Baden-Baden Yearling Sale
starts Friday
Europe’s yearling sale season swings to Germany on Friday as BBAG will host their
Baden-Baden Yearling Sale, extended to two days for the first time this year.
Boasting 10 individual Deutches Derby winners in its domestic roll of honor,
this sale has caught international attention in recent times thanks to the
exploits of its graduates abroad. Among the alumni from 2003 are this year’s
German Derby (Ger-G1) hero NICARON (Acatenango), ANNA MONDA (Monsun) and
SANTIAGO (Highest Honor [Fr]), who pulled off the German Guineas double when
taking the Henkel-Rennen (Ger-G2) and Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen (Ger-G2),
respectively, and the Prix de Malleret (Fr-G2) heroine ROYAL HIGHNESS (Monsun).
The sale reached a turning point 12 months ago when John Ferguson snapped up
an Acatenango colt for 400,000. With nearly 300 lots in this year’s catalog and
vendors including Con Marnane’s Bansha House Stables, expectations are high.
Among the prominent domestic sires represented are Acatenango, who has his final
crop on offer, Big Shuffle, Dashing Blade, Lando (Ger) and Monsun, while
international sires include Cape Cross (Ire), Efisio, King’s Best, Montjeu,
Polish Precedent and Tiger Hill.
Of the yearlings on offer, several are related to top-class German
performers. Hip 98 is a Desert Style colt consigned by leading breeding
operation Gestut Wittekindshof named NEXT STYLE, who is a brother to runaway
2002 Deutsches Derby (Ger-G1) hero and sire, Next Desert (Desert Style).
Ferdinand Leve offers Gestut Hof Ittlingen’s Hip 190, named INTEGRAL (Lando
[Ger]). He is a brother to Intendant (Lando [Ger]), who beat Powerscourt (GB)
(Sadler’s Wells) in last year’s Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (Ger-G1). Erika Huber
consigns Hip 157 on behalf of Gestut Auenquelle. Named ANTEROS (Big Shuffle),
the colt is a full-sibling to the Goldene Peitsche (Ger-G2) hero Areion and
stakes winners Agnetha and Anna-Frid.
Godolphin made one of its first forays into German bloodstock when purchasing
the German champion two-year-old of 1999, Auenklang (Big Shuffle), who went on
to win the listed Hackwood S. at three. Hip 261 is Gestut Auenquelle’s brother
to that horse named AUENRUF. Others to note include Gestut Hof Vesterberg’s Hip
133, a Dr Fong half-sister to Group 2 hero Santiago (Highest Honor [Fr]), and
Gestut Wittekindshof’s Hip 29, a Fantastic Light half-brother to Group 3 winner
Saldenschwinge (In the Wings [GB]) and stakes victress Saldentigerin (Tiger
Hill).
The next lot is Gestut Brummerhof’s Tiger Hill half-brother to last year’s
Preis der Winterkonigin (Ger-G3) winner, Sorrent (Monsun). That Dalham
Hall-based stallion is also represented by Hip 74, Gestut Schlenderhan’s colt
from the family of this year’s Preis der Diana (German Oaks) (Ger-G1) heroine
Iota (Tiger Hill).
Montjeu continues to make an impact with Hip 17, a colt out of the juvenile
Group 1 winner and proven producer Noble Pearl (Dashing Blade) from the draft of
Gestut Etzean.
Selling gets underway Friday. The full catalog and updates can be found on
www.bbag-sales.de.