Dorman Top American Buyer as Tattersalls October Begins

Determined Stables' Matt Dorman is trying to accomplish two things at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. He's working to build up his racing operation, but also create a pipeline of fillies to supply his broodmare band. In a matter of eight lots, Dorman committed nearly $1.9 million on three fillies to supercharge the American purchasing in the opening session of the sale's first book Oct. 7. Overall, he purchased five fillies for 1.95 million guineas (US$2,749,500, 1 guinea=US$1.41). Bloodstock agent David Ingordo, who signed the slip, said the quick succession of buys was not planned, but it worked out nicely. "The way they came up isn't intentional," he said. "But we went through ranking them, and they were beautiful horses right in a row. They're by proven sires. We're going to bring them home and race." Ingordo said all three fillies will be headed to his wife, trainer Cherie DeVaux. "I have a lot of faith in Dave. And that's really the start of it," Dorman said. "We're building a broodmare band in Kentucky; we've got 20 or 30 mares now. Now we're focused on developing some runners and going from there." The first of the purchases is a filly by American sire No Nay Never, who stands at Coolmore in Ireland. Consigned as Lot 69 by Brian O'Rourke Bloodstock, the filly sold for $761,278, the highest-priced purchase by an American buyer Tuesday. She is out of the King's Best mare Bufera (IRE), who was group 3-placed. Bufera is the dam of seven winners from eight runners out of 10 foals of racing age. The most successful of those is the Ireland-bred Chartreuse, who is a group 3-placed stakes winner. Both Dorman and Ingordo praised the sires who produced the fillies as well as the progeny they are bringing back to the United States. "The No Nay Never filly's a queen," Ingordo raved. "I know she'll probably run on the turf, but if you stood her up at Keeneland next to a bunch of dirt horses, you wouldn't say she looks (out of place)." They didn't have to wait long for their next strike, topping all bidders at $599,154 for a daughter of Too Darn Hot (GB). The Darley stallion is viewed as an up-and-coming sire. The filly is out of his fourth crop and was consigned by Ballyvolane Stud in Ireland. Consigned as Lot 74, the filly is the first foal out the Sea The Stars (IRE) mare Caromil (IRE). Caromil was winless in four starts at 3. Two lots later, it took $528,603 to secure the Sea The Stars filly consigned as Lot 76 by Houghton Bloodstock. She is out of the Exceed And Excel (AUS) mare Castleacre (GB), who is the dam of one winner from three foals of racing age. She has a weanling by Baaeed (GB). "If we can get lucky, between (Dorman's) financing and patience, whatever I bring to the equation, and Cherie training, hopefully we can develop some of these fillies that will become future broodmares," Ingordo said "It makes a lot of sense to go buy four fillies for the price of one made mare for what he's trying to do." Toward the later portion of the session, Dorman and Ingordo doled out $225,563 for Lot 144, a Blue Point (IRE) filly consigned by Kilnamoragh Stud in Ireland. She is out of the unraced Frozen Power (IRE) mare Fast Jazz (IRE). Among the dam's four runners—all winners—out of five foals of racing age is Special Wan (IRE), who this year was third in the Just a Game Stakes (G1T) and won the Honey Fox Stakes (G3T) and Ladies Turf Stakes (G3T). Capping their spending was Lot 161, a Sea The Stars chestnut filly consigned by Alice Fitzgerald, who came with a $634,399 price tag. Dorman and Ingordo said they felt it worked to their advantage to strike earlier in the sale rather than wait. It was a sentiment shared by bloodstock agent Justin Casse, who made a big splash earlier Tuesday. Casse bought a Lope de Vega (IRE) filly for $563,909 for an owner he was not ready to reveal. Whoever the mystery entity is, signs point to a European-based buyer. Consigned as Lot 22 out of the Ballyhimikin Stud consignment, the filly will stay in Ireland and head to the stable of Joseph O'Brien. "Love the stallion," Casse said. "He's phenomenal. One of the best here. The filly is very light on her feet. Came from a good nursery. They raise a nice horse. "I think maybe I got lucky just trying to strike early. I think it's going to get very competitive on Wednesday and Thursday. There's a lot of nice horses coming up, so maybe it was good jumping in early." Casse said he thought the filly, who is the first foal out of the Kodiac (GB) mare American Bridge (GB), might have brought in more. As such, he likes the value he found at the price point. "It's tough to say if you're going to get a bargain when you get to these premier sales, like, say, Keeneland (September) Book 1, or (Fasig-Tipton) Saratoga or Tatts Book 1. But I think you have a better chance of getting a bit of value by hopping in early, then waiting until the meat of the sale." Other purchases made by United States connections: BSW/Crow, agent, for Go Go Greys went to $634,399 for a Havana Grey (GB) colt consigned as Lot 138. The agents earlier in the sale grabbed Lot 11, a colt by Siyouni (FR), for $352,444. Both are headed to Barstool Sports' Dave Portnoy's racing team. BSW/Crow also topped the bidding for Lot 128, a Blue Point filly with $246,710 on behalf of Delta Squad Racing. "Just really well bred out of a very good filly (Muhaarar) mare Albaflora," Crow said of Lot 11. "And it's her first foal. And just Siyouni is one of the best stallions you can buy here. You know, I think it's kind of Siyouni, Frankel, and Dubawi. And you want to take home one of those." Bloodstock agent Andrew Cary, representing Wells Watson, had one target in mind. However, he needed to wait until the third-to-last lot of the session before springing into action. After nearly eight hours, he made the high bid of $775,375 for Lot 177, a Lope de Vega filly out of the consignment of the sale's perennial top seller, Newsells Park Stud. The filly will train with Joseph O'Brien. "She was it," Cary said of his purchase. "She was the target for the whole sale, really." Cary bought a Kingman (GB) filly on behalf of Watson last year from the Newsells consignment. They liked what they saw so much they went back to the well. "Great pedigree, beautiful filly, huge walk on her. … Maybe go to the States one day, but maybe not. Hopefully, get some black type along the way," Cary said. Mike Ryan, bidding for Klaravich Stables, picked up a pair of new runners. Their headliner is Lot 145, a colt by Kingman for which he signed a ticket for $507,519. Earlier, Ryan won the bidding for a New Bay (GB) colt consigned as Lot 65 at $197,368. Repole Stable went to $281,954 for Lot 30, a filly by Wootton Bassett, the star sire who died Sept. 23. Later in the session, it put in $225,564 for a daughter of Justify (Lot 130). Oracle Bloodstock came away with Lot 116, a Kodiac filly, dropping the hammer at $169,172 for an unknown buyer. Solis/Litt Bloodstock secured a Havana Grey colt for an unknown buyer with a hammer-dropping price of $140,977.