by Anne Doolin for Tattersalls

Lexington, KY — David Rahal of Mahwah, New Jersey purchased the sale topper at the Tattersalls January Select Mixed Sale for the second consecutive year when he went to $280,000 to acquire Whatanartist Monday at the Meadowlands.

In January of 2003, he paid $250,000 for sale topper Allamerican Captor, who went on to become a top stakes colt last year with earnings of just under $450,000 for the season.

The select sale, held on Martin Luther King Day in the paddock, realized an increase in gross over last year’s impressive showing. 272 horses grossed $7,017,300, for an average of $25,799. Last year’s gross was $5,880,600.

“This sale proves people love to buy at the Meadowlands,” said Geoffrey Stein, general manager of Tattersalls. “To do over seven million in January, of course we’re very, very pleased -– especially since we are up over a very strong sale last year.

“This year’s catalog was as powerful a mixed book as I’ve seen, and people responded accordingly,” he said. “Not only did we have a tremendous selection of racehorses, but our broodmares and magnificent mares were outstanding. This attracted far more European participation than usual. We had buyers from Scandinavia, Italy, and France. It was a very active international market, and a great crowd overall.”

The brilliantly fast Whatanartist, who took his mark of 1:49 in his Meadowlands Pace elimination, has over three-quarters of a million in the bank. The Real Artist horse, now four, was consigned by Peninsula Farm, acting as agent for Jules and Arlene Siegel of New Hope, Pennsylvania.

The Siegels sold several other high-priced racehorses, including trotter Upalazyriver, who went for $115,000 to Bill Weaver of Freehold, New Jersey.

They were not only quite active as sellers, but as buyers as well. The Siegels paid $130,000 for trotting broodmare Worldclass Victory, a full sister to World Champion and Hambletonian winner Continentalvictory, who sold in foal to Conway Hall. She was consigned by Preferred Equine, Inc., as agent for Brittany Farms and Partners.

Canadian champion Nadine Angus, who has earnings of just under $300,000 and a mark of 1:56², was a $100,000 purchase by the Siegels from the Elite Breeding Partners consignment.

Multiple stakes winner Hellava Hush brought $155,000 from Bill Gallagher, acting as agent for Joe Chnapko of Fairfield, New Jersey. Consigned by Northwood Bloodstock Agency, the four-year-old Lindy Lane gelding has earnings of over $330,000 and posted 10 wins in 17 starts last year.

Card Trick Hanover, selling in the “Magnificent Mares” section of the catalog, sold for $110,000 with Blue Chip Bloodstock of Wallkill, New York the successful bidder. The multiple stakes winning daughter of Cam’s Card Shark, with a mark of 1:49¹, has earnings of $674,717. She was consigned by Preferred Equine Inc.

Complete hip-by-hip results are available on-line at www.tattersallsredmile.com.

The next Tattersalls event at the Meadowlands is another mixed sale, to be conducted during Meadowlands Pace weekend on Sunday, July 18.