Records came crashing down at this week’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale at Timonium. The gross sale total of more than $37 million was bolstered by one horse that hammered for nearly 10% of that figure.
Hip No. 385, a son of Preakness Stakes winner Bernardini, announced his presence with authority after working a furlong in :9 4/5. Predictably, a bidding war ensued.
It ended when agent Gary Young bid $3.55 million on behalf of Amr Zedan. Zedan is best known for owning disqualified Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit and 2022 Santa Anita Derby winner Taiba.
📽 Watch Hip 385 c. BERNARDINI o/o G Note sell for a RECORD $3,550,000 at the Midlantic 2YO Sale! Congratulations to all the connections and best of luck!#FasigMD #NYbred @ZedanRacing @nytbreeders @sequelnewyork @DarleyStallions @midatlantictb @MarylandTB pic.twitter.com/WvrJMXtk1H
— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) May 24, 2022
More on the flashy 2-year-old
The Bernardini colt is out of the mare G Note, by Medaglia d’Oro. He’s a half-brother to two winners, and his second dam, Seeking the Ante, won multiple stakes races.
In addition to G Note, that second dam has also thrown stakes winner Mineralogist and stakes-placed Risk a Chance. Risk a Chance is the dam of Grade 2 winner Un Ojo.
Between the New York-bred’s pedigree and his flashy work, Zedan’s team had plenty of reason to be excited. In an interview with the Thoroughbred Daily News, Young said:
“Obviously we thought he was a standout and other people did as well. Mr. Zedan was on the phone with me. Originally, we were going to go to $2.5 million, but he just kept answering. He said, ‘Up to $2.5 million, it’s yours. After that, you’ve got to have me on the phone.’ I kept asking and he kept answering.”
The growth of the sale
391 horses went through the ring at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. They sold for an average of $95,391, up from the 2021 record of $94,375.
The $3.55 million purchase price nearly doubled the previous record. In 2019, a filly sold for $1.8 million. That horse turned out to be Gamine, who won multiple Grade 1 races (including the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint).
The sale of the Bernardini colt skewed the sale’s overall numbers. Still, even with that colt out of the equation, the average totals more than $86,000. Eight other horses sold for $500,000 or more. This group includes offspring of prominent sires Into Mischief, Gun Runner, and American Pharoah.
The sale-topper marked the eighth consecutive Midlantic sale with a seven-figure 2-year-old. Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sales Director Paget Bennett was glowing after the sale drew to a close.
“It just goes to show people can feel confident about bringing that type of horse to the marketplace here in Maryland,” she said.
What’s next?
Two-year-old races have already been held on several horse racing circuits around the country. Horses sold at Timonium will likely enter training soon, with eyes on debuts this coming summer and fall.
The biggest races for 2-year-old horses come at the Breeders’ Cup, horse racing’s year-end championship event. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies take place Friday, Nov. 4, at Keeneland Race Course in Kentucky.
Maryland residents have several options to watch and wager on horse racing, while they wait for the launch of Maryland online sportsbooks to launch. Live racing is held at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course, and Timonium. Those who prefer the comforts of home can get their horse racing fix through TVG, which offers live streaming video and a betting platform.
