Marette Farrell, acting on behalf of Speedway Stables, outbid Donato Lanni to secure Hip 428—a filly by Triple Crown winner Justify —for a record-setting $1.4 million at the Ocala Breeders' Sales June 2-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale June 17.
Hip 428 surpassed the previous record set at last year's sale when Caliente Thoroughbreds sold a filly by Curlin for $975,000 to Gus King.
"Oh, my God. As soon as I saw the breeze, all I wanted to do was go to the barn to see her," Farrell said. "And so many times you're disappointed when you see a phenomenal breeze like that. When I went to the barn, she was everything I could have hoped for. She had size, muscle, presence, great sense of mind.
"She's by a phenomenal stallion, Justify. We're real believers in (him). That was an added plus. Then of course she's a half to a grade 1-placed filly, and it's Mindframe's extended family, and Speedway Stable has a broodmare band now, and these are the fillies we want to add to the band, the ones who have brilliance."
Consignor Jesse Hoppel, who purchased the filly as a yearling from the Vinery Sales' consignment, was thrilled with the result. Known for his tremendous eye for pinhooking prospects, Hip 428 marks the second seven-figure sale for Hoppel. His first came earlier this year when a colt by Mo Town brought $1.05 million at the OBS March sale from Donato Lanni, agent for Baoma Corp. He purchased that colt as a weanling at the 2024 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for $40,000.
"We got really fortunate," Hoppel said. "I'm just grateful everyone believed in us enough to bid on our horses like that. She exceeded our expectations by far. She's a really nice filly; she's got a really nice family. Hopefully she's really successful on the racetrack and goes on to become a really nice broodmare. All those things are a possibility with that filly."
The daughter of Justify breezed a co-fastest quarter-mile in :20 4/5 during the third session of the under-tack show.
Hip 428 was bred in Kentucky by Big Aut Farms and is out of the stakes-winning and graded-stakes-producing mare Harbingerofthings. The daughter of Justify is a half sister to grade 1-placed, graded stakes winner Tell Your Daddy and grade 3 winner Dynadrive.
