Ackerley Goes to $1M for Corniche Colt at F-T May Sale

Susan Montayne, bidding on behalf of Lee Ackerley, prevailed in a protracted bidding battle that unfolded for Hip 473, a handsome bay colt by freshman sire Corniche, who eventually exited the ring as the day's second seven-figure sale. Montayne signed the ticket for $1 million. Buyers attending Day 2 of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale May 19, could not walk away from the colt consigned by De Meric Sales as they traded $25,000 blows from $500,000 all the way to $1 million. Montayne was on the phone with trainer Steve Asmussen, who kept giving her the OK to keep bidding. "He (Steve) watched the breeze. He saw the horse and picked the horse out for Mr. (Lee) Ackerley. He went back to the track today and called and asked if I would bid on the horse on behalf of both of them." Ackerley races Chip Honcho with Asmussen. The colt by Connect recently finished third in the Preakness Stakes (G1). The colt was purchased as a yearling for $270,000 by De Meric Sales at the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Hip 473 was bred by Nursery Place, Broadbent & Wilhite out of the stakes-placed winner Secret Union (Dixie Union), who has already produced stakes-placed winner Longclaw (Kitten's Joy). "He was always a very good mover. He was a very athletic, balanced horse," said Tristan de Meric of De Meric Sales. "He just continued to improve. He was bred by Nursery Place, John Mayer in Kentucky, and every horse we've ever got from them has been a quality horse. They really raise them right, and we were happy to get this guy, and he definitely lived up to expectations." De Meric said the colt was very well-received on the sales grounds, attracting a lot of looks from potential buyers. "It was a great result, and he's a beautiful horse. We had a lot of people here on the sales grounds who were very high on him, and we're just happy that it all lined up, and everything went as well as it did." De Meric said that the Corniche colt was originally slated to sell at the Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, but stayed on his left lead during his work, breezing a furlong in :10 1/5. "He didn't have his best day. He worked :10 1/5, but it just wasn't quite enough to grab the attention in March," he said. "He's a May foal. He's improved a lot in the last 60 days. He was always nice, but 60 days is a lot for any 2-year-old in the spring, and from March to May, they all change so much, these babies, and he just blossomed. He kept getting better." When asked about the new format changes implemented by Fasig-Tipton, De Meric said, "I'm fine with the new format. I think we need to be prepared and adjust to it. It is an adjustment; we all have to learn, we have to be kind of light on our feet, and adjust as needed, but it's all gone well for the most part. "There's been a couple of horses that maybe, you know, could've done a bit better if they were able to have a published time but, for the most part, I think the horses have been just as well-received off of what they've done here, and they've sold very well."