Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer
This bay filly (Lot 179), by Image Maker out of Instead of Roses, was purchased for $1.7 million in Sunday's yearling sale at Caymanas Park. She will race in Trinidad. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
A dark bay colt, by Image Maker out of De Barrel Come, fetched the record price of $2.7 million at Sunday's annual Thoroughbred Yearling Sale held in the official car park at Caymanas Park.
Entering the ring as lot 103, the well-grown yearling, which attracted an opening bid of $300,000, was purchased by Saturday's Super-stakes winning owner, Barbados-based Elias Haloute, after some spirited bidding.
Bred by Argyll Farms Limited, the youngster will be trained locally by Anthony 'Baba' Nunes, who conditions horses owned by Haloute, including Saturday's Superstakes winner AD INFINITUM.
Broke previous record
Image Maker, by Distinctive Pro, won five races, including the New York Derby, and US$339,666 in stakes. He is the sire of the classy three-year-old colt ROYAL IMAGE, winner of the 2000 Guineas in April before his untimely death at exercise some weeks ago, while preparing for the CTL Caribbean Sprint.
The Image Maker colt broke the previous sales record of $2 million set by CLASSY BOY PETE (chestnut colt Royal Minister-Secret Pleasure) in 2004.
That record was equalled from as early as Lot 5 when a chestnut colt by Region of Merit, out of the 1997 Oaks winner PW's Choice, bred by the YS (1955) Limited, was purchased for $2 million by trainer Nunes on behalf of a client.
With the stage set from that early in the sale, the record came as no surprise. Later, the old record was again equalled by lot 88, a bay colt by Tracking-Glorious Line, bred by Andrew Azar.
Haloute purchased a total of four yearlings for a grand total of $5.3 million. Three of them will be trained by Nunes, while Lot 17, a bay colt by He'stherealthing-Nargis, bred by Orange Valley and purchased for $800,000, will be shipped to Trinidad. Haloute is part owner of this yearling with Tres Amigos.
In addition to the Image Maker and He'stherealthing colts, Haloute also picked up Lot 2, a bay filly by Vanadium-Quiet Giant, bred by the YS (1955) Limited, for $1 million, as well as Lot 81, a chestnut filly by Law of The Sea-Silvery Diablo, bred by HAM Stables Limited, for $850,000.
"Coming off another big race win, I have to say that Jamaican-bred horses have served me well over the years and I will continue to buy horses here," said Haloute who, after years of trying, is almost certain to emerge the champion owner in Jamaica for the first time.
Caribbean buyers
Significantly, buyers from the eastern Caribbean purchased 35 yearlings for a combined total of $29.9 million. One such yearling was lot 179, a bay filly by Image Maker-Instead of Roses, bred by Argyll Farms, purchased for $1.7 million by the visiting Trinidadian Ralph Meahjohn.
The owner, accompanied by Trinidadian trainer José Samaroo, said that although he has visited Jamaica before, this was the first time he was purchasing a horse in the yearling sale.
"I bought this horse specifically to race in Trinidad where she will be trained by Samaroo. She's a nice filly and although one can never guess how good a young horse will become, it is my hope that she will develop into a top class filly," said Meahjohn.
Leading stud farms Orange Valley and HAM Stables both did exceptionally well with their yearlings. Orange Valley disposed of all but one of the 12 consigned.
Andrew Azar also left the sale a happy man, the noted breeder fetching some high prices for his yearlings.
These include the Tracking colt, sold for $2 million, and a chestnut colt by Kerry Gold-Princess Akeem colt (Lot 202) for $1.8 million.
Promoted by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the sale realised a record turnover of $104.8 million - up substantially from the previous record of $56.9 million last year.
A total of 177 of the 196 yearlings consigned were sold (33 for $1 million and over) and it proved a resounding success.
Auctioneer was popular racing commentator, Brian Rickman, assisted by Dr Paul Wright.
