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Hideyuki Mori goes to US$750,000 to secure Top Line Sales-consigned filly

A filly by Ashford Stud-based sire Practical Joke (Into Mischief) was the headline act of the OBS March Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale on Wednesday after Japanese trainer Hideyuki Mori went to US$750,000 to secure the juvenile from the Top Line Sales draft. 

Catalogued as Lot 311, the filly is out of Grade 3 winner Valiant Emilia (Pegasus Wind) and is from the same family as Grade 3 scorer Saint Emilia (Saint Ballado). 

Saint Emilia herself is the dam of Grade 3 scorer Thundering Emilia (Thunder Gulch) who produced Grade 1 winner Emilia’s Moon (Malibu Moon) and Listed winning Helium (Ironicus). 

"We're super surprised [by the price]," said Torie Gladwell of Top Line Sales. "She was extremely popular at the barn. All the stars were aligning, but I had no idea she was going to sell for this much money. I am still shaking. My nerves are a bit of a train wreck right now. We thought she would bring between US$400,000 to US$500,000. We're just so happy."

Mori said he had been impressed by the progeny of Practical Joke. 

"I like the horses I have seen by the sire and I liked her action on the racetrack," said Mori via his interpreter. "This is the type of horse that my owners like."

The filly was purchased by Down The Stretch for US$120,000 at last year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale and was one of 25 juveniles to breeze the co-fastest eighth-mile in :9 4/5 during the OBS under tack show before being sent through the sales ring.

"Nothing fazes this filly," said Gladwell. "She is so level-headed and calm. She gives it everything she has all the time, and we have been high on Practical Joke all winter. 

"Japanese buyers have done very well with a lot of our graduates in the past. They buy one or two from us every year. We're so happy for everyone."

In total, Mori purchased eight horses during the two-day auction for a total of US$2,245,000. 

The second highest-priced lot of the day was a filly by Practical Joke’s Triple Crown-winning barnmate American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile), who was purchased by Colombo Bloodstock Agency for US$600,000. 

Catalogued as Lot 547, the daughter of the Coolmore Stud shuttler is out Listed winner and Grade 3-placed Henny Jenney (Henny Hughes), who is herself a half-sister to stakes winner Zeewat (Harlan’s Holiday). 

Further back this is the same pedigree as multiple Grade 2 winner Cozi Rosie (Pleasantly Perfect) and fellow Grade 2 winner Lexicon (Conquistador Cielo). 

The filly was purchased by Spartan for US$200,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2020. 

During the second and final session, OBS reported 145 horses sold from the 186 offered for a total of US$18,437,000. The average was US$127,152 and the median was US$70,000. In total across the two days, OBS reported 316 horses from 389 offered sold for gross receipts of US$37,500,500 at an average of US$118,672 and median of US$65,000. The 73 horses that went unsold over the two days represent an RNA rate of 18.8 per cent.

"It was another good, solid day of selling horses. We were very pleased with how the sale wrapped up," said OBS director of sales Tod Wojciechowski. "It seemed to hold its strength all the way to the end. Actually our caterer told us that yesterday, he hadn't served that many meals in close to seven years. The sheer population of people that were here was great to see."