The first of three under tack shows got started May 17 in 80 degrees of sunshine at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale in Timonium, Md. There were 179 horses breezed on Day One, with 379 more to impress on the dirt over the next two days. On Tuesday, five juveniles turned in the fastest time at an eighth-mile of :10, while one horse clocked a quarter-mile in :21 1/5.
The first horse to turn in a time of :10 flat came during the second set, a chestnut filly consigned by Randy Miles, agent, as Hip 150. The Kentucky-bred filly by Nyquist comes from the female family of grade 3 winner Discreet Hero, by way of her second dam Tapstress—who also produced Cajun Two Step, dam of two-time grade 2 winner Informed. This will be her first trip through the sales ring.
A colt consigned as Hip 30, by Bolt d'Oro , turned in the co-fastest time during his spin on the dirt for Pike Racing, agent, who sourced the New York-bred from the Woods Edge consignment at last season’s Keeneland September Sale for $90,000. He's out of the winning Aldebaran mare Shine Softly, producer of The Grass is Blue, winner of the Busanda Stakes last year at Aqueduct. The female line goes back to the Darby Dan Farm family of 1999 U.S. champion grass mare Soaring Softly, winner of over $1.2 million, including the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) and Flower Bowl Invitational Handicap (G1T).
The fifth set to go out midway through Tuesday showcased three more 2-year-olds who went an eighth in the shared fastest time of the day.
Grassroots Training and Sales sent out Hip 9, a Pennsylvania-bred filly named Tim’s Gal by Neolithic , and saw her light up the stands after going in :10 flat. Last year, the chestnut was plucked from the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company Winter Mixed Sale for $8,500. Her winning dam, Sarahline, was stakes-placed in the Emerald Distaff and Boeing Handicap. The black-type winner is sister to stakes winner Spring Tempest, by Spring At Last.
Golden Rock Thoroughbreds saw their More Than Ready colt, Hip 20, clock in at :10 during the fifth session. The bay Kentucky-bred is out of Seeking Sheba, a winning sister to 2003 Canadian Champion grass horse Perfect Soul and leading sire in Canada of 2011. Jose Silva picked up the colt from last year’s Keeneland September Sale for $12,000 from Paramount Sales.
Another New York-bred colt, Hip 36 by Practical Joke , turned in the co-fastest time, and was consigned by Scanlon Training and Sales. The colt is family to New York’s Champion 3-year-old colt of 2015, Upstart , the grade 2-winning sire of over $1.7 million who stands at Airdrie Stud in Lexington. Scanlon found the precocious youngster at the Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton’s Select Sale of Yearlings in New York for $30,000.
Earlier in the day, Coastal Equine, agent, watched its filly Hip 202 by Collected turn in the day’s fastest time at a quarter-mile in :21 1/5. Out of the French runner Aurore, by Arch, she is sister to the stakes-placed Orageuse and two winners, Carmel Bay and Unbridled Ensign. The Kentucky-bred filly sold for $47,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale from the Paramount Sales banner to Zap-Hop-Murph.
Day Two of the under tack show begins May 18 at 8:00 a.m. ET with Hips 211–420 set to breeze. The sale starts May 23 at 11 a.m. and will continue through May 24, with 636 horses cataloged to sell; as of Tuesday evening, 83 horses have been withdrawn from the sale.
