NEWS
Mystery bidder causes stir at Saratoga sale
Posted: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 8:47 PM
by John P. Sparkman
The second session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of selected yearlings got off to a comparatively slow start Tuesday evening, but the auction eventually was enlivened by a mystery bidder who walked away from his apparent bid.
The expected top offering of the first half of the session, Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings' Storm Cat filly out of Happy Tune, by A.P. Indy, failed to meet her reserve at a price of $1.5-million.
Just a few horses later, however, the bid jumped abruptly to $1-million for a filly by Kingmambo consigned by Craig and Holly Bandoroff’s Denali Stud, agent, on behalf of Greenwood Lodge Farm. When the bidding stalled at that level, the casually dressed bidder signed the ticket in the name of Josh Mann but refused to speak to reporters.
When accosted by Fasig-Tipton Co.'s Walt Robertson and Boyd Browning, the gentleman seemed rather confused. He then decided to walk off into the town of Saratoga Springs, New York, despite the best efforts of Robertson and Browning to detain him. The filly was reoffered for sale later in the session.
An acquaintance accompanying the man later cooperated with police.
“He's given the police the information and the name,” said Dan Pride, Fasig-Tipton’s chief operating officer. “It would be a civil case, but given the circumstances, I doubt we'd ever collect anything. It will be good material for Indian Charlie tomorrow.”
“I've never had a situation like that where they took the bid,” said Craig Bandoroff, whose Denali Stud consigned the filly on behalf of Greenwood Lodge Farm. “I've seen where drunks waved their catalogs but they didn't take the bid. I'm not really sure why they took the bid.
“The owners [of the filly] took it well, and I've contacted the people that I think were interested in her.”
Fortunately, the story had a happy ending. The filly went through the ring again later in the sale and sold for $300,000 to Shadwell Estate Co.
Minutes after the mystery bidder saga, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum struck for the first time on Tuesday after dominating the opening session. John Ferguson, Sheikh Mohammed’s principal bloodstock agent, signed the ticket for a yearling by his newly acquired stallion Medaglia d'Oro, going to $875,000 for a colt out of Kendall Hill, by Theatrical (Ire), consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent for Whitechurch Farm.
"He's one of the better individuals of the sale, with a great action, great movement,” Ferguson said. “He's an example of the way the standing of Medaglia d'Oro has accelerated. He only cost $165,000 in November."
Whitchurch purchased the fifth foal out of unraced Kendall Hill, a half sister to multiple stakes winner Denem Yenem and to the dam of multiple Grade 2 winner Limehouse, at the 2008 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.
John P. Sparkman is bloodstock editor of THOROUGHBRED TIMES and author of Foundation Mares. More of his work can be viewed at http://pedigreecurmudgeon.blogspot.com.
