NorCal Sale Review

Stay T irsty’s f rst California-bred foals attracted quite a bit of attention at the California T oroughbred Breeders Association Northern California sale of yearlings and horses of racing age, held Aug. 11 in Pleasanton. T ree by the stallion brought the top three prices, headed by a $50,000 colt.

T ose numbers, bolstered by strength in the rest of the top 10, nine of them by California sires, helped send sale f gures soaring. T e yearling average rose by 41.8%, to $8,142, over last year, and 2019’s f gure was a 24% increase from the year before.

A total of 69 yearlings grossed $561,800. T e median of $3,000 represented an increase of 11.1%. A total of 74 horses sold for $575,600, with 27 not sold for a buy-back rate of 26.7%. Last year’s buy-back rate was 34%. T e f gures were especially gratifying considering the challenges of this year’s COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were extremely pleased with the overall results of the sale,” said Doug Burge, president of the CTBA. “We didn’t know what to expect, especially under the circumstances, but there was signif cant interest and support from owners and trainers. T e emphasis on added Cal-bred opportunities in Northern California has created a newfound demand that we can continue to build on.”

John Harris, whose Harris Farms is annually a major consignor to the Northern California sale, was also “pleasantly surprised” with the sale’s results.

“T e yearlings I saw all looked well prepared and prospects that can go on

A yearling colt from the f rst California crop of Stay Thirsty topped the NorCal sale at $50,000

to make money for their buyers,” Harris said. “T e average was up and buy-backs were down. It’s an important venue for California breeders, and it’s nice to see a good outcome.”

Terry Lovingier’s Lovacres Ranch sold all three of the Stay T irsty yearling colts that brought the top three prices, and Lovingier bred them. Lovingier serves as chairperson of the CTBA. He agreed with Harris that two of the most important indications of the sale’s strengths were the increase in average and the decrease in buy-back.

“It went really smoothly, and the people who turned out were buyers,” said Lovingier. “I do think that because Golden Gate is doing such a good job, the people were willing to buy horses and run them here.

“T e really encouraging news is that most of those horses are staying in California. We need the horses here, and I think that’s the biggest takeaway.”

For his own sale Lovingier was pleased with the reception for yearlings by Stay T irsty. Winner of the 2011 Travers Stakes (G1) and an earner of $1,936,000, Stay T irsty moved to Lovacres for the 2018 breeding season after standing several seasons in Kentucky. His foals already include grade 1 winner Mind Control.

“Stay T irsty throws a really nice-looking horse,” said Lovingier. “He’s doing well all over the nation. His foals have a big engine in their hind end. T ey’ve got nice gaskin muscles, big shoulders. T ey’re long-bodied horses, and they stay healthy. T ey continue running.”

RON MESAROS PHOTOS

Trainer Jeff Bonde, left, with son Brooks bought a colt from the frst crop of Tamarando; Cookie Hackworth and Dave McGlothlin

Te sale-topper, cataloged as hip #25, sold for $50,000 to Craig Warren. Te son of Stay Tirsty is out of the unraced Forest Wildcat mare Clawpuccino. It is the family of multiple grade 1 winner and $4,563,500-earner Behrens.

“Tat colt is an absolutely gorgeous colt,” said Lovingier. “Every baby out of that mare runs.”

Clawpuccino has had four winners in four starters. Warren has participated in that family before, and her ability to throw runners as well as Stay Tirsty as the sire made the colt very attractive.

Robert Jones purchased a son of Stay Tirsty for $47,000, the second-highest price of the sale. Te colt, hip #94, is out of the winning Speightstown mare Reign, a half sister to Cal-bred Love a Honeybadger, winner of the 2018 California Distaf Handicap. Lovingier purchased the mare for $24,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February mixed sale.

“He’s a chestnut and is fashy,” said Lovingier. “He’s got that faxen mane on him. He looks like something Randolph Scott would ride in on in a Western. He comes from a very good family.”

Linda Templeton, whose homebred Governor Goteven won the Aug. 1 California Toroughbred Breeders’ Association Stakes at Del Mar, bought a son of Stay Tirsty for $40,000 in the name of her Templeton Horses. Te colt, hip #82, is out of Pebble Beach Baby, a daughter of Rock Hard Ten who won seven races and earned $218,166. Te mare is a half sister to three stakes-placed runners and cost Lovingier $35,000 at the 2016

— Terry Lovingier

Keeneland January mixed sale.

“She came down to the ranch and looked at all the babies,” Lovingier said of Templeton. “She said that was the one she wanted. She loved him.”

Tamarando, whose frst foals are 2-year-olds, sired a $37,000 yearling colt, hip #12. Champion Cal-bred 2-yearold male of 2013, Tamarando stands at Harris Farms. Te yearling sold out of the Harris consignment.

Trainer Jef Bonde bought the Tamarando colt, who is out of the stakes-winning Talkin Man mare Aspen Gal. Te mare has produced Club Aspen, winner of the 2019 King Glorious Stakes and twice stakes-placed this year.

Club Aspen is by Clubhouse Ride, the sire of another Harris yearling in the top 10 at the sale. Steve Moger purchased hip #71 for $20,000. Te colt is out of the stakes-placed Desert Code mare Moving Desert.

“I liked all the horses I sold,” said Harris. “But to sustain a large foal crop like Harris Farms raises each year, it’s good to sell some and hope we are further rewarded down the line via the California breeders award program. I was particularly pleased to see my farm’s freshman

Left, Danny and Karla Viola, with daughter Alyssa were among the buyers; Linda Madsen of Milky Way Farm advises a future generation, her grandsons Gabriel, left, and Will

sire Tamarando colt bring $37,000, as that further amplifed my good feelings.”

Te sale’s top-priced flly sold for $35,000 to trainer Robert Hess Jr. Hanson’s River Ranch consigned hip #102, a daughter of Vronsky out of the unraced Poteen mare Seasontoperfection. Te flly is from the family of stakes winners Dee Dee’s Diner and Mimi’s Café.

Willow Tree Farm consigned two in the top 10 at the sale. Moger bought a Misremembered flly, hip #119, for $22,000, and PT Syndicate #1 bought a daughter of Smiling Tiger, hip #48, for $20,000. Te Misremembered flly is a daughter of the unraced Tale of the Cat mare Telling Stories, already the dam of stakes-placed Sweet Rafaela. Te Smiling Tiger flly is out of the placed Friends Lake mare Hong Kong Lake, a half sister to champion Summer Bird.

A ring full of good-looking yearlings catch the buyers’ attention at the CTBA NorCal sale

A $40,000 colt gave Stay Thirsty the leading sire trifecta

The highest-priced flly is this daughter of Vronsky for $35,000