Warrendale hoping history repeats itself at Saratoga with Curlin half-sister

In the volatile world of market fluctuations and bloodstock vogues, Hunter Simms could be forgiven for craving a sense of continuity at next week’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

Rewind the clock 12 months and it all becomes clear. At this very auction, Warrendale Sales - in which Simms is a partner and director of bloodstock services - offered a Medaglia D’Oro daughter of Dawn Raid, who lit up the Fasig-Tipton auditorium when fetching a $1.3 million winning-bid from Phoenix Thoroughbreds, a figure that was enough to see her end the two days as the highest-priced filly.

Warrendale will be hoping history repeats itself when her Curlin half-sister enters the ring on Tuesday evening, and, although there is no such thing as a formality in the world of bloodstock, it would appear the filly has every chance of emulating those sale ring exploits judged on her pedigree.

She is a sister to Preakness winner and subsequent WinStar Farm stallion Exaggerator, whose three Grade 1 wins ultimately drove the decision to send Dawn Raid back to Hill 'n' Dale Farms’ flagbearer Curlin.

The mare re-visited Darley’s Medaglia D’Oro in 2018 after such a lucrative result at last year’s Saratoga Sale, an experience that Simms is able to recall as if it had occurred yesterday.

“There were multiple groups who were interested in her - the Coolmores were there, the Darleys were there and Phoenix as well, but even with that pedigree and with Medaglia doing what he was doing last year, we didn’t know she was going to bring $1.3 million,” he said.

“The reserve was probably half of that. Phoenix came sale night at 6pm, right before the sale started, and looked at her. They’d already vetted her but they came and decided they wanted her at that point.

“The whole experience was great. We always like to take horses up to Saratoga, it’s a great spot, and it’s always good fun selling a nice horse.”

In light of last year’s Medaglia D’Oro filly breaking the seven-figure barrier, comparisons will inevitably be drawn between her and the latest yearling daughter of Dawn Raid, though Simms feels there is one significant difference between the pair.

Curlin: sire of what could be Warrendale's star hip at Saratoga next weekCredit: Michele MacDonald

“This filly is definitely more Curlin,” he said. “She looks much more like Exaggerator than the Medaglia did last year - she was a dark bay, white socks, scopey through the middle - a typical Medaglia who really blossomed up at the sale.

“This filly isn’t as big but has plenty of size. You’re going back to a proven commodity in Curlin, he couldn’t be having a better year.

“I think she’s going to appeal to a lot of people because she can go on and have a good career as a broodmare as well, whether she wins a race or not. I’m hoping someone will get her and win some more Grade 1s to help that family."

He added: “There are high hopes for this filly but also the sellers are reasonable and they like to sell. She’s definitely available and she’s not going up there with a high reserve number to see who swings. She’ll be for sale early and she’ll bring what she brings. It’s a lovely pedigree and it’s only going to get better.”

That much can be said of all Warrendale’s offerings at this year’s Saratoga Sale, with Simms confident their sextet means it's by no means a one-horse draft.

He said: “We always try to take nice horses up to Saratoga because it’s a great sale to sell a horse in, but it’s also expensive. You don’t want to go up there, take a bunch of horses and miss.

“We do have a nice draft. These are a nice, well-rounded group to take up there. I don’t know who the stand-out is because there’s something I like about each of them.

“I’m excited about every horse. We have a lot of horses who'll appeal to a lot of different people, and I think that’s what you have to have in any consignment.”

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No horse in Warrendale’s draft fits that broad appeal better than Hip 173, a daughter of Distorted Humor out of the winning mare Amber Grace. The filly boasts a strong international pedigree on the distaff side, with champion filly Russian Rhythm joined by the likes of successful stallions Cape Cross, Iffraaj and Diktat on the page.

“She’s not your typical Distorted Humor,” Simms said. “She has good pastern angles, a lot of leg to her and has a great female family. She’s a filly with great residual value down the road.

“I think she’s the type of filly that a lot of people will land on, whether they’re European, regional or from the east or west coast of America.

“It’s a very European pedigree but she’s a Pennsylvania-bred, which will have a lot of appeal in America.”

Another who Simms believes will have strong allure to the domestic market is Hip 124, a Tiznow colt out of the well-related mare Stormin Maggy. Stakes-placed herself, Stormin Maggy is a half-sister to US Listed winner Unforgettable Max and Gainesway stallion Afleet Alex - the champion colt of his Classic year having won the final two legs of the US Triple Crown.

Tiznow, sire of Warrendale's colt out of the well-related Stormin MaggyCredit: Michele MacDonald

“This is one for Stonestreet, who have been very supportive of Warrendale over the years, and we’re very excited to offer this colt on their behalf,” Simms said.

“He’s a Tiznow over Storm Cat, Afleet Alex is in the family and plenty of Grade 1s down through there - it screams American Classic and I think that’s what buyers kind of look for at Saratoga; those two-turn, Classic American pedigrees.

“He’s a very nice horse. He’s correct and has plenty of scope. He’s a good one."

Simms is equally effusive in his praise for Hip 163, a daughter of Malibu Moon who is out of a half-sister to former Canadian Horse of the Year Fatal Bullet.

He said: “She’s a big, scopey Malibu Moon. Sometimes they can be a little short coupled and not overly big, but being out of the Unbridled’s Song line the mare is adding a lot of leg.

“I think it was a great cross, because the Unbridled Song also added a lot of prettiness. He gave her the scope and the balance, which is what I think a lot of people will find attractive about her.

“We sold the Giant’s Causeway out of the mare for $240,000 as a yearling a couple of years ago. It’s a great pedigree with a Horse of the Year in there and she fits the bill as far as looks and everything goes.”

Rounding off Warrendale’s Saratoga Sale offerings are Hip 47, a Quality Road filly, and Hip 35, a Bernardini half-brother to a dual Listed winner in Josdesanimaux. The latter, whose second dam is dual Grade 1 scorer Jostle, is thought to be a “better physical” than the Bernardini colt Warrendale sold for $185,000 at last month’s Fasig-Tipton July Sale - the first yearling auction of the US sales calendar.

Middle market a tough sell

The Lexington-based operation came away from the July Sale “licking their wounds” according to Simms, who is singing from the same hymn sheet as the majority of consignors when it comes to his assessment of the middle market.

“It’s hard, because you have to sell horses at every level and breeders are going to have horses at every level," he said. "We need to have buyers at every level and right now we don’t. You just have to look at the results to see it. That middle market is a very hard range to get a horse sold in.

“There are people with disposable income who are wanting to buy horses to run and just don’t want to buy at the middle to bottom end. If you have extra money, are you going to spend it on a well-made car or are you going to go and buy one that’s beat up or doesn’t have the shine? You’re always going to gravitate towards the horse with the shine, the athletic walk and the active pedigree - that’s just how it is and that’s what buyers want.

“A lot of people are taking the risk out of it, they’re pulling together, forming partnerships and you’re not getting a lot of the higher prices. That said, they’re going to good racing entities and you hope that they’ll get black-type for you and improve the mare’s family.

“They said it in March and all the way through June - quality sells, and we need to try to figure out a way to get the middle market back. Whether it’s expenses coming down, I don’t know, but the economy is good - so we just have to keep plugging away.”

Whatever the solution, results continue to indicate that fashion calls the shots in the world of bloodstock. Fortunately for Simms and Warrendale, their Saratoga Sale draft looks to be brimming with vogue.

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