Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, agent, purchased EDEN’S MOON (Malibu Moon)
for the top price of $390,000 at Monday’s opening session of the Fasig-Tipton
Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale at Timonium, Maryland. Cataloged as Hip
No. 5, the Florida-bred filly was consigned by Bridlewood Farm, agent.
Monday’s trade offered encouragement heading into Tuesday’s final session.
Last year’s sale — a one-day affair with a slimmer catalog — posted a $47,984
average and a $27,000 median. The average at Monday’s opener was $47,170, just
1.7 percent off the 2010 figure, while the median dipped 7.4 percent to $25,000.
The 2010 sale grossed $13,099,500 from 273 horses sold. Already on Monday, a
total of $7,641,600 was realized by 162 horses. A year ago, 405 juveniles were
cataloged, compared to the 600-strong catalog this year.
Eden’s Moon, who had RNA’d for $110,000 at Fasig-Tipton’s Florida Sale at
Palm Meadows on March 3, drilled a quarter-mile in a bullet :21 3/5 at last
Wednesday’s under tack show.
The February 18-foaled bay is the second registered foal from Eden’s Causeway
(Giant’s Causeway), who is a winning half-sister to $3.4 million-earner Paradise
Creek (Irish River [Fr]), the champion turf horse of 1994; Grade 1 winners
Forbidden Apple (Pleasant Colony) and Wild Event (Wild Again); and Paradise
River (Irish River [Fr]), the dam of multiple Group 1-winning English and U.A.E.
highweight David Junior (Pleasant Tap).
The juvenile’s second dam, the Northfields mare North of Eden (Ire), is
herself a half-sister to Theatrical (Ire) (Nureyev), the champion turf horse of
1987 and a noted sire, as well as to Japanese Grade 1 star Taiki Blizzard
(Seattle Slew). This is also the family of current Japanese champion older horse
Nakayama Festa (Stay Gold), a close second in last year’s Prix de l’Arc de
Triomphe (Fr-G1), and *Prince Royal II (*Ribot), the 1964 Arc winner.
Mathis Stables went to $280,000 to purchase Hip 252, a filly from the first
crop of champion Street Sense. The dark bay motored an eighth in a bullet :10
1/5 for consignor Eisaman Equine, agent, during the preview.
The Kentucky-bred was produced by the winning Polish Numbers mare Polish
Nana, who is in turn a half-sister to Grade 2 scorer Love of Money (Not for
Love) and multiple stakes-winning stakes producer Astrid (Concern). Canadian
Grade 3 victress Sheila’s Prospect (Not for Love), and further back, Grade 1
queen Tenski (Polish Numbers), are other notable family members.
A colt by Harlan’s Holiday brought $250,000 from EQB Inc., agent, to rank
third on the day’s leaderboard. Consigned by McKathan Brothers, agent, Hip 206
worked one furlong in :10 3/5 last Wednesday.
The Kentucky-bred is already an auction veteran, having sold for $180,000 as
a Keeneland November weanling before RNA’ing for $220,000 as a Keeneland
September yearling and $185,000 at the recent Florida Sale at Palm Meadows.
The dark bay colt is the second registered foal from the winning Motivated
Sreva (Lear Fan), a half-sister to 2007 Swale S. (G2) victor Adore the Gold
(Formal Gold). He hails from the same female line as English Group 3 scorer
Yellowstone (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire]), whose four stakes placings include
the Criterium International (Fr-G1) and King Edward VII S. (Eng-G2), and
multiple highweight Zoman (Affirmed), hero of such events as the Prix d’Ispahan
(Fr-G1), Phoenix International (Ire-G2) and Tattersalls Gold Cup (Ire-G2) and
runner-up in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Fr-G1).
Tuesday’s finale gets under way at 10 a.m. (EDT).
For complete results, as well as live video of the sale, log onto
fasigtipton.com.