Less than four years since Wasabi Ventures Stables made their first foray into the Thoroughbred industry as primarily a racing operation, the Maryland-based stable—which has since expanded to include a breeding program—sent its first homebred colt through the ring during the Jan. 14 session of the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale for $95,0000.
"We got very lucky today," said George Adams of Housatonic Bloodstock, who works as the director of stallions and breeding for Wasabi. "That was twice what we were hoping for. We knew as the day went on that there was a chance we could be up on the leaderboard but never in my dreams did I think we'd get $95,000 for him."
Consigned as Hip 1438 by Mill Ridge Sales, agent, the colt by Hill 'n' Dale Farms stallion Army Mule is a registered Maryland-bred and the first foal out of the Mizzen Mast mare Hurryupandcomeback and was purchased by Tulip Poplar. The mare was purchased by Housatonic on behalf of Wasabi at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale where she was offered in foal to Army Mule.
Hurryupandcomeback is a half sister to stakes winner and grade 1-placed White Flag. Her second dam is grade 1 winner Shared Interest, dam of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Cash Run and of grade 1 winner and stallion Forestry. Adams said the mare was purchased with the intent to foal her out and breed her back to Force the Pass, who at the time had been acquired by Wasabi as a stallion.
"We brought her up here to Maryland and foaled her out up here," said Adams. "We got this colt, and he has been a star from Day 1, and he's really come on lately. He's a February foal, but he was always a bit immature. Shayna Tiller from Mill Ridge came out at the end of the summer and looked at him because we thought he might be good enough to bother with one of the Kentucky sales, and she really liked him. We decided to point him toward the January sale to give him a little extra time and maybe help him stand out a bit more. He just got better and better and better and when he got down there everyone loved him."
Hip 1438 was bred in partnership by Wasabi Ventures Stables, Vandelay Stables, Michael J. Dzik, et al. Hurryupandcomeback is in foal to Force the Pass and expected to foal in March.
"Force the Pass covered one book here in Maryland, and then we got a really nice offer from Saudi Arabia so we ended up selling him after that book," said Adams. "We don't have her booked back yet, but she just earned herself a return trip to Kentucky rather than one of the regional markets I think given what happened today."
These days, the Wasabi broodmare band is comprised of around 25 mares. While the majority are located in Maryland at St. Omer's Farm, the program also keeps five in New York and one in Pennsylvania. A good majority of those mares will be bred in Kentucky before returning to the North East to foal.
2021 will mark the first year where homebred 2-year-olds bred by Wasabi partnerships will hit the track. The operation has also recently branched out into acquiring stallion shares and breeding rights in Kentucky to further help their program. Adams said he's more than pleased with how far the breeding program has progressed in such a short span of time.
"It started when they claimed a filly who bowed during training during the last week of May. T. K. Kuegler, who runs Wasabi, called me and said, 'I have a filly who bowed; can you help me sell her as a broodmare?' I told him I didn't think I could sell her that late, but that I would partner with him and get her bred locally. He had no real designs on the breeding game, but we went from one mare to five to 25 very quickly and then a stallion so now they do everything. This colt (Hip 1438) really exceeded our expectations, and there is a lot to look forward to."
Two additional short yearlings achieved a $95,000 price tag on Thursday—both were purchased by Five G Ranch. The first was Hip 1370, a colt by Ashford Stud's Mo Town out of Coral Beach (by Tale of the Cat). Consigned by Mulholland Springs, agent, the colt was bred in New York by Hidden Lake Farm and is from the family of graded stakes winner Cool Coal Man.
Five G Ranch's other yearling purchase (Hip 1479) was a filly by Spendthrift Farm's Cloud Computing out of the Literary Lady (by Birdstone). The bay was bred in New York by Saratoga Glen Farm and Beals Racing Stable and was consigned by Stuart Morris, agent.
