Overtook Carries Seven-Figure Price Tag Into Belmont

By Curlin and out of grade 1 winner Got Lucky, Overtook showed high-class credentials as a young horse that led to him commanding a seven-figure price tag. On June 5, the bay colt will get a chance at classic glory in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) at Belmont Park. Four of the eight entries in the third leg of the Triple Crown sold through the auction ring, with Overtook the top-priced entry at $1 million. He was purchased by Repole Stables, St. Elias, and M. V. Magnier from the Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. While St. Elias and Repole joined on pricy purchases and have raced in partnership in the past, Magnier was a new addition brought about by a mutual affinity for the Curlin colt. "We really liked the horse at the sale, loved his breeding, and thought he was very athletic-looking," said Rory Babich, who assists in the operation of St. Elias. "We knew we would have to go that high to get him. "This wasn't a situation where we were forming a buying group going into the sale. We've always had great respect for Mr. Magnier and the Coolmore team, and as they were looking at horses and we were looking at horses, we realized we all really liked him and decided to get together." Overtook was bred in Kentucky by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Philip Steinberg. His sire, two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, was beaten a head by the filly Rags to Riches in the 2007 Belmont Stakes, and his dam Got Lucky won the 2015 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) and is a daughter of 1992 Belmont Stakes winner A.P. Indy. He hails from the female family of grade 1 winners Girolamo, Rhythm, Imagining, Super Saver, Callback, and Bluegrass Cat. "I trained the mother, and she was a grade 1 winner," trainer Todd Pletcher said at the time of the colt's sale. "It's a tremendous family. By a world-class stallion. Very athletic colt. He's a stallion prospect with all the things we were looking for." Overtook broke his maiden at third asking Dec. 20 racing a mile at Aqueduct Racetrack. He then picked up graded placings when second in the Feb. 6 Withers Stakes (G3) back at Aqueduct and third in the May 8 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) at Belmont. "Certainly when you spend the money we did on a horse, we'd all love to see him precocious and winning stakes at 2, but we also know some horses take longer to develop, and when we looked at the breeding we knew this was one that would take longer to develop," Babich said. "We've taken a very patient approach with him. Todd likes the horse a lot and feels he's continuing to improve. "Obviously this is a big step up, but we liked the way he ran in the Peter Pan and we think he deserves a shot. He's one of our favorites, and while not precocious, we continue to believe in him." Hronis Racing and David Michael Talla's Belmont contender Rock Your World was another high-price yearling purchase at the Keeneland September sale. Sapphire Stable went to $650,000 to secure him from Winter Quarter Farm's consignment. The Kentucky-foaled Candy Ride (ARG) colt is the fourth generation of his family to be bred by Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and McAnally's wife, Debbie. Out of the stakes winner and multiple grade 1-placed mare Charm the Maker, his broodmare sire, Empire Maker, captured the 2003 Belmont. Boat Racing, Gainesway Thoroughbreds, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss' Hot Rod Charlie was bought by agent Dennis O'Neill for $110,000 from Small Batch Sales at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale. The Oxbow colt was previously a $17,000 short yearling purchase by Erickson Equine from James M. Herbener Jr.'s consignment to the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale. Yuji Inaida's France Go de Ina is another Keeneland September graduate. Trainer Hideyuki Mori bought the Will Take Charge colt for $100,000 out of Betz Thoroughbreds' consignment.