GIRVIN filly tops FTMidlantic Training Sale for $1.1M

By Jessica Martini

TIMONIUM, MD – “Extraordinary circumstances and at the end of the day, an extraordinary sale,” Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning said at the conclusion of a 12-hour renewal of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale which, seemingly against all odds, set records for gross, average and median.

The 2025 Midlantic May sale was upended by a series of rainy days, which more than once forced the postponement of the under-tack show which ultimately concluded Sunday with a session of untimed gallops. Originally scheduled to be held over two sessions, the auction was condensed into Tuesday’s marathon single session.

“Saturday afternoon after we had a meeting with our consignors, no one would have predicted the average would be up over 40%, and we would have grossed over $40 million,” Browning said. “The RNA rate was slightly higher than last year, but the percentage of horses sold out of those catalogued was higher. So basically, from every statistical performance, it was a remarkable horse sale. I think it shows the resilience of the consignors and the buyers.”

In all, 326 horses sold Tuesday for a gross of $44,192,500, eclipsing the previous record of $37,297,500 set in 2022. The average of $135,560 represented a 42.1% increase from the highwater mark of $95,425 set last year, while the median of $60,000 rose 20% from last year’s record-tying $50,000.

Four horses sold for $1 million or more during the sale, led by a $1.1-million daughter of Girvin who was purchased by the partnership of AMO Racing and Memo Racing. Just one horse hit the million-dollar mark a year ago and the 21 horses who sold for $500,000 or more Tuesday dwarfed the seven who reached that milestone a year ago.

“This is going to be a sale that you say to yourself, I remember I was there,” bloodstock agent Donato Lanni said after signing for the final million-dollar horse of the sale just after 9 p.m.Tuesday night. “A top 10, I remember, I was there. The Fasig team has done a great job with what was handed to them. And I applaud their perseverance. It’s not easy to call the shots with this weather. The sale was really strong. Every time I looked up, there was a horse selling for a lot of money. It’s been a great sale.”

AMO, Memo Team for $1.1-Million Girvin

Kia Joorabchian’s AMO Racing and the newly-formed partnership Memo Racing teamed up to purchase the $1.1-million sale-topping filly by Girvin (hip 368) Tuesday in Timonium. The filly was the third seven-figure juvenile of the one-session auction and the second from Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables consignment.

Bloodstock agent Kerri Radcliffe, who purchased a pair of million-dollar colts on behalf of Memo at last month’s OBS Spring sale, stood alongside Joorabchian’s team during bidding on the filly.

“[AMO agent] Alex Elliott and myself bought her for Memo and AMO racing, so get the Memo with AMO,” Radcliffe said with a grin. “She’s going to go to Chad Brown.”

It was a first-time partnership for the two owners.

“Hopefully the first of many,” Radcliffe said. “Obviously, I know Kia from home and I’ve done a bit of work for him and we said this was the best filly in the sale. Memo has only been buying colts, so we needed to get a filly and this was the filly.”

The dark bay filly, who worked a furlong in a co-fastest :10 1/5 during last week’s preview, is out of Scarlet Dixie (Broken Vow).

“I don’t think Kia was stopping to be honest,” Radcliffe said of the bidding. “And I am delighted to buy off Wavertree. I’ve bought two Grade I winners off of them. Hopefully this is the third time lucky.”

Bred by Twin Oaks Bloodstock, the filly sold for $180,000 as a weanling at the 2023 Keeneland November sale before being purchased by Dunne on behalf of a pinhooking partnership for $240,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale.

“We loved that filly from the day we saw her,” Dunne said. “She’s never done anything but get better and reinforce the opinion we had of her. Thankfully, we weren’t the only ones who felt that way. [The result] was beyond our expectations. Hopefully she can reward them.”

The filly was the first seven-figure sales result for Airdrie Stud’s Girvin. Asked if he would have expected the same result if, instead of a bullet work, the juvenile had been part of the day of gallops Sunday, Dunne admitted, “I don’t know. We probably wouldn’t have gotten as much, but I think we would have gotten close. I think we have to give the buyers a little bit of credit. She was stunning physically on the end of the shank. Yes, she put the time up, but she had to back it up when they went to the barn. I don’t think we could have hid her under a stone.”

Violence Colt Makes Four Million-Dollar Juveniles

“I called Vito’s to make sure the kitchen would still be open,” bloodstock agent Donato Lanni quipped shortly after making the fourth seven-figure purchase of the day just as the Midlantic sale hit its 11-hour mark Tuesday in Timonium. Lanni acquired a colt by Violence (hip 544) for $1.05 million on behalf of Amr Zedan. He was consigned by Top Line Sales and was the highest-priced horse from Sunday’s gallop-only session of the sale’s under-tack preview.

“We loved this horse,” Lanni said. “He sold himself. And he is just a specimen of a horse–an amazing-looking horse.

