BIG WEEK IN OKLAHOMA
Courtesy of Track Magazine
With a record 900 head consigned to the Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale and the 2nd annual A Night With The Legends of American Quarter Horse Racing, all eyes are expected to be on Oklahoma City this week.
In a normal situation, the catalog for the Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale contains around 500 head. But this year’s edition of the 35-year-old event grew nearly 400 head when the U.S. Treasury Department contracted the sale of horses seized this past June in relation to the indictment of a number of individuals in regard to charges of money laundering by a Mexican drug cartel.
That consignment should cause Heritage Place to be packed this week.
The seized horses include some 30 yearlings sired by the all-time leading sires First Down Dash (16), Corona Cartel (7) and Mr Jess Perry (7) . . . who are three of the breed’s top four all-time leading sires of money earners . . . plus other yearlings by Ocean Runaway, Mr Queens Mystery, Walk Thru Fire, Inseparable and Snowbound (TB).
The Treasury consignment, which is being prepared and presented by Texas-based horseman Chris Benedict, also includes two-year-olds sired by Corona Cartel, First Down Dash, Mr Jess Perry, Walk Thru Fire, Feature Mr Jess, One Famous Eagle, Valiant Hero and PYC Paint Your Wagon. Three of those two-year-olds qualified for the final of the Ed Burke Million Futurity G1 in June but were seized in the time between the trials and the final. The Treasury Department did not put U.S. silks on that trio and run them back in the final.
The big consignment is spread throughout the three-day event and comprises 43% of the total offering. Basically, every other horse that sells during the three-day event is part of that consignment.
Nearly 100 recipient mares, many carrying the services of Champion Tempting Dash and 2010 All American Futurity G1 winner Mr Piloto will be offered in the Treasury consignment. Additionally, that consignment includes embryos by Mr Jess Perry, Corona Cartel, PYC Paint Your Wagon, Dash To Fame and Teller Cartel.
Tempting Dash and Mr Piloto also were both seized but are not selling at this time. They are part of a five-horse package that also reportedly includes 2011 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Separate Fire $671,000; Dashin Follies (dam of PYC Paint Your Wagon and Ivory James); and a weanling full sibling to Tempting Dash.
The five some reportedly is being held until after a trial scheduled for next March. Those horses and the net proceeds of this sale reportedly will be controlled by the Treasury Department until after this sale.
Tempting Dash is scheduled to remain at Southwest Stallion Station near Elgin, Texas, for the 2013 breeding season. Plans for breeding Mr Piloto in 2013 are not certain today.
The sale kicks off each day (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) at 10 a.m. and has 300 head each day. The first session on Thursday is all yearlings.