As a racing enthusiast, Todd Tomazic bought the occasional small interest in a few Thoroughbreds. But after he met Pete Parrella through his construction business, he began to contemplate buying horses on his own. Parrella, who owns Legacy Ranch in Clements, Calif., and Legacy farm manager Terry Knight advised Tomazic at the Sept. 27 Fasig-Tipton California sale of yearlings and horses of racing age, and Tomazic bought three yearlings, including the $250,000 sale topper, a daughter of Mr. Big named Big Slew.
"I count on the experts to give me good advice," said Tomazic, who lives in Yorba Linda, Calif. "My kids love racing, and hopefully we'll get in the winner's circle. These are the first horses I've bid on. There were about five or six we were looking at."
A total of 14 horses brought six figures at the sale—10 yearlings and four horses of racing age. Tomazic bought two of them, the $250,000 sale topper (Hip 228), who is out of the City Zip mare Misszippityslewda, and Hip 189, a yearling daughter of Vino Rosso —Keep the Magic, by Malibu Moon, for $105,000. Andy Havens' Havens Bloodstock Agency consigned both of the fillies, while John Harris' Harris Farms consigned Tomazic's third purchase (Hip 36), a $35,000 yearling daughter of Accelerate—Tahitian Lagoon, by Unusual Heat.
The sale, held Sept. 27 at Fairplex in Pomona, Calif., averaged $30,522, with 205 grossing $6,257,100, for a median of $17,000. The buyback rate was 25.72%, with 71 not selling of 276 through the ring. In 2021, when the sale included some breeding stock instead of horses of racing age, the sale averaged $39,173, with 177 grossing $6,933,550, for a median of $20,000. The buyback rate was 24.36%, with 57 not selling of 234 through the ring.
"It was a very solid session, with lots of traffic in the barns before the sale," said Boyd Browning, president and chief executive officer of Fasig-Tipton. "There was spirited bidding on a majority of the horses. I thought all in all it was a good follow-up from an exceptional year last year. We probably didn't quite have as much sire power from out-of-state stallions this year in the catalog, but we knew that going in."
All of the six-figure yearlings were California-breds. Six were by Kentucky-based stallions, while the others were by California sires Mr. Big, Stanford , and two by Sir Prancealot .
Havens sold three six-figure yearlings: the two to Tomazic and, as agent for Liberty Road Stables, Hip 264, a $145,000 son of Maclean's Music --Queen Bernardina, by Bernardini. Scanlon Training & Sales purchased the Maclean's Music youngster, who was the highest-priced yearling colt in the sale.
"The top of the sale was very strong," said Havens. "The (sale-topping) filly was an extraordinary individual. She's a full sister to a multiple stakes winner (Big Sweep), and you've got a recent 2-year-old winner (full sister Big Celebration at Los Alamitos Sept. 22)."
George Krikorian, who owns Mr. Big and stands him at Legacy Ranch, bred the sale topper, Big Sweep, and Big Celebration. Big Celebration is a $100,000 graduate of the 2021 Fasig-Tipton sale.
Samantha Siegel's Jay Em Ess Stable bought two yearling fillies for $200,000 each, the second-highest prices of the sale. Stormy Hull's Critter Creek Farm consigned them. Someone Like You (Hip 252) is a daughter of Stanford—Open Mic, by Unbridled's Song, and Truly Magical (Hip 241) is a daughter of Good Magic —Nine Point Nine, by Tribal Rule.
"They sold two really nice fillies," said Siegel. "They did a really nice job. The fillies looked great, they walked great. (Someone Like You) is a really strong filly. And to get a Cal-bred by a good freshman sire like Good Magic, whose horses are selling well as yearlings and 2-year-olds--we actually thought we'd have to give more."
Champion Mitole 's first foals are yearlings, and a Cal-bred filly by the stallion out of the More Than Ready mare Whim sold for $190,000. Trainer Gary Mandella purchased Hip 58 as agent for Tom Nichols from Barton Thoroughbreds.
"He's owned horses for a long time and has been with me for a while," said Mandella. "He's from Omaha, Neb. The filly looks fast and looks like a sprinter. She looks like she has quality."
Mandella said that he and Nichols have had good luck buying Cal-breds by out-of-state sires. They purchased Vivacious Vanessa, a Cal-bred daughter of Not This Time , at the 2020 edition of the sale, and she has placed in two stakes and earned $107,200.
Hockey Dad (Hip 335) topped the older horses of racing age at $175,000. Havens consigned the 4-year-old son of Nyquist —Ann Summers Gold, by Yankee Victor, and Rockingham Ranch and Sweetwater Trading bought him as agent. Racing for owner/breeders Paul and Zillah Reddam, Hockey Dad finished third in the 2021 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) and Del Mar Derby Presented by Caesars Sportsbook (G2T).
