Talk about growth investing. Consignor Tom McCrocklin and John Fox bought a bay filly by Lane's End stallion Union Rags for $20,000 at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale. According to McCrocklin, the filly blossomed all winter long, and after zipping a quarter-mile in a co-fastest :21 2/5 at the under tack preview for the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, she sold May 18 during the sale's second session to Alex and JoAnn Lieblong for $400,000.
Alex Lieblong indicated that Steve Asmussen would train the filly who sold as Hip 295.
Produced from the stakes-winning Northern Afleet mare Afleet Lass, the filly is a half sister to stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Honor the Fleet. More distant in her family are grade 2 winner Mutasaabeq and grade 3 winners Sam Who and Cool Cowboy. The filly was bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Thoroughbreds and sold by her breeder at Keeneland.
"A good horse makes everyone look good," said McCrocklin. "The most curious part about this whole deal is that I still don't know why she brought just $20,000 at Keeneland. She is a beautiful filly, and obviously, at that point, no one knows she can run. She vetted clean, and she has acted like a nice horse all winter. It got to the point where I stopped overthinking it and just focused on training the horse. We got lucky to buy a really nice horse.
"She gets all the credit and we appreciate Mr. Lieblong. She is going to one of the best trainers on the planet, so we are excited. She has a legitimate chance to be a high-level filly."
Lieblong was impressed with the filly's eye-catching breeze.
"I liked everything about her," Lieblong said. "To be honest, I didn't think I was going to be able to get her bought. She is such a nice mover. She had one of the prettiest works in the sale and she is from a nice family. Seldom do I get one bought under budget, so when that happens, it is a good thing. She looks to me like she will be able to go right on."
McCrocklin and Fox are friends and have combined on some partnerships in the past.
"He is a good friend," McCrocklin shared. "He is very patient and lets me do what I want with them. It's worked out great."
