The concentration of quality athletes at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky’s select sale on Newtown Pike north of Lexington defies the concept of “sire power.” Instead, it’s all about the individual, with a special emphasis on new stallions.
And among the first- and second-crop yearling sires at the auction, the value leaders are Airdrie stallion Flashy Bull and Pauls Mill stallion Bellamy Road.
Hip 19, a powerful gray daughter of Flashy Bull (by Holy Bull), is a strong, lengthy, and very good-quartered young athlete. She has the balance and presence to attract considerable interest, as well as the mechanical prowess to develop into an important racehorse. Taylor Made consigns her.
Hip 211 is a chestnut son of Wood Memorial winner Bellamy Road, who is a tall, dark stranger among the leading Kentucky sires. But Bellamy Road had as much raw talent as any racehorse of the past decade. If he passes it on, this is going to be fun for Pauls Mill owner Ben Walden and the members of the stallion’s syndicate.
The handsome and well-balanced colt at Fasig-Tipton is consigned by Trackside Farm, agent for Liberation Farm and Oratis. This is the family of Horse of the Year Holy Bull, who is the male-line grandsire of Hip 18. Curious, isn’t it, how the old gray champion keeps coming up with the goods?
Holy Bull also has his share in perhaps the best story on the grounds. Hip 90 is a gray son of Flashy Bull. The colt is a very appealing individual with some odd blemishes on his hocks. When I asked about them, the consignor told me that the colt was born in a blizzard (Feb. 2, 2009), and since the mare was outside when foaling, the foal suffered slight frostbite before he could be whisked indoors.
The colt is consigned by Anzac LLC and bred by Dr. and Mrs. Norman Umphenour. They call the gray colt ‘Blizzard.’
bloodstock in the bluegrass 