Sale toppers from last year John and Katrina Price from Winton are back at this Februarys Inurgural National Standardbred Yearling Sales with three well bred harness racing colts – two by in vogue sires Bettor’s Delight and Art Major and the other by first season stallion Captaintreacherous.
Two of their foals, Stag Party (Bettor’s Delight – Surprise Party) and Sergeant Major (Art Major – Presidential Reign) were actually born on the same day – 29th November, while Captain Nemo (Captaintreacherous – Arden Caviar) was born on the 20th December.
“We’re feeling really realistic about the sale this year. They’re all very nice colts but they’re just lacking a champion brother,” said Katrina Price who sold Chicago Cub, a full-brother to millionaire pacer Chicago Bull for $190,000 at last year’s sale.
Stag Party is one of the colts they’re offering. He’s out of the one win Christian Cullen mare Surprise Party.
John and Katrina bought Surprise Party for $26,000 at the 2010 Yearling Sales in Christchurch and she won one race from fourteen starts.
“This is her third foal. Repartee her first was a fine boned thoroughbred type. Her next foal is by American Ideal and is a three year old. She’s due to go to the workouts. She’s the opposite (to Repartee) – a big raw boned filly so we’ve had to wait on her. This fella (Stag Party) is more athletic. He looks like he’d get up and go. He’s not a big Bettors. I like him. ”
Their second lot is Sergeant Major. From the breed that John’s father Roger has developed over the years, he can be traced back to Queen Of Spades.
“He’s a very typical Art Major – got that real good top line like the Art Majors do. He’s the nicest looking foal that she’s had.”
Sergeant Major is Presidential Reign’s sixth foal. She’s the dam of Machrie (Mach Three) who has won eight races while her other winner is the Somebeachsomewhere gelding Manly which has won seven races.
The couple’s third colt at the sale is Captain Nemo. He’s out of Arden Caviar a Rocknroll Hanover mare who’s a half-sister to Arden’s Choice, Arden’s Winstar and Bettor’s Strike and is a full-sister to Rocknroll Arden.
“If I was in America I’d be very excited about him with the way the Captaintreacherous (progeny) have sold. He was born on the 20th December. He’s really starting to thrive now. His sister (Pearl Harbour) qualified at Winton. She’s very much like he was – an ugly duckling foal. He’s just starting to bloom.”
He’s one of six colts by Captaintreacherous at the Christchurch sale.
“It depend on how the New Zealand buyers take to the Treacherous’s and whether they’re as open minded as the Americans are.”
We need to ask here why would they not be open minded on the Captaintreacherous yearlings? He is the leading two-year-old sire in North America and this is from his first crop to the races.
Captaintreacherous is the sire of the current Dan Patch two-year-old of the year in North America called Captain Crunch 1:49.1 ($648,642).
Captain Crunch winning the 2018 two-year-old Breeders Crown
Captaintreacherous had total yearling sales of $5,042,000 in 2018. He sold 58 yearlings that averaged $86,931 a stunning result for any sire.
Here is a list of the top ten two-year-old money winning stallions in North America as at 21st of December 2018;
Starters Money won
CAPTAINTREACHEROUS 78 $3,525,238 SWEET LOU 68 $3,082,937 SOMEBEACHSOMEWHERE 78 $2,832,485 BETTORS DELIGHT 82 $2,791,340 ART MAJOR 61 $1,819,740 SPORTSWRITER 107 $1,784,495 AMERICAN IDEAL 62 $1,577,488 ALWAYS A VIRGIN 44 $1,279,739 PET ROCK 69 $1,019,430 BETTERTHANCHEDDAR 48 $988,231
Arden Caviar’s first foal Pearl Harbour is a filly by Somebeachsomewhere and is heading to North Island trainer Barry Purdon after having qualified recently at Winton.
“She’s probably more advanced than Democrat Party was when we sent her up there to Barry’s. She’s a lovely filly. Everything she does at home and on the track seems to be with ease.”
The Young Guns Fillies Series is her target with the second heat being run at Alexandra Park at the end of the month.
Although realistic about this year’s draft at the sales the Prices have some more cards to play at future sales with Democrat Party’s first colt being earmarked for the 2020 sale.
“She’s got a Bettor’s Delight colt at foot at the moment. That’ll go to the sales next year. It looks a real cracker.”
Meanwhile Chicago Blues the dam of Chicago Bull and record priced Chicago Cub (renamed Perfect Stride) is in foal to Bettor’s Delight. Her foal died last year and she didn’t get in foal.
“We’ve just had a couple of years without anything from her.”
The mare’s other filly Rockabilly Blues, was on the list to go to stud but that’s been put on hold as she’s starting to prove herself on the racetrack.
“We had Rockabilly Blues booked into the Stud because Chicago Blues had her problems so we thought we might just breed from her. But she came up good this season so her stud career has been deferred for another year.”
Bruce Stewart