NEWS
Ghostzapper colt tops Adena Springs sale
Posted: Monday, March 16, 2009 8:38 PM
by John P. Sparkman
A colt from the first crop of 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper topped the 2009 edition of the Adena Springs sale of two-year-olds in training on Monday evening on a $250,000 bid by trainer Mike Maker.
Bidding for Louisville attorney Thomas Conway, Maker outlasted several other bidders for the fifth foal out of Grade 1 winner Collect the Cash, by Dynaformer.
“We liked everything about him,” Maker said, “and Mr. Conway really loves the pedigree. He's a big, athletic colt.”
Maker will send the colt to his Kentucky-based stable, where he already trains six horses for Conway, including 2009 Dania Beach Stakes winner Jack Spratt.
Collect the Cash won the 2000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1) at Keeneland Race Course and already has produced stakes-placed winner Money My Honey.
With a much smaller catalog than in 2008, 48 horses were reported as sold (down 50.5%) for $2,149,000, a 59.3% decline. Average, however, declined only 17.8% to $44,771, while median rose 28.6% to $36,000 from $28,000 last year.
The buy-back rate also remained steady at 26.2%.
“Everybody else has been down 30%, so we feel like we've done pretty well,” said Mark Roberts, manager of Adena Springs South. “The RNA rate is pretty good, so we're very pleased.
“We were satisfied with the Ghostzapper, and we're happy to have a couple of the Awesome Agains that we bought back. It all balances out.”
For hip-by-hip results, click here.
John P. Sparkman is bloodstock editor of Thoroughbred Times
