$1.2 million Bolt d'Oro filly tops the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale

A boutique group of juveniles cleared the Gulfstream Park paddock on Thursday but demand for the top remained strong at the Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select sale of two-year-olds in South Florida.

Halfway through three hours of selling, Spendthrift Farm's Ned Toffey saw out competitive bidding to secure a fast filly by Bolt d'Oro for $1.2 million to top the sale.

The select sale saw a smaller catalogue of only 103 horses, with fewer horses ending up under the hammer. Fasig-Tipton reported 35 horses from 52 offered changed hands at a 67.3 per cent clearance rate for gross receipts of $13,155,000. The average was $375,857, and the median was $300,000. The 17 horses that went unsold represented an RNA rate of 32.7 per cent.

Last year, 67 horses sold of 105 on offer for a $25,360,000 gross. An average price of $378,507 was achieved, along with a $300,000 median. The 38 horses failed to meet their reserve to represent an RNA rate of 36.1 per cent.

"We have been doing this a long time and have all been to a lot of two-year-old sales, and today was indicative of that. The horses that worked and videoed well and then vetted sold very well," said Fasig-Tipton president and CEO Boyd Browning Jr.

"There was a diverse buying group that showed a lot of interest and bidding on those horses. It was not an easy day for the horses that didn't hit the mark on one of those elements. With the early two-year-old sales, it will never be an easy day if they don't tick all the boxes."

Two horses breached the seven-figure mark, with the aforementioned Bolt d'Oro filly selling to Spendthrift Farm from Tom McCrocklin's draft as hip 48. This filly breezed the fastest quarter-mile breeze of :20 2/5 during the under tack show, setting a new record for the select sale. She is out of Rich Love, by Not For Love, a half sibling to stakes winners Concealed Identity and Peach Of A Gal - all under the stakes-winning second dam Richetta.

Coolmore's MV Magnier purchased a colt by Justify out of the Grade 1-winning mare Appealing Zophie for $1.1 million from Wavertree Stables consignment.

The colt is a half sibling to 2017 Belmont Stakes winner and freshman sire Tapwrit and Grade 2 winner Ride A Comet and stakes winner Inject. Consigned as hip 84, the colt turned in a time of :10 flat during the under tack show at an eighth-mile.

"I was pleased with the group of buyers in attendance and activity level," Browning said. "It's no secret we wish we had more horses here, and we will work really hard to try and remedy that going forward. Overall the market was very similar to what we experienced in 2021, which was healthy. I think everybody wishes we could lock in this market for the rest of the 2020 years."

Spendthrift Farm purchased three juveniles to be the sale's leading buyer, spending $2,475,000. Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables sent 12 through the ring, selling nine head for gross receipts of $3,920,000 to hold their place as perennial leading consignor.

"This is a select group of horses here, but at the end of the day, the ones that bring all the money are the ones that do everything right," bloodstock agent Jacob West said.

A common sentiment among buyers was the fondness of the Miami atmosphere and the quality of horses on offer.

"I think the right horses are making the right money," agent Jamie McCalmont said. "There aren't as many horses here as there normally are, but if you have the right goods in the sale, it makes plenty of money. I hope the sale can be here next year because Miami is a great destination for people to come to in the horse business; it's an amazing place. At this time of the year, it would be a great shame if this sale doesn't continue."

Fasig-Tipton's next juvenile sale will be the Midlantic Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training in Timonium on May 23-24.

"There were no real surprises, no euphoria, no despair, and we are looking forward to our next sale in Timonium where we will have a catalogue of 600-plus horses," Browning commented. "This will be the best catalogue we have had at that sale, so onward to the May sale."

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