Asmussen Hits $975,000 for Uncle Mo Colt

While the collaboration between owner Gus King and trainer Steve Asmussen didn't produce a Kentucky Derby (G1) victory this year with Publisher, they are willing to see if they can find another talented runner together. Asmussen signed the ticket on behalf of King for Hip 137, a bay colt by late sire Uncle Mo, for a price tag of $975,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale May 20 in Timonium, Md. "We're all hoping for the same dream, and I'm glad the dream exists, and we'll try again," said Asmussen, who didn't want to put first Saturday in May expectations on the colt just yet. The colt breezed :10 2/5 last week in advance of the sale. He is out of the Top Line Sales consignment and was bred by Norelands Bloodstock and Hamish McCalmont Bloodstock. "Just a very athletic horse and felt that he was an exceptional individual," Asmussen said. "Top Line sold some very good horses. They've had a great sales season and several winners from there already this year." Hip 137 is out of the Giant's Causeway mare, Gaelic Tales, who was placed at 3 and 4. Hip 137 is her second foal. The second dam, Storybook, is the dam of Get On the Bus, a filly by Uncle Mo who finished second in her debut, the 2020 Sorrento Stakes (G2). Coincidentally, she was trained by Asmussen. International Flavor A year ago, the Midlantic Sale was dominated by bidders from outside of North America looking to bring developing dirt runners to their countries. Those entities were once again among the most active buyers. Trainer Bhupat Seemar was among Tuesday's international contingent and went to $750,000 for Hip 199, a Maxfield colt out of the Bluegrass Cat mare Kathballu. He was bred by Titletown Racing Stables. Seemar signed the ticket on behalf of Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi's RRR Racing. Consigned by Hartley/de Renzo Thoroughbreds, securing the colt had Seemar in a celebratory mood. "We've had such great success. We've won the Guineas, we've won some good races buying horses over here. It's been a great hunting ground, and praise God, we can do it again," he said. Seemar raved about the newest member of his barn who worked a furlong in :10 1/5 at the May 14 under tack show. "He's just a beautiful, well-balanced horse," he said. "He's got a great stride, good pedigree behind him. Great mind. … He's got a beautiful head. Everything about him is good." Not Dunne Yet There had been speculation that Wavertree Stables' Ciaran Dunne was planning on retiring. If that's true, his consignment's performance at the Midlantic Sale might be cause to reconsider. Among the hips that he represented were four of the top 8 by sales price, including two of the top 3. Wavertree was the only consignment as of late Tuesday afternoon to have consigned two million-dollar hips at the sale. Overall, Wavertree had 15 head sell for $5,357,000 "It's been a good day. We can't argue with that," he said. "Look, it's nice when it all works, isn't it? We got fortunate. We had some really nice horses coming up here. I think they showed themselves well. And they were rewarded for it." Bloodstock agent Kerri Radcliffe, who signed the ticket for the sales topper, Hip 368 ($1.1 million), said part of the appeal to pursuing that Girvin filly was that she came out of the Wavertree consignment. She emphasized that the comfort and confidence in a consigner is of the utmost importance. "Oh my god. It doesn't get any better," she said. "You look at just the results he's had today. Look at the results he has on the track. It always makes you feel comfortable buying off Ciaran Dunne." As for whether there was any truth to the rumors, he said, "I've been considering retiring since the day I started. But we'll see a few things. We'll see what happens this year."