Bloodstock agent Justin Casse made his move late in the day April 21 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, purchasing a $600,000 Curlin filly in the name of his nephew and trainer, Norman Casse.
"Norman is going to train it, but it's for a new client for him," said Casse. "They have to remain nameless for the time being, but hopefully, you'll see it in the Racing Form sooner than later."
Consigned as Hip 594 by Wavertree Stables (Ciaran Dunne), agent, the daughter of the Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa stallion and two-time Horse of the Year was bred in Kentucky by Pippa's Hurricane out of the A.P. Indy mare Catch the Flag, who has also produced stakes winner Checkered Past.
One needn't look further than one generation to find plenty of back class, as the filly's second dam is champion Catch the Ring, a Canadian champion who produced Canadian champion Catch the Thrill—a full sister to Catch the Flag.
Wednesday's trip through the ring was the second for Hip 594, who was previously consigned to the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase in September by St George Sales but did not meet her reserve on a final bid of $120,000. She was entered back in the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearlings Sale but pulled at the last minute.
"We owned her in partnership with the breeder," said Dunne. "She RNA'd in September and she was in the October sale at Fasig-Tipton and had an abscess in her foot. She was scratched, so we bought her. We just got lucky."
During the OBS Spring Sale under tack show, the Hip 594 breezed an eighth-mile in :10.
While she has plenty of racing ahead of her, Casse said the filly's pedigree played an important part in appraising her final asking price.
"(It's) the pedigree most importantly and the performance," said Casse. "Obviously these are performance-based sales. She performed well and she had the pedigree to back it up. She is a nice-looking filly.
"It's nice to look at residual in all of these animals. Sometimes it gets thrown out the window at these sales, but it's always an added bonus, and we always consider it."