It’s hard to find a horse who looks like that.”

The chestnut colt is out of A Taste of Red (Street Boss) and is a half-brother to stakes-placed Microcap (Wicked Strong).

While several horses who took to the track Sunday did put in un-timed breezes, hip 544 had a pure gallop, according to Top Line’s Torie Gladwell.

“He galloped in :14,” Gladwell said, before comparing the colt to the consignment’s $2-million graduate Muth (Good Magic) and $2.3-million Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo), both purchased by Zedan.

“I put this horse in the Muth and Arabian Knight category,” Gladwell said. “We only sell a couple of those horses every year. Last year, we didn’t have one. This year, we were blessed and we had maybe two of them. This is one of them. And the Uncle Mo that we sold for $975,000 today was the other one. I think if they were both able to breeze at OBS on a good track and really demonstrate how special they are, they would be in that $2-million range. I loved the safety for the horses, but that’s why I felt like those top buyers who are looking for those three best horses of the year, like Zedan, need the breeze show. And they are not going to be able to find those top, top colts and spend the $2 million, $3 million, $4 million if we don’t have a breeze show.”

The colt was purchased for $280,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale.

“He was in a pinhooking package with a couple of our guys and they are ecstatic,” Gladwell said. “They are ecstatic, but I am disappointed at heart because I know that’s the kind of horse that should bring more money.”

‘Just a Beautiful Horse’: Nyquist Colt Brings $1 Million at Fasig Midlantic

A colt by GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist (hip 79) caused early fireworks at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale Tuesday when selling for $1 million to the bid of April Mayberry of Mayberry Farm.

“It’s for an undisclosed partnership for right now,” Mayberry said after signing the ticket on the chestnut colt. “He’s just a beautiful horse who did everything right. He showed up.”

The juvenile is out of Deja Vu (Giant’s Causeway) and is a half-brother to stakes winner Crystal Ball (Malibu Moon), who was second in the 2020 GI Coaching Club American Oaks. His second dam is Sassy Pants, who produced Madcap Escapade and Dubai Escapade.

The colt was consigned by Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables and was purchased by Dunne and Paul Reddam’s Red Wings pinhooking partnership for $200,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale. He worked a furlong during last week’s under-tack preview in :10 2/5.

Mayberry said she thought the colt would likely have brought a similar price even if he had been part of the group of horses who galloped during Sunday’s session of the preview.

“For me, I am Ok [with 2-year-olds galloping instead of breezing] because I also do this on the other end [selling],” Mayberry said. “You see how they move and you get a feel for them. I think that’s what is important, not necessarily how fast they go. It’s all about how they move.”

She continued, “I think he probably would have [brought the same price if he galloped]. I really believe that.”

Mouni Adds $1-Million Into Mischief Colt to  Shopping Cart

Mahmud Mouni continued his buying spree at the U.S. juvenile sales this spring, going to $1 million to acquire a colt by Into Mischief (hip 334) from the Kings Equine consignment Tuesday in Timonium. Mouni is purchasing on behalf of Tagermeen Racing, a partnership of Libyan buyers who will race in the U.S.

“I wasn’t expecting that price, to be honest, but he deserved it,” Mouni said of the seven-figure price tag. “He had a very nice breeze and he is a smart-looking horse. I tried to pay less, but they were on the phone telling me to continue, continue, not stop until we get him.”

The colt, who worked a furlong in a co-fastest :10 1/5 last week, is out of stakes winner Quick Flip (Speightstown) and is a  half-brother to graded winner Following Sea (Runhappy). Raul Reyes’s Kings Equine consigned the juvenile on behalf of his breeder, Spendthrift Farm.

Spendthrift’s Ned Toffey has been chasing colts with stallion potential all spring at the 2-year-old sales.

Asked how this colt ended up in the sale, Toffey said, “This is a colt who is a May 1 foal and probably last summer I was a little too critical of him for being small. And we didn’t run him through a sale as a yearling. We are in a position where we can just give one time. And he’s done really well this spring. Really, I would even say the last six or eight weeks, he’s just continued to blossom. We kind of felt, at this point, let’s just go on and take him through the ring and see what happens.”

Spendthrift teamed up with West Point Thoroughbreds and St. Elias Stable to purchase the $1.5-million sale-topping colt by Tiz the Law at OBS in April and Toffey said there had been a possibility that a partnership would develop for this colt as well.

“We had several people lined up who were interested in partnering and we would stay in for a piece, but that’s great money for a horse,” Toffey said. “Sometimes you have to use the ring to value them. We would have been thrilled to stay in and had several parties who talked about doing that, but when somebody comes in and wants to bid $1 million, it’s hard to say no.”

Mouni purchased five horses for $2,765,000 during Tuesday’s Midlantic sale. In addition to the $1-million colt, he also purchased a colt by Yaupon (hip 136) for $700,000 and a colt by Galilean (hip 187) for that same price.

