Half sister to Well Said brings $300,000
November 2, 2009,by Ellen Harvey, Harness Racing Communications
Harrisburg, PA — Hip number 67, Look And Listen, the Rocknroll Hanover half sister to Little Brown Jug winner and multi millionaire, Well Said, sold for $300,000 on Monday (Nov. 2) at the Standardbred Horse Sale to Emilio Rosati of Cohdell Park, New South Wales, Australia.
USTA/Ellen Harvey photo
Look And Listen brought $300,000 on Monday at the Standardbred Horse Sale.
The purchase of Look And Listen is the first US purchase for the Italian-born Rosati, who owns a construction company that builds shopping malls and skyscrapers in Australia.
“I made a good friend in Kentucky, Skip Spring (owner of Bunny Lake); we met by accident looking at horses. We started to talk and we formed a friendship. I left Kentucky with nothing, but my friend Skip said, ‘Look, there is another sale, the Black Book in Harrisburg.’
“That was my first time in the US, for the sale in Lexington. Me and my wife said, ‘let us know what you think about that sale (in Harrisburg).’ I’m looking for a good filly, but I don’t want a filly that the Americans want to sell. I want the filly that all the Americans want (to buy). So he (Spring) rang me and said, ‘I got you a filly. If you’ve got the money, I’ve got the filly.’
I said, ‘Skip, can you do me a favor? Can you go look at her?’ He said, ‘I can’t fault her. She’s almost perfect.’ I said, ‘OK, I’m coming.’ He said, ‘Are you sure?’ I said yes and the rest is history. I booked a plane and 19 hours later, I’m here. I saw the filly yesterday and I said whatever person’s going to buy her, I’m either going to cost someone a lot of money or someone’s going to cost me a lot of money,” he laughed.
Rosati said he’d set $350,000 as an upper limit.
For now, a name change is next up, “She’s going to be Emilio’s Stride. We’ve got 35 horses in Australia and they all start or finish with “Stride” in their name. She’s going to stay here and my good friend Skip is in charge of her. She’s going to be racing in the same stable as his horses. She will come to Australia the day she stops racing. Not before.”
“She’s a terrific looking filly, great bred filly,” said Steve Jones, who co-bred the filly with consignor Fair Winds Farm. “There is no weanling, but the mare (Must See) is in foal to Somebeachsomewhere and that’s who we’re going to breed her to next year, I guess.”
Through mid-day, the sales topper has been The Queen, an Andover Hall-Bold Dreamer filly who sold for $360,000. Jeffrey Snyder signed the sales slip. The Queen is a full sister to Pampered Princess, the 2006 and 2007 Dan Patch Award winner who took a lifetime mark of 1:53 and banked $1,648,362.
Another big price was paid for Rock Camroller, a Rocknroll Hanover-Camadian colt who went for $310,000 to Thomas Cancelliere. This is the first foal for Camadian, a daughter of Camluck-Grand Lady who raced just twice in her career and failed to earn a check.
USTA/Ellen Harvey photo
Johnny William was hammered down for $190,000.
The first yearling to break the $100,000 mark on Monday was the Andover Hall–Solveig trotting colt Johnny William, to Jimmy Takter for $190,000.
Takter trained and drove the dam, former 2-year-old trotting filly champ Solveig (1:54.4, $820,791) and is also part of the group that bred the horse, who was raised at Concord Stud Farm and consigned by them.“Some of the partners wanted to sell, so we sold. He’s a great looking individual, I liked him, he’s just beautiful. He’s named for my brother (Swedish horseman Johnny W. Takter). Besides, I liked the family,” he laughed.
Takter has not yet determined who his partners will be on Johnny William.
- Buyers spend freely on the first day at Harrisburg (Monday, November 02, 2009)
The opening session of the 71st annual Standardbred Horse Sale got underway with strong numbers, up from 2008 in every category.