by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

At the annual ITS sale in Milan, Italy, the sales topper, Admiral As, was sold for $430,000, a new Italian record for a yearling sold at a public sale.

The old record was set in 1990.

It was the Swedish trainer Reijo Liljendahl who signed the slip.

Gerard Forni photo

Admiral As was sold for $430,000, a new Italian record for a yearling sold at a public sale.

Admiral As is sired by French champion Ready Cash and out of Galiera As, she by SJ’s Photo. Galiera As took a mark of 1:55.3 and among her 11 wins was the Gran Premio Orsi Mangelli Filly.

So far her first foal, Prado AS from 2009, a colt by Pine Chip, has been her best offspring with a mark of 1:57.3 and earnings of $82,700.

Offspring of Ready Cash were as usual in high demand and the second highest price at the sale was paid for Arden Wise As, a colt also sired by Ready Cash and out of Garden Variety (she by Tagliabue). Garden Variety took a mark of 1:57 and earned $73,840 before she was sold to Italy.

She has had seven foals and all have made it to the races. Four of them have earnings of more than $165,000 with Mind Wise As (sired by Lemon Dra) being the richest with earnings of $383,000.

As well as Admiral As, Arden Wise As was bred and raised by Allevamento Della Serenissima, who sold 17 yearlings for an average price of $75,810.

Six yearlings sired by Ready Cash were sold for an average price of $168,000. Hambletonian winner Trixton had four yearlings sell for an average of $67,500.

The average price for the sale was $45,550.