by Pete Denk

Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables purchased a Tiznow colt for $650,000 to top the Barretts Equine Ltd. March sale of selected two-year-olds in training at Hinds Pavilion in Pomona, California, on Tuesday.

Bidding over the phone through Barretts Vice President Kim Lloyd, Jackson outbid representatives of Darley for the colt, who worked one furlong in :10.60 at the under-tack show on March 5 at Fairplex Park.

“He did his workout while looking around and loping along,” Jackson said. “I’ve seen some horses that move like him, and they usually turn out pretty good. We thought he was the best colt in the sale.”

Out of Hurricane Judy, by Storm Cat, the colt was bred in Kentucky by Stillmeadow Farm and consigned by Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables, agent. Dunne and partners Jack Goldthorpe and Vern Dubinsky purchased the colt for $200,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September yearling sale.

It was a good week for Wavertree, which topped the Fasig-Tipton Calder sale of selected two-year-olds in training on March 3 with a $1.6-million Medaglia d’Oro colt, who also worked one furlong in :10.60.

Dunne was encouraged that the colts topped the sales without working anywhere near the fastest times.

“For everybody who does what we do, the last week has been tremendous,” Dunne said. “We just topped two sales with two colts who worked :10.60, who sold more on the way they moved and what they showed at the barn.

“We all need to say thank you to the buyers, because they’ve just made our job a whole lot easier, because now we can go out and buy nice horses and not feel like we have to break them up and get them to go [one furlong in] nine [seconds] and change to get them sold.”

This was the smallest sale in Barretts March history, as just 81 horses went through the ring. Barretts reported 51 two-year-olds as sold for total sales of $6,285,500—a record low and a 51.6% decline compared with last year when 73 horses sold for $12,996,000.

Average price declined 30.8% to $123,245, and median dropped 27.3% to $80,000. Both figures were in line with the declines posted at other two-year-old sales this year during the economic recession. The buy-back rate improved from 44.7% last year to 37%.

“All things considered, it was not too bad. The best thing was that the horse that topped the sale was a classic, two-turn horse who didn’t work particularly fast,” said William S. Baker, acting general manager for Barretts. “I really didn’t have any expectations. They were going to bring what they were going to bring, and I thought they were properly evaluated. I think there was plenty of money.”

The second-highest price of the day was $540,000 for a Tapit filly out of Cross Your Heart, by Miswaki, consigned by Jerry Bailey Sales Agency, agent.

Bloodstock agent Demi O’Byrne signed for the filly on behalf of the Coolmore partnership of Michael Tabor, John Magnier, and Derrick Smith. Todd Pletcher will train the filly, O’Byrne said.

“I liked her. She’s good looking,” O’Byrne said. “The sire obviously has done awfully well, hasn’t he? I’ve been lucky with Jerry Bailey before—Thunder Gulch, Honour and Glory ... [Bailey] told me she’s very good, and I tend to believe Jerry.”

Pete Denk is sales editor for Thoroughbred Times