Legion Bloodstock and Gracie Bloodstock joined forces during the May 18 first session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale to land the highest-priced filly of the day—Hip 79, a daughter of Jackie's Warrior , for $750,000.
"She's gorgeous. She's absolutely stunning," said Legion Bloodstock's Kristian Villante. "From the minute we first saw her, she quickly became our favorite horse. Niall (Brennan) loved her all year long.
"We bought two Jackie's Warriors so far this year, and Travis (Durr) and Whit (Beckman) have both loved everything they've done. We're very high on the sire, and she's just a beautiful filly."
Legion and Gracie teamed up last month to secure a colt by Jackie's Warrior at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale for $600,000, from the Pick View consignment. The colt is out of the grade 2-winning mare America's Tale.
Hip 79 was offered by Niall Brennan Stables, and Villante said that added extra confidence to their purchase.
"He's a great horseman. One of the best horsemen who has ever done it," Villante said. "Whenever people like him, when they say those kinds of things, you should be listening, and he's always talked about her all year long.
"He came to us afterwards, kind of reiterating what he had been saying, and it gives you a little extra confidence when guys like that are willing to stand by what they said, especially when you're spending that kind of money."
Brennan's confidence in the filly was well rewarded.
"We've been high on this filly for a very long time," Brennan said. "She's a gorgeous filly to look at. She's got so much class, she just oozes class when you stand there and look at her. She's out of a lovely Mr. Greeley mare (Boodles), and you see a lot of that in her. She's always been very nice all spring."
Brennan said Hip 79 was very popular and attributed that to the way she moved over the racetrack.
"She did it so nicely and effortlessly, and then people came to the barn and loved her, and what more do you really need? The judges are here, and they landed on her," Brennan said. "She's a very special filly."
Brennan added that he has been very impressed with the progeny of first-crop sire Jackie's Warrior, and thinks the stallion has a bright future.
"I hope she goes on and achieves what she's acted like here. She was always quite forward and very classy," he said. "This sale was the right choice. We gave her a little break, and she blossomed. The timing made sense, and it worked out good. It was the right call, because she really just blossomed in the last six weeks."
Villante said she will head straight to trainer Whit Beckman's barn at Saratoga Race Course.
Hip 79 was bred in Kentucky by Ashview Farm and Colts Neck Stable. She is out of the stakes-producing mare Boodles, who is the dam of group 3 winner and sire, Market Rally, and graded stakes-placed and multiple stakes winner Watchyourownbobber. The filly was purchased by JR International for $275,000 last year at Fasig-Tipton's The Saratoga Sale.
