Into Mischief filly smashes Fasig-Tipton Midlantic record at $1.8 million

An Into Mischief filly set a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale record when she sold for $1.8 million (£1,420,560/€1,611,610) to Michael Lund Petersen, with Donato Lanni acting as agent, during Tuesday's second session.

"She's always been fast; she's the best one in this sale for me," said consignor Bobby Dodd. "She's a good-minded, big strong filly and has a quick turn of foot. She's not a typical Into Mischief when it comes to looks. She has a beautiful head and neck, and she is plenty correct."

The purchase was the first of the day for Petersen, who has had a good bit of luck with horses purchased at the Timonium sales grounds in recent months. At last year's renewal Petersen went to $625,000 to secure a colt by Mucho Macho Man out of the Giant's Causeway mare Itsagiantcauseway.

Consigned by Kirkwood Stables, agent, that colt, named Mucho Gusto, broke his maiden on debut for trainer Bob Baffert before winning the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar next time out.

Second in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity at Los Alamitos Race Course, the scrappy three-year-old put himself on the Kentucky Derby trail with a win in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park. His follow-up effort was a third in the Sunland Park Derby at Sunland Park, a race that ultimately cost him the necessary points to draw into the 145th Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.

But the talented chestnut bounced right back a week after the Run for the Roses to win the Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera Stakes at Santa Anita.

"We've been doing this for a while but last year I bought two horses here, one is going to come back and breeze in a couple of weeks," said Peteresen. "Mucho Gusto has been a lot of fun, so I guess that's why we're here. I'm a little excited."

When asked what most excited him about his almost $2m purchase, Petersen's answer was quick and easy.

"That Bob (Baffert) loved her," he said. "That's basically it. I was hoping it wouldn't go that high but we had Bob on the phone and he thought it was still a good idea, so that's why we decided to buy her. When something good shows up, I solely rely on Bob.

"If he thinks it's a good purchase and it's my turn, I'm going to buy them. I don't know enough about horses to spend $1.8 million, I can tell you that. I need a little bit of advice. What can I say? I'm still a little excited about spending that much money in five seconds."

Petersen's second purchase from last year's sale was a $925,000 Union Rags colt out of the Tale Of The Cat mare Tanglewood Tale. Consigned by Bobby Dodd, agent, the colt was named Tale Of The Union and made an immediate impression when he broke his maiden on first asking last August by a dominating eight lengths at Del Mar.

After that, Petersen said the colt did not keep up the same stamina during training that had defined his early performance, and he was given time off.

"We were excited about Tale Of The Union too, but he got tired of all the training," said Petersen. "But he should be back in two weeks or so. Obviously Mr Baffert is really excited about (Hip 360) so if he's excited, I'm excited. But I know there is a long way to go."

The bay filly had the co-fastest pre-sale eighth-mile workout time of :10. Produced from the stakes-placed Kafwain mare Peggy Jane, she descends from the female family of Canadian champion Dynamic Sky. She was bred in Kentucky by Grace Thoroughbred Holdings, and was purchased by Grand Oaks, agent, for $220,000 from Summerfield, agent for Stonestreet Bred and Raised, at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

While Petersen may have felt overwhelmed with the final figure of his purchase Tuesday, Brad Grady, who purchased the filly as a yearling in partnership with Bobby Dodd for 12 per cent of her final two-year-old purchase price, was equally emotional following the sale.

"It feels damn good," laughed Grady. "Bobby and I have been so fortunate. We've sold several million-dollar horses over the years. That one was special. She was a filly we bought together - Bobby and I buy all of these together - and Bobby doesn't give the accolade of 'freak' very often.

"He's done it a couple of times and one of them happened to be the one we went to the Kentucky Derby with and who won the Grade 1 Haskell (Invitational Stakes), Girvin .

"The second or third time he breezed her he called me and said, 'This filly is a freak.' The farm does a great job, Grand Oaks. I knew if they kept her sound and happy we were going to have a big payday or a good racehorse, either or. It doesn't make economical sense for us to keep horses like that when they're going to bring that much money.

"What we knew was that the major players in the game were on her. She had plenty of vetting, plenty of people were on her, but she had the right people. There were multiple people that could give seven figures.

"You never quite know selling these horses how far (it'll go). We had a good idea she was going to bring half a million. It's hard to guess where they're going to go. Could we have drawn up that she was going to bring $1.8 million? Never crossed my mind, to be honest."

The previous record for the Midlantic sale was set in 2017, when Breeze Easy and John Oxley went to $1.5m to secure a Curlin colt from the consignment of Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds, agent. Bred in Florida by Miller Racing out of the Stormin Fever mare Franscat, the colt was named Curlin's Honor. He placed third in his most recent start, the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes at Woodbine.

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