With an eye fixed towards the largest prize within the sport—stallion prospects—John Stewart’s Resolute Bloodstock purchased a pair of seven-figure yearling colts Aug. 5 on opening night time of Fasig-Tipton’s The Saratoga Sale.
Stewart went to $1.7 million for Hip 75, a Gun Runner half to grade 1 winner and sire Leofric , from Bluewater Gross sales, agent. Earlier within the night time, Stewart bid $1.5 million to land a Charlatan colt and half brother to main freshman sire Complexity from Warrendale Gross sales, agent for Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings.
Stewart mentioned he is considering his colt purchases by way of the lens of his racing steady and their stallion potential.
“I feel it’s important to. There have been some nice bodily horses right here, however you then’re asking your self if this one does all the pieces it is purported to do, what are you gonna do with it if it would not have (a stallion’s) pedigree web page,” Stewart mentioned. “So in fact we’re searching for horses that may have industrial worth if all the pieces works out, and it is a massive if, these are yearlings.
“We expect we acquired two of the 5 nicest colts tonight, and that was one thing on our record with us beginning a breed-to-race operation. We’re attempting to fill in (the racing steady). We now have 23 yearlings proper now. And you understand it’s important to take part in these gross sales if you need entry to a few of the finest colts. You simply take a look at Sierra Leone and a few of the different horses which have come out of those gross sales.”
Hip 75, a Gun Runner colt, within the gross sales ring at Fasig-Tipton’s The Saratoga Sale
The Gun Runner colt, out of the unraced Unbridled’s Tune mare Girl Godiva , is intently associated to Leofric, who’s by Gun Runner’s sire, Sweet Trip .
“He is an incredible bodily specimen and he is a Gun Runner colt, I imply, what else do it’s important to say about him?” Stewart mentioned.
Consignor Bluewater Gross sales, as agent, bought Girl Godiva, in foal to Sweet Trip, for $600,000 on the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale. Hip 75 was bred in Kentucky by Cypress Creek Equine.
Hip 57, the Charlatan colt Stewart bought earlier within the night time, has top-of-the-line and most present pages within the Saratoga sale. Out of the Sure It is True mare Goldfield , the colt is a half to Complexity (Maclean’s Music ) and Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) winner and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) runner-up Valadorna (Curlin ). Valadorna is the dam of present 3-year-old Tuscan Gold , who completed third within the Louisiana Derby (G2) and fourth within the Preakness Stakes (G1).
“We expect Charlatan goes to emerge as an excellent stallion, and Stonestreet bred (Hip 57). That claims lots. Any time Barbara Banke’s identify is related to one thing, it provides you a number of confidence as a purchaser,” Stewart mentioned.
Hip 57 is from the primary crop of grade 1 winner Charlatan. The good son of Speightstown stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms for an marketed charge of $50,000. He gained the Arkansas Derby (G1) and the Malibu Stakes (G1) as a 3-year-old, with a runner-up end within the Saudi Cup (G1) at age 4.
Warrendale Gross sales’ Kitty Day was delighted with the end result for Hip 57.
“Everybody beloved him,” Day mentioned. “He is lovely, he has a stallion’s pedigree, nice bodily, and an incredible illustration of Stonestreet and Charlatan. We’re thrilled that Mrs. Banke and the entire Stonestreet staff gave him to us to promote.”
Stewart mentioned he was on monitor with what the colt would convey, however he was ready to spend much more.
“There have been just a few horses right here that in my thoughts are a hundred percent coming dwelling with me, and he was certainly one of them,” Stewart mentioned. “It takes lots to undergo our complete course of, to undergo 120 horses and get down to 6 or 10 that you just’re gonna purchase.”
John Stewart on the grounds forward of Fasig-Tipton’s Saratoga Sale
Stewart additionally bought three fillies Monday night time. He purchased Hip 37, a Curlin filly and half to grade 2 winner Dream Lith (Medaglia d’Oro ), from Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa, agent, for $850,000; Hip 54, a Munnings filly, the second foal out of the stakes-winning Ghostzapper mare Ghoul’s Evening Out from Darby Dan Farm, agent, for $600,000; and Hip 106, a Justify filly half sister to grade 1 winner Nickname (Scat Daddy) from Hunter Valley Farm, agent.
Resolute was the session’s main purchaser by gross at $5,425,000 with 5 purchases.
“We acquired all of the colts we wished up to now tonight. I have been actually shocked on a few the fillies—the half to Vahva (Hip 62, $725,000)—I actually wished that one and possibly ought to have purchased her. I am gonna kick myself on that,” Stewart mentioned. “And Hip 85 ($1.9 million Curlin filly), that was a very nice horse that acquired away from us, however it acquired just a little too costly for what I assumed the horse was at this cut-off date as a broodmare prospect.”
Stewart mentioned he loved his first expertise at The Saratoga Sale.
“I actually just like the environment that Fasig-Tipton places on right here. It is a who’s who of the business. These are a few of the finest horses.”
