A prolific presence at yearling sales as buyers for years, LNJ Foxwoods made some headlines this year for a different reason: It was represented by its first offering Aug. 11 at Fasig-Tipton's The Saratoga Sale, and the result was a home run for the family stable.
Its gray or roan filly, Hip 217, sold as the highest-priced filly of the second and final session of the sale. Consigned by Bedouin Bloodstock, agent, the daughter of Into Mischief brought $1.8 million. She was purchased by Spendthrift Farm and Dave Portnoy's Go Go Greys Stable.
The flashy and inquisitive-looking filly made her presence known as soon as she entered the ring. She was interested in taking in all the sights, sounds, and also smells, as she spent a fair amount of time sniffing the announcer's podium.
Neal Clarke of Bedouin Bloodstock said, "We've always been very impressed with her on the farm. She's been a great filly. She has been so easy; she's been the leader of the pack. And I'd like to think she'll continue in that vein.
"She's got a lot of character. She's a little bit of a queen, you know. You don't tell her what to do. You ask her very nicely and she generally does it."
After the filly exited the sales ring, Jaime Roth of LNJ Foxwoods came to visit the filly at Barn 1 and went into her stall to wish her well. The filly is out of the Tapit mare Hemmerle, who was bred and raced by the Roths.
It's understandable if Roth was feeling mixed emotions.
The filly's family is very dear to her. The filly's second dam, Diamond Necklace, was purchased by LNJ Foxwoods at the 2013 Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale and is the dam of Dogtag, a graded stakes-placed runner and a stakes winner for the stable. Dogtag, a daughter of War Front , died in 2025 after foaling three horses including Maddog, a 3-year-old daughter of Into Mischief who is currently in the LNJ Foxwoods stable; the unraced Navy, a 2-year-old Gun Runner filly; and her final foal, an unnamed Not This Time yearling filly.
"This is a business," Roth said about the decision to sell the filly. "It was nice to bring some money into the operation. I want to sell good horses. I want people to know we sell really good horses.
"I know the (buyers) will give her every chance, and it's definitely interesting to be on a different side. It was cool, but actually very nerve-wracking."
Ned Toffey, the chief operating officer and general manager of Spendthrift Farm, home to multiple leading sire Into Mischief, reflected upon the decision to buy the filly by saying, "We didn't come here intending to buy Into Mischief fillies because we have a great number at home, but she just was that special physically. She has an unbelievable physical. She really had sort of a special demeanor about her.
"She'd be a really good-tempered filly, but at the same time had some personality, had some attitude, too. Nearly flawless as an individual. Tremendous substance, great mover, correct, athletic. Really an impressive filly. She was just too tough to pass up."
—Additional reporting by Sean Collins.