“The horses will stay here, but the trainers have not been decided yet,” Mouni said. “All the horses we bought here today will stay in the U.S. for racing here and maybe at the end of the year, maybe we will travel to Dubai or Saudi Arabia, depending on the performance on each one.”

Hip 334 was the third million-dollar purchase Mouni has made this year from the Kings Equine consignment. At the OBS Spring sale, he purchased an Into Mischief colt for $1.4 million and a Tiz the Law filly for $1.05 million.

Constitution Colt a New High for Grade One

Chetley and Nellie Breeden, who have been consigning under the Grade One Investments banner for two years now, had their biggest result in the sales ring Tuesday when selling a colt by Constitution (hip 55) for $975,000 to Ramiro Restrepo’s Marquee Bloodstock Tuesday in Timonium.

“We were super excited about him all year,” Chetley Breeden said. “He came out and did exactly what he was supposed to do during the breeze show. We were just fortunate enough to actually get to breeze here. We knew he was a really good, sound horse and we just wanted the market to take him. So we put a halfway decent reserve on him and let him go from there.”

The dark bay colt is out of Chic (Orb), a half-sister to Corfu (Malibu Moon) and New York Central (Tapit). He worked a furlong during last week’s preview in :10 3/5.

Bloodstock agent Seth Morris purchased the colt on behalf of Hal Mintz for $175,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton October sale. He was offered during Fasig-Tipton’s initial digital sale of 2-year-olds in training in February where he RNA’d for $290,000.

“Fasig asked us for high-quality horses. They wanted to do a no-time, gallop only 2-year-old in training sale and we thought he had the pedigree and the fluid action to do it,” Nellie Breeden said of the digital sale result. “We told everyone here there was not one negative reason he was in the sale, it was simply to participate.”

Of the different results from the digital sale to the Timonium auction, Chetley said, “I think the difference was the breeze. He galloped out huge here. We knew he had that kind of talent and he was just able to present it during the breeze. That’s what separated him from the original sale.”

Asked what it felt like to watch the career-high sale, Nellie said, “Tears immediately.” After a brief pause, she added, “And tears now.”

Restrepo purchased the colt on behalf of a partnership of international buyers.

“It’s a bunch of guys,” Restrepo said of the ownership group. “Some of the new group of guys who are in the sport fishing world, and some guys in the Middle East. I spent three months in the Middle East this winter recruiting clients and that’s led to an uptick in the quality of my purchases. And Jose Aguirre’s JR Ranch, who has been active at the sales in the last couple of years, he is the anchor.”

Of the juvenile, Restrepo added, “This colt handled the off going and handled the turns like a Porsche. At these 2-year-old sales, that’s always the bottom line, how do they do it. He was a super professional horse, great bone and very athletic. We just have to hope that he wants to do it in the afternoon.”

‘Hoping for the Same Dream’: $975,000 Uncle Mo Colt to Gus King

Trainer Steve Asmussen went to $975,000 to acquire a colt by Uncle Mo (hip 137) on behalf of owner Gus King.

“He is just a real athletic horse and we felt he was an exceptional individual,” Asmussen said of the juvenile. “He was one that worked and came out of it well and that gave us the confidence to spend money.”

The colt, who worked a furlong last week in :10 2/5, is out of Gaelic Tales (Giant’s Causeway), a half-sister to graded-placed Get on the Bus (Uncle Mo).

He was purchased for $325,000 by Bishop Bloodstock at last year’s Keeneland September sale and was consigned by Jimbo and Torie Gladwell’s Top Line Sales. The colt’s price in Timonium matched the mark set by Jimbo’s sister and brother-in-law, Nellie and Chetley Breeden of Grade One Investments, who sold a colt by Constitution for $975,000 earlier in the session.

“Top Line has sold some very good horses,” Asmussen said. “They’ve had a great sales season and sold some winners from there already this year.”

King made it to this year’s GI Kentucky Derby with the Asmussen-trained Publisher (American Pharoah), runner-up in the GI Arkansas Derby in March.

“We are all hoping for the same dream,” Asmussen said.

Another Crane on the Sales Scene

Clovis Crane is a familiar face at the sales, but it was the next generation of Cranes who got into the action Tuesday in Timonium when 13-year-old Dalia Crane led her first horse up to the sales ring. The young daughter of the veteran consignor was all business as she led hip 292, a son of Mendelssohn, around the back walking ring and up to the sales ring.

“I think it’s a really cool experience,” she said after the colt went through ring where he ultimately sold for $18,000 to Hyteck Racing. “I want to work in this business in the future, so I wanted to get the experience now so I know what I am doing later.”

Asked if she was nervous she admitted, “Yes. A little bit. But I think it’s so exciting that I get to do this. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity.”

As for what advice her father gave her, Dalia said, “He didn’t really give me any advice. He just said do your best.”