Our Moneyman Soars to $2M at F-T July HORA Sale

Multiple graded-placed stakes winner Our Moneyman (Hip 365) provided the grand finale July 14 at Fasig-Tipton's July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale, selling for $2 million as the last hip in the ring to agent Pedro Lanz on behalf of Saudi Arabia-based KAS Stables. He surpassed last year's record price of $1.7 million when Romeo sold to Mahmud Mouni at the July Horses of Racing Age Sale. Our Moneyman is a 3-year-old son of Mr. Money who has won or placed in all five starts this year. He became a stakes winner at 2 in the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Stakes, and this year has been runner-up in the Indiana Derby (G3), Matt Winn Stakes (G3), and Louisiana Futurity. To date, he has earned more than $392,000. Lanz said the plan for the colt is to stay in the United States with trainer Bret Calhoun and target some major 3-year-old races, noting that the Sept. 19 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing is a very likely spot for Our Moneyman. Lanz said he expected to go to $2 million. "I come here every year, and it's always hard to find a horse, because nobody wants to sell. When someone brings a horse, you have to pay," he said. Lanz said even before he knew Our Moneyman was entered in the sale, the colt was on his radar. "I was watching his replays, and I was wishing this horse would come (to this sale)," Lanz said. "When I saw this horse, and I saw that race, I said, 'Wow, this is the horse that will be perfect for Saudi Arabia. "The next day, Anna (Seitz) came to me and told me, 'I have a horse that could be interesting for you.' And, I was like, 'Wow, that was my wish.' I'm very happy. This is a very good horse." Lanz said KAS Stables would like to compete in a grade 1 race and said Our Moneyman could be their ticket. Chester Thomas' Allied Racing Stable bred and raced Our Moneyman with trainer Bret Calhoun. Allied bred the colt out of the winning Flatter mareLipstick Junky, who has also produced stakes winners Winning Romance and Jack Hammer. The colt was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent for Allied Racing Stable. "Mind blown. We're just ecstatic, and Chester is here. We can't believe it," said Hunter Valley Farm partner Fergus Galvin. "Obviously, we had pretty high expectations off that run (when a close second in the Indiana Derby). But to get to that level, you never dream it. It's fantastic." Galvin called Thomas a longtime supporter of Hunter Valley Farm through interactions with yearlings. "He always said he'd give us a good one to sell one day, and I think this is the one," Gavin said. Hunter Valley partner Adrian Regan said that bringing a horse to the sale with such a strong, current form certainly helped elevate the colt. "The auctioneers explained that (when pausing) at about $1.2 million—his numbers are right up there with the best 3-year-olds in the country," Regan said. Allied Racing Stable also campaigned Our Moneyman's sire, Mr. Money. Spendthrift Farm acquired an ownership interest in the four-time graded stakes winner before his start in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1T). Mr. Money stood the 2026 season at Clear Creek Stud near Folsom, La., for an advertised fee of $2,500. "Our Moneyman was a very exciting addition to the sale," said Fasig-Tipton president and CEO Boyd Browning Jr. "He's the kind of horse that can have you dreaming of major results in his 3-year-old career and on down the road throughout the rest of his racing career." This year's Horses of Racing Age Sale saw 38 horses sell for gross receipts of $6,428,000, including private sales, and average a record price of $169,158. The median was $85,000. Seven horses failed to meet their reserve, resulting in an RNA rate of 15.6%. A year ago, the sale saw 51 horses change hands for a total of $8,037,000, including private sales. The average was $157,588, with a median of $95,000. The second-highest-priced horse of the Horses of Racing Age sale was the stakes-winning Hedge Ratio (Hip 343), who brought $500,000 from Caitlin Dunne, agent for Wesley Ward. The 3-year-old colt by Speightstown won the Long Branch Stakes May 10 at Monmouth Park for his previous owners, Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown. He was consigned by ELiTE, agent. The highest-priced filly was Pot's Right (Hip 350). The 2-year-old daughter of Bolt d'Oro ran a game fourth in the July 4 Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, after stumbling badly at the start and getting away last. Paramount Sales consigned the filly. Pedro Lanz's single purchase of Our Moneyman put him atop the buyers by gross sales, and Hunter