Horses of Racing Age Popular at Midlantic December Mixed Sale

safalow's mission
Fasig-Tipton Photo / Sara Gordon

Enthusiastic bidding marked the 2021 renewal of Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic December Mixed & Horses of Racing Age sale Tuesday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, MD. Bolstered by a well-received horses of racing age addendum, the sale saw significant gains in overall gross and a 100% increase in median over last year's edition.

Two-year-old racing prospect Safalow's Mission sold for $130,000 to Linda Rice, agent for Thelma & Louise Stable, to top the sale as a part of the increasingly popular horses of racing age addendum. The gelded son of Mission Impazible was consigned as Hip 267 by Northview Stallion Station, agent for Joseph Besecker. New York-bred Safalow's Mission is twice placed on the NYRA circuit in two starts this year at two with earnings of $22,400 to date. The gelding is a half-brother to stakes placed My Roxy Girl out of a full sister to multiple stakes winner Citizen.

Money Fromheaven, a five-year-old stakes winning daughter of Munnings, sold for $120,000 to Stoneriggs Farm to become the second highest-price offering of the sale and the addendum. Consigned as Hip 238 by Greenmount Farm, agent, Money Fromheaven won the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship S. at two and won or placed 13 times in her career to date on her way to earnings of $249,311. The Maryland-bred mare is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Rocky Policy from the immediate family of champions Sweet Mint (IRE) and Invincible Ash (IRE).

This year's Maryland Million Nursery S. winner Buff Hello sold for $95,000 to Euro Stable as the third most-expensive horse in the addendum. Northview Stallion Station, agent for Joseph Besecker, consigned the two-year-old son of Buffum as Hip 333. Besecker originally purchased the Pennsylvania-bred colt at last year's Midlantic Fall Yearlings sale for $26,000, also from the consignment of Northview Stallion Station. To date, Buff Hello has won two of five career starts and earned $96,675. The colt is a full brother to stakes placed winner Latin Spice and hails from the immediate family of champion and successful sire Langfuhr.

Dad's Princess, carrying a foal from the second crop of Omaha Beach, sold for $100,000 to Bonita Farm, agent, to top the main catalogue offerings. Becky Davis, agent, consigned the nine-year-old graded stakes placed daughter of Mineshaft as Hip 83. Dad's Princess is already the dam of a current two-year-old winner in her first foal I Am Yours (Quality Road). The mare is a half-sister to stakes winner Prince Rooney out of a winning daughter of champion and millionaire Princess Rooney.

The sale's top weanling came in the form of Ella Speed, a filly from the first crop of champion Vino Rosso, which sold for $50,000 to Brookstone Farm. Offered as Hip 189 by Sally Thomas, agent, Ella Speed is the first foal out of the winning Candy Ride (ARG) mare Dearest Ella, a daughter of multiple Grade 2 winner Ellafitz. From the immediate family of champion Lord Avie and Grade 1 winner Stephen Got Even, Ella Speed was bred in New York by Classic Bloodstock, Mike Reilly Jr., & Colleen Smith.

Overall, 261 horses sold for $3,905,100, a 66.5% increase over last year's gross sales of $2,345,000 for 182 head. The average rose 16.1% to $14,962 from $12,888 in 2020. The median doubled to $10,000, and the RNA rate fell slightly to 21.4%.

Full results are available online.