September 4, 2024
By Ontario Racing Communications
There could be some special things on the horizon for the sale-topper of last week’s Ontario CTHS 2024 Premium Yearling Sale.
HIP 88, a dark brown colt by 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist and Mrs. Hudson, topped the sale, going for $250,000.
He’s the half-brother of Prince of Wales participant Airosa (Uncle Mo – Mrs. Hudson), who has been turning heads for her work on dirt tracks, and looks to have all the tools to succeed.
“It’s an old saying that they have to tick certain boxes and he had good vetting,” said Bernard McCormack of Cara Bloodstock, consignor of HIP 88. “He had a certain class about him. I think the one thing that I saw, and other people saw, was that he had a lot of class about him. He’s very calm, he has a very good brain.
“And so, when the pedigree, the vetting, the class of the horse is all there, he just looked like a great prospect for us.”
Given his pedigree, there’s plenty of optimism that he could be a special colt.
“He was a nice colt,” said breeder David Anderson of Anderson Farms (St. Thomas, Ont.) of HIP 88. “He comes from a great family … and this colt is a very athletic horse and he’s got everything in the right place and there’s no reason why he can’t be a two-turn King’s Plate horse one day. That’s our ultimate goal.”
That potential was certainly recognized as bids for HIP 88 kept coming in.
“Some agents came from out of town picking horses and the word got out on him off grounds and he went to an internet buyer and that was a very good sale,” said McCormack. “We’re delighted. There were plenty of bids on him early and he just kept going to $250,000.”
Overall, the Ontario CTHS 2024 Premium Yearling Sale looked to be a success, with the strength and vitality of the Canadian Thoroughbred industry fully on display as buyers participated from all across Canada and beyond.
“We came into the sale optimistic,” said Anderson, who also serves as President of Ontario CTHS and Chair of the organizaion’s Sale Committee. “We’ve had a lot of new faces here and we’ve put together what we’ve felt was a very good catalogue from the previous years … it’s been very good.
“It’s like any sale. You can’t keep everybody happy. Some people are hitting homers and some aren’t. That’s the way it goes sometimes but, overall, the buyers are happy and hopefully they find some champions.”
The sale sported strong numbers, with the average price of a yearling reaching $26,500, an increase of 11 per cent from 2023, while the median price of $19,000 increasing 27 per cent over last year.
“On behalf of the CTHS, we thank and commend our Ontario breeders for bringing forward an exemplary group of Ontario sired and bred horses.” said Anderson in a statement. “Our sale continues to produce champions and offers a great return on investment for buyers. Thanks to everyone who bid and purchased. Thank you to our Board, Management and all of our industry supporters who helped make this the most successful sale we have had in recent years.
“The CTHS remains committed to promoting and supporting the Canadian Thoroughbred industry and looks forward to building on this success in future sales. Plans are already underway for next year’s event, which promises to be even bigger and better.”
FEATURED IMAGE: HIP 88 after selling for $250,000 during Aug. 28’s Ontario 2024 CTHS Premium Yearling Sale (Sandra Snyder/Ontario Racing)
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