Judging by an active round of bidding, it's safe to say that Hip 125, a colt by champion and classic winner Nyquist , made an impression on prospective buyers during the first session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training April 16. The colt's eye-catching eighth-mile breeze in :10 flat at the under tack preview had buyers clamoring for the colt in the ring, with Spendthrift Farm and MKW Racing and Breeding prevailing on a final bid of $550,000.
Consigned by Thorostock, agent, the colt is out of the winning Not for Love mare How My Heart Works and is a half brother to stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Monday Morning Qb, and a full brother to Asawer, third in the 2023 UAE Oaks (G3). This is also the family of Spendthrift Farm stallion Cyberknife , winner of the 2022 Arkansas Derby (G1) and that year's Haskell Stakes (G1), grade 1 winner Well Armed, and multiple stakes winner Awesome Flower.
The colt was bred in Maryland by Bowman and Higgins Stable and was acquired by Thorostock and Seth Morris Thoroughbreds for $205,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale.
"He is hard to miss," said Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey, who signed the ticket on the precocious colt. "He's just a big, big, beautiful colt. Seth Semkin and Daniel Toffey were down here working the breeze show and they had him identified based on his breeze. We love the sire. He is a big, athletic horse."
Toffey said the colt will receive time off before making his way to Southern California.
"He will probably go back to Spendthrift and get a little bit of a break," Toffey said, "and then probably on to Richard Mandella."
Nyquist, who stands at Darley for $85,000, was a five-time grade 1 winner in a stellar career. In addition to winning the 2016 Kentucky Derby (G1), the son of Uncle Mo won the Florida Derby (G1) at 3 and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), Del Mar Futurity (G1), and the Frontrunner Stakes (G1). He capped his undefeated 2015 season by being honored as the champion 2-year-old male. Nyquist is represented this year by OBS graduate Nysos, winner of the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park; Encino, winner of the Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland April 13, and Johannes, winner of the American Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita.
