Ferguson grabs three seven-figure juveniles at Calder

John Ferguson, agent for Sheikh Mohammed, was the key player at Tuesday's

Fasig-Tipton Calder Selected Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, securing the three

highest-priced offerings at the one-day sale, which was held at Calder Race

Course in Miami.

Ferguson went to $1.6 million to secure CUP O' JOE, a bay colt by Medaglia

d'Oro consigned by Wavertree Stables (Ciaran Dunne), agent, and offered as Hip

No. 94. The Florida-bred had worked one furlong in :10 3/5 at last Friday's

under tack show.

Out of the multiple stakes-winning Bayou Plans (Bayou Hebert), Cup o' Joe is

a half-brother to 2004 Forego H. (G1) winner Midas Eyes (Touch Gold), the

multiple Grade 3-winning filly Bayou's Lassie (Outflanker) and the

stakes-winning Bourbon N Blues (Lycius). The sale topper's fifth dam was Track

Medal (*Khaled), the 1962 Broodmare of the Year and full sister to Horse of the

Year and Hall of Famer Swaps.

With the offspring of Unbridled's Song a hot commodity thus far on the Triple

Crown trail, namely in the form of Old Fashioned and Dunkirk, it shouldn't have

come as much of a surprise that his sons would be highly prized at Tuesday's

sale.

Ferguson doled out $1.1 million to secure a gray colt by that sire, consigned

by Leprechaun Racing, agent. Touring the ring as Hip No. 75, the Kentucky-bred

is out of the multiple stakes-winning Amazing Buy (High Yield), herself a

daughter of the stakes-winning Scatter Buy (Relaunch). The juvenile's fourth dam

was the Grade 1-placed Conveniently (In Reality), who produced Grade 3 winner

and sire Concept Win (Manila) as well as the stakes winners Major Impact

(Roberto), Earn Your Stripes (Little Current) and Comparability (What a

Pleasure). This is also the family of Grade 2 winner Star of the Crop (Relaunch).

The unnamed colt worked a furlong in :10 2/5 at the under tack show.

Another gray colt by Unbridled's Song, the last to sell Tuesday, caught

Ferguson's eye as well. Consigned by Scanlon Training Center, agent, he brought

a final bid of $1 million. Offered as Hip 271, the Kentucky-bred turned in a

one-eighth move in :10 3/5 at the under tack show.

The juvenile is out of the winning Rubywood (Woodman), a three-quarter sister

to 1992 champion sprinter and sire Rubiano (Fappiano); a sibling to stakes

winner Tap Your Heels (Unbridled), the dam of Grade 1 winner and prominent sire

Tapit (Pulpit); a half-sister to Wichitoz (Affirmed), the dam of stakes winner

Chitoz (Forest Wildcat) as well as Affirmatif (Unbridled's Song), a noted debut

winner on turf at Gulfstream Park last Saturday; and a half-sister to Secret Red

(Secretariat), the dam of Grade 2 performer Dueblo (Southern Halo). This female

family has also produced the noted sires Relaunch (Dewan), Chimes Band

(Dixieland Band) and Glitterman (Dewan).

On Tuesday, 111 horses sold for $26,151,000, a reduction of 25.6 percent from

last year when $35,100,000 was realized from the sale of 102 head. The average

dipped 31.5 percent, from $344,118 to $235,595, while the median was off 34.8

percent, from $230,000 to $150,000.

For more information, visit fasigtipton.com.