‘Special’ Curlin Colt Tops Record Renewal of The Gulfstream Sale
The Gulfstream Sale celebrated its fifth anniversary at Gulfstream Park with gains across the board and record highs in key metrics, topped by a showstopping fireworks display late in the catalogue.
Hip 173, a colt by CURLIN, became the highest priced two-year-old ever to be sold at Gulfstream when hammered down for $3,650,000 late in the sale (video). The sale topper was purchased by Jamie McCalmont and Donato Lanni, agents for M.V. Magnier from the consignment of Crupi’s New Castle Farm, agent after working an eighth in 10:0 during Monday’s under tack show (video).
Hip 173, who was composed throughout the nearly nine-minute bidding process, is a half-brother to Group 1 placed stakes winner ARABIAN HOPE and a three-parts sibling to stakes winner COUNTERFORCE (SMART STRIKE). He hails from the immediate family of Grade 1 winning juvenile STREAMING, bred on the same cross as this colt. The family also includes European champion THEWAYYOUARE and back-to-back Belmont S. (G1) winning half-siblings RAGS TO RICHES (2007, Champion Three-Year-Old Filly) and JAZIL (2006).
Larry Best’s OXO Equine went to $1,500,000 to secure the sale’s top filly, a daughter of INTO MISCHIEF offered as Hip 139 by Tom McCrocklin, agent (video). The bay filly from the family of Grade 1 winner MARKETING MIX worked a quarter in 20:3 during Monday’s under tack show (video).
Hip 139 represents the highest price paid for a filly at Gulfstream, and the equal second highest price for any filly sold at a Fasig-Tipton Florida sale. The purchase marks a familiar return for Best, who bought another INTO MISCHIEF at this sale last year for a co-sale topping $1,200,000. That colt went on to become last term’s Best Pal S. (G2) winner and current Kentucky Derby (G1) hopeful INSTAGRAND.
“[We were] very pleased with the vibrancy of the market,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “There was a tremendous demand for a quality horse.”
On the sale topper, he added, “I don’t think anybody was really shocked. You could sense and feel that he was a special colt.”
Overall, 59 juveniles sold for $29,115,000, a 23.9% increase from $23,495,000 in 2018. The average rose 28.1% to $493,475 from $385,164, while the median grew 27.1% to $375,000 from $295,000. The gross, average, and median are all Gulfstream Sale records. Six horses sold for seven figures, up from in three in 2018.
While this year’s sale figures – gross, average, median, top colt, and top filly – are all Gulfstream records, this year’s renewal also holds a strong place in the history of the company’s Florida division. The average and median rank highest in Fasig-Tipton Florida history, while the sale topper was the fourth highest.
Full results are available online.
