2011 WTBOA Summer Sale Rebounds with Nearly 20 Percent Increase

September 7, 2011 - The Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association presented its 45th summer yearling on Tuesday, September 6, at the Morris J. Alhadeff Sales Pavilion located at Emerald Downs racetrack in Auburn. For the second time in recent history, the WTBOA sale was divided into a summer yearling session and a mixed horse session. A total of 116 promising yearlings were cataloged in the summer session, which featured top local pedigrees and nationally prominent sires. Reports were heard just prior to the sale of several superior individuals who matched their pedigrees and the results substantiated those comments.

Ed and Theresa DeNike of Kent purchased the sale topper, a handsome colt sired by unbeaten racehorse and top national sire Candy Ride (Arg) out of King County Handicap winner Sudden Departure for $105,000. The striking bay was bred and consigned by Rick and Debbie Pabst's Blue Ribbon Farm.

The fireworks had started early as Ken Alhadeff's Elttaes Stable won the bidding war for Hip 13, a full brother to multiple champion and 2010 Longacres Mile (G3) winner Noosa Beach. The Seattle businessman and longtime horseman paid $82,000 for the strapping son of Harbor the Gold - the sale's leading sire by average - from his breeders and consignors Pam and Neal Christopheron and their Bar C Racing Stables.

Four other yearlings sold for over the $40,000 mark. Hip 37, a full brother to three stakes winners, two of which were named Washington champions, was purchased by recent Washington Racing Hall of Fame trainer inductee Tim McCanna, as agent, for $67,000. The colt out of Washington broodmare of the year Nightatmisskittys was consigned by Halvorson Bloodstock Services LLC, agent.

Ron and Rosalie Warren's R & Warren LLC of Olympia signed for the highest priced filly of the day, paying $50,000 for Hip 106, a daughter of Dehere-Crafty Diva bred and consigned by Jean and Ed Welch's Tall Cedars Farm LLC.

Jody Peetz, of Issaquah, purchased a daughter of Sea of Secrets, the first foal out of $151,840 stakes-placed Carrie's a Jewel, for $43,000, from Stormy Hull's Critter Creek Farm, Griffin Place LLC, agent.

Curtis Landry came down from Edmonton, Alberta, and purchased a trio of yearlings, led by Hip 61, a full sister to stakes winners Carrabelle Harbor and Silver City Lilly, for whom he paid $40,000. The daughter of Harbor the Gold was another from the Bar C Racing consignment.

Eight other yearlings also brought final selling bids of $20,000 or more, leaving a good and hopeful feeling for many state breeders who have hung fast during these hard financial times. The 75 summer session yearlings which sold brought a total of $933,500. Their average price of $12,447 was nearly 20 percent higher than the 2010 total and the median was just slightly under the 2010 figure, $5,700 versus $5,750 last year.

The top price among the 15 broodmares offered was the $4,000 Terry Tonasket of Omak paid for seven-year-old Queen Charisma, who was bred to Harbor the Gold and sold by Richard Pasko, Blue Ribbon Farm, agent. Tonasket also purchased the second highest priced mare, Berry Swiss, who had also been bred to Harbor the Gold, for $3,700.

Full sale results will be available late Wednesday (September 7) on the WTBOA website at www.washingtonthoroughbred.com.