Vronsky Colt Tops California Fall Yearlings & Horses of Racing Age Sale
A California-bred colt by the late Vronksy topped the 2023 Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings & Horses of Racing Age sale, held Tuesday at Fairplex in Pomona, California.
The sale topping Vronsky colt (Hip 211) sold for $250,000 to West Point Thoroughbreds from the consignment of Harris Farms, agent (video). The bay colt is out of the unraced Poteen mare Seasontoperfection, who has already produced seven winners from as many to race, including multiple stakes winner Kings River Knight (Acclamation), stakes placed Irrefutable (Big Bad Leroybrown), and this colt’s full brother Perfectionistic. Hip 211 was bred in California by Old English Rancho and Ken Tevelde.
Successful California-based sire Stay Thirsty was responsible for the second highest-priced yearling of the session, a colt (Hip 165) which sold for $225,000 to Steve Knapp, agent for Todd Sheehan, from the consignment of Lovacres Ranch, agent. Out of the multiple stakes winning Ghostzapper mare My Fiona, the dark bay or brown colt is a full brother to 2020 California Fall Yearlings sale topper and subsequent Grade 1 placed stakes winner Finneus. Hip 165 is also a half-brother to stakes winner Fi Fi Pharoah (American Pharoah), and a full sibling to a placed two-year-old of this year in Fiamina. The colt was bred in California by Terry Lovingier.
The sale’s top yearling filly came in the form of a first-crop daughter of champion older male Improbable (Hip 81), sold for $200,000 to Eric and Sharon Waller from the consignment of Barton Thoroughbreds, agent. The chestnut filly is out of the unraced Henny Hughes mare Diva’s Tribute, whose four winners to date include multiple Grade 1 placed Grade 2 winning filly Spectator (Jimmy Creed) and stakes placed Policy (Strong Mandate). Hip 81 was bred in Kentucky by Richard Barton Enterprises.
Also sold for $200,000 was a colt by Flatter (Hip 197), purchased by Slugo Racing from the consignment of Lovacres Ranch. The dark bay or brown colt is out of the winning Arch mare Rapid Repair, dam of current winner Gun Lap (Runhappy). Rapid Repair is a half-sister to Grade 1 placed multiple graded stakes winner Kitten’s Point. Hip 197 was bred in California by Terry Lovingier.
Work It (Hip 357), a two-year-old filly by Outwork, topped the horses of racing age portion of the sale when sold for $85,000 to G. Chris Coleman from the consignment of Havens Bloodstock Agency, agent. Work It broke her maiden at first asking on September 15 at Los Alamitos, where she wired the field to score by 5 lengths for trainer Luis Mendez. She is a full or half-sister to five winners out of the Henny Hughes mare Le Sang Royale, including stakes placed winners Dust Dancer (Outwork) and Vinaka (Sky Mesa). Bred in Illinois by Anne and Barney Gallagher, Work It is a graduate of last year’s Kentucky October Yearlings sale, where she was purchased for $30,000 by Tari Brocklebank.
Overall, 185 horses sold for $5,751,500, good for an average of $31,089. The median was $15,000. Eleven (11) yearlings sold for $100,000 or more, compared to eight at or above that price point in 2022, while 38 yearlings realized $50,000 or more compared to last year’s 33.
Results are available online.
