by Pete Denk

Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables bought a Silver Deputy filly for $800,000 and a Sir Cherokee colt for $650,000 to sweep the top two prices at the Barretts Equine Ltd. March sale of selected two-year-olds in training on Wednesday night.

After the last of the 132 hips went through the ring at Hinds Pavilion in Pomona, California, Barretts reported 73 horses as sold for total receipts of $12,996,000, a 32.8% decline compared with 2007 when 88 horses brought $19,340,000.

Average price declined 19.0% to $178,027. Median dropped 25.4% to $110,000.

The buy-back rate was 44.7%, compared with 41.3% at last year’s Barretts March sale. The 2008 Barretts March sale was the first year since 2001 that the sale did not feature at least one horse that sold for at least $1-million.

Despite the grizzly economic indicators, Barretts President Jerry McMahon said he was pleased with the group of buyers who attended the sale. Given the prevailing view that this year’s catalog was light on proven sire power and pedigree, McMahon was not unhappy with the sale.

“The numbers don’t look great, but we were kind of anticipating [a decline] in terms of the gross,” McMahon said.  “Really, I thought it was a pretty lively market overall.”

Bloodstock agent John Moynihan, who handled bidding duties for Stonestreet, said he was not surprised the Silver Deputy filly out of Duchess Kiss, by Cox’s Ridge, brought the top price.

“She’s gorgeous. [Consignor] Jerry Bailey loved her from day one. He thought she was one of the best fillies he’s ever had,” Moynihan said. “She’s by Silver Deputy, who is a great broodmare sire, and she looks like she can go far. She’s really nice.”

Jerry Bailey Sales Agency, agent, consigned the sale topper. Bailey and Lance Robinson’s Gulf Coast Farms purchased her for $210,000 at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale. The last filly to top the March sale was Dubai Escapade, who sold for $2-million in 2004.

The top-priced colt was by freshman sire Sir Cherokee out of the unraced Dehere mare Candytuft, dam of champion sprinter Midnight Lute

“I thought he was the horse—really, really nice,” Moynihan said. “He’s a half to a champion and what I loved about him is he looked like a really top Cherokee Run [Sir Cherokee’s sire].”

Niall Brennan Stables consigned the well-balanced colt, which bloodstock agent Mike Ryan purchased at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale for $150,000 on behalf of Brennan and Ryan’s pinhooking partnership.

Stonestreet was top buyer with three purchases for $1,760,000. Bailey led all consignors with six horses sold for $2.7-million.

For hip-by-hip result, click here.

Pete Denk is Thoroughbred Times sales editor