Valley Farm led the consignors, selling all three horses from their draft for a total of $2,225,000. Vekoma Colt Tops Record F-T July Yearling Sale Midway through Fasig-Tipton's The July Sale of selected yearlings, Hip 135, a chestnut son of Vekoma, fetched $600,000 from Legion Bloodstock to become the top-priced yearling sold during the one-day sale July 14. Legion Bloodstock's Kristian Villante said he purchased the colt on behalf of a developing partnership. "The whole team really loved him, so we kind of came here hoping we'd have a chance to buy him," Villante said. "We stretched a little more than we were comfortable stretching, but we have to do that for those kinds of horses. The pedigree, the physical, it was all there." Villante said his team actively targets The July Sale because of the luck had with past graduates of the sale, including the graded stakes-placed Hollygrove, who they also purchased from Shawhan Place for $65,000 in 2023. "I think he could've stood up in The Saratoga Sale, not just July," Villante said. "He was a big, forward-looking colt, but just had a really good presence about him. He handled himself really well all week. We love the sire, but he was a physical standout for us. "He had the physical and the pedigree. We love Uncle Mo as a broodmare sire, so it really made sense all around." Breeder Shawhan Place also consigned the colt, the second foal out of the winning Uncle Mo mare Passionate Dream. The dam of Hip 135 is a full sister to graded stakes winner Paradise Lake. Kentucky Rep. Matt Koch, a Republican representing the 72nd District and co-owner of Shawhan Place, was elated with the result. Hip 135 is the most expensive horse Shawhan Place has ever sold. "It would be very foolish of me to say that you ever expect a horse to bring that much money," Koch said. "But, he's a homebred, and we purchased the mare a few years ago. Courtney (Schneider) did the mating. (My brother) Gus (Koch) did the prepping, and everything goes to them. I have very smart people who are out there working and doing all this. "I can't tell you how special this is for the whole Shawhan Place." Koch said they have always done well at the July sale and credited the crew at Fasig-Tipton for being adamant about bringing the son of Vekoma to this sale. "We turned it over to Gus, and he prepped him. The rest is history," Koch said. When asked if there was any hesitation to send the high-caliber Colt to Fasig-Tipton's The Saratoga Sale in New York, he responded, "We're Kentucky through and through." Gus Koch Jr. echoed those sentiments. "Every year, I ask the Fasig crew, 'Which one do you all want?' And, historically, that's the one we do the best with. It makes it an easy decision when they say, 'That's the one we want for July,'" Koch said. Shawhan Place has been a longtime supporter of 2024 leading freshman sire Vekoma. It sold the highest-priced filly at last year's July sale, when Hip 141, a daughter of Vekoma, brought $345,000 from Kenny McPeek, agent. Vekoma is currently the ninth-leading sire in North America by progeny earnings on BloodHorse's general leading sires list and is the year's leading third-crop sire. The son of Candy Ride (ARG) stood this breeding season for $100,000 at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky. The highest-priced filly of the sale was Hip 166, a daughter of Girvin, who brought $450,000 from Tom McCrocklin. Hip 166 was bred in Kentucky by Champion Equine out of the Uncle Mo mare Sentimental Song, who is a full sister to multiple graded stakes winners Life is Sweet and Sweet Catomine. She was consigned by Airdrie Stud. READ: $450,000 Girvin Filly Leads McCrocklin's $1.46M Haul The sale saw a record average and median of $116,299 and $95,000, respectively. A total of 147 horses sold for $17,096,000, including private sales, up 7% from last year's gross, when 159 head brought $16,968,000. The RNA rate was 22.7%, representing the 43 horses who failed to meet their reserve. Last year's sale saw an average of $106,717, with a median of $90,000. "As usual, we had a really good combination of end users participating and a significant level of pinhookers participating as well," Browning said. "We value their participation because the types of horses that we sell at The July Sale are the types of athletes likely to perform well at a two-year-olds in training sale. But there are a lot of racehorses that come out of this sale to appeal to end users as well." McCrocklin was the leading buyer with eight purchases totaling $1,460,000. Taylor Made led the consignors, selling 23 from their draft of 29 for a total of $2,495,000. Fasig-Tipton now sets its sights on The Saratoga Sale, held Aug. 10-11.