The first day of Book 2 saw Gainesway add two more seven-figure yearlings to their consignment’s 2022 total when a filly by TAPIT led proceedings at $1.1 million to give them leading consignor honors.
Purchased by Whisper Hill Farm, the filly is out of a stakes winning three-quarter to champion Jaywalk. The family also includes Grade 2 winner Mission Impazible among the seven stakes winners listed on the filly’s page.
The filly has a TAPIT full brother Whisper Hill Farm purchased for $1.3 million at the sale last year. Todd Quast said is training well with Todd Pletcher and that played a part in their purchase of this filly.
A $1.05 million colt out of More Chocolate was purchased by Donato Lanni as agent for SF Bloodstock, Starlight, and Madaket later in the session as their highest colt offering.
The colt is out of the Grade 2 winner and multiple Grade 1-placed More Chocolate. That mare is a half-sister to stakes winners Athens and Holy Smoke and to the dams of three other stakes performers. Her dam is the stakes winner and multiple graded stakes-placed Little Treasure, a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Keep Quiet.
Courtlandt Farm went to $925,000 to purchase Gainesway’s third most expensive yearling of the day, a Curlin colt out of Road to Victory. From the Stonestreet Bred and Raised program, he is the second foal out of a Grade 2 winning Quality Road mare. Road to Victory herself is out of a half-sister to the dam of Group 1 winner Moanin.
“He was a beautiful horse when we saw him on the farm, and he was a beautiful horse here,” Gainesway General Manager Brian Graves said. “I expected him to be one of our top lots. He was everything you want to see. I considered him for Book 1, but at the time Stonestreet had other horses they ranked higher. That just shows you the quality and depth of their program.”
Gainesway’s 29 sold on Wednesday averaged $350,172 with a median of $300,000 for a $10.155 million gross. Both their average and median were well above the session’s overall numbers and they also had the second highest average of any consignor with 10 or more sold that day.
In all, Gainesway has sold four $1 million yearlings this sale with its average sitting at $409,615 and median at $305,000 for 52 sold through two books.