of purse money at tracks with expanded gaming and a catalog full of top racing and breeding prospects.

As a result, the 302 horses that were sold brought an average price of $24,401, with 11 horses fetching prices of $100,000 or more and four of those bringing $200,000 or more. Buyers spent $7,369,000, with another $480,000 in horses going through the sale ring but failing to bring their reserve prices.

“The strength of the market is outstanding right now, especially for racehorses,” said Tattersalls general manager Geoffrey Stein. “I think the market is going to intensify as purses increase. I don’t think prices are going down.”

Stein said he had an inkling the sale would be strong in the days leading up to the sale. “We had a lot of requests early on for credit, so there was a big build up,” he noted. “As it turned out, we had a huge crowd. It was packed.”

The sale topper was the trotting broodmare prospect Ticket To Glide 2, 1:59h; 3, 1:55.3 ($498,063). Consigned by Preferred Equine Marketing for the Mentally Stable and Angie Stiller, the 5-year-old daughter of Yankee Glide out of the Joie de View mare Her Excellence was bought for $220,000 by Joyceann McClelland of Ohio. McClelland and her husband, Richard, have a small racing and breeding operation.

The demand for male racehorses gave the sale a big boost as three brought bids of $200,000: the 3-year-old pacer Glass Pack and the 4 year olds Cactus Creek and Givemebackmybullets. The 69 male pacers that went through the ring generated an average price of $28,613.

Peter Heffering, who last year lost three notable horses—the stallions Astreos and Strong Yankee and the racehorse Leading X Ample, bought Glass Pack, a top Illinois freshman last year. The other $200,000-plus prices were paid for Cactus Creek, last year’s Adios champion and a heat winner of the Little Brown Jug, who went to Mardon Stables of Ontario, and Givemebackmybullets, who was acquired by another Canadian operation, Gestion Zane Inc. of Quebec.

The speedy Devilfish, who won in 1:48.3 at the Meadowlands the Saturday night before the auction, was consigned to be sold by Northwood Bloodstock Agency, but after the huge mile at the Big M, the horse was withdrawn. Bono Bests, a winner of 10 of 28 starts last year at age three, was another out.

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