Sales tales: From distraught foal to sale-topper

Hip 237, by Honor Code, topped the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale with a winning bid of $190,000. Photo by Lydia Williams.
It was one of the sale’s more heart-wrenching stories.
Mrs. Vanderbilt, a 17-year-old Citidancer mare, died in 2018 and was discovered by her foal, by Honor Code.
“Unfortunately, she died while she was in Kentucky, and actually the Honor Code colt was over trying to wake her up,” consignor Bill Reightler said Tuesday. “So this is the end of the line for her.”
The story’s ending isn’t yet written. But it took a step Tuesday when that colt, now a yearling, went through the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sales ring and fetched a sale-topping $190,000.
“He was just a sensational colt,” Reightler said after the horse sold. “The mare’s produced a Grade 2 stakes winner, a beautiful family.”
Mrs. Vanderbilt, a three-time winner on the racetrack,is the dam of five winners, including Grade 2 Delaware Oaks winner Dancing Afleet and multiple stakes winner Tujoes.
Reightler praised the efforts of the colt’s breeder, the Delaware-based Barbara Brown. A Kentucky-bred, the colt is Delaware-certified.
“It’s a great story of a small operation, an astute horsewoman who really does a nice job,” Reightler said.
The market has, thus far, shown a lot of love to Honor Code, whose first foals are two-year-olds. His yearling sales average, $163,476, trails only that of American Pharoah among first-crop sires.
The colt was purchased by Seagull Capital, Tim Hill as agent, and they are expected to race him.
LATEST BUSINESS NEWS
Dozen wins net Mychel Sanchez Jock of the Week
Riding around the Mid-Atlantic, jockey Mychel Sanchez won 12 times last week to earn Jockeys’ Guild Jockey of the Week honors.
Laurel: Placing error leads to superfecta change
Laurel Park officials had improvise Saturday when an error in the initial order of finish for race seven went official, affecting the superfecta payout.
Delaware Park shifts upcoming schedule
Because of extreme heat in the forecast, Delaware Park will shifts its schedule next week to avoid Wednesday and will race Thursday through Saturday.
Colonial Downs stable area to open June 23
Colonial Downs will open its stable area for the summer meet June 23, with training to begin June 25, the track announced.
Paco Lopez shares Jockey of the Week honors
Paco Lopez won a dozen races, including three stakes, last week to share Jockeys’ Guild Jockey of the Week honors with Umberto Rispoli.
Penn Mile to be delayed another week
The Grade 3 Penn Mile, originally scheduled for May 30 but pushed back for three weeks, now will be delayed to June 27 because of weather issues.