Determined stallion leads US buyers at Tattersalls Opener

Days before the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Matt Dorman of Determined Stud did not want to show his cards for the upcoming Tattersalls December Mare Sale. The one nugget he offered was his goal for the Dec. 1-3 auction in Newmarket, England, to add elite European bloodlines he didn’t already have as part of his burgeoning broodmare band.

That goal was achieved after the first day of sales.

Determined Stud laid down 350,000 guineas ($486,056; 1 guinea = $1.39) for White caviar a daughter of a four-time group 1 winner Australia . White Caviar was part of the auction’s Scepter Sessions, which spotlights the top mares on offer. She is pregnant with Too damn hot .

The ticket for White Caviar, consigned as Lot 1455 by Baroda Stud, was signed by bloodstock agent David Ingordo.

“It’s a beautiful family tree, a very deep family,” Ingordo said. “There are Grade 1s and graded races all over the pedigree. She’s a beautiful, big mare in foal to Too Darn Hot, who needs no introduction. She should be something fun to breed. And whatever (Dorman) decides – if he wants to sell them here, race them – those things would be determined. But the mare is beautiful and a great mating.”

Just like two months earlier at the Tattersalls’ Yearling Sale in October, Dorman made a big impression among North American buyers. Before the expensive mares from Monday’s Scepter Session entered the sales ring, Ingordo from dedetermined Stud also stopped bidding for Warren Hill at 320,000 guineas ($444,394).

Consigned by New England Stud, Ingordo said the daughter of No No Never was one that caught his attention beyond the select mares offered later during Monday’s first session. The mare is pregnant Charyn . She is a full sister to the 3-winning 2-year-old Hey mama mama .

“I bought Hey Nay Nay for a client; we think he’s a really nice horse and he finished third last night (in the Cecil B. Demille Stakes, G3T) after a bad trip,” Ingordo said. “She’s a beautiful pedigree, she’s a beautiful filly, I did some research on Charyn and he seems to be a good cover. I thought she was the most beautiful physical presence. She’s a page who works here or at home, and she could visit Too Darn Hot. She’ll probably stay in Europe.”

Dorman’s $930,450 for two purchases was the most spent by an American buyer during the opening session of the sale. As turf racing continues to grow in the United States, Dorman sees an opportunity to buy abroad.

“We invest money and try to choose things that fit what we want to do,” Ingordo said. “We try to buy quality. Sometimes it costs what it costs. And when you look at a ten-year investment with a mare, you have to decide; it’s not overnight. This is the cliché: when you buy a mare, you marry her for a while. So that’s what we try to do.”

Determined Stud wasn’t the only American purchase Monday.

Kim Valero, agent for DJ Stable, advanced to $90,267 Rejectedsent as lot 1308. The daughter of No Nay Never has not been raced, but has a solid pedigree. Apart from her father’s exploits, she is gone Sky Mesa mare Mesa Fresca. DJ Stable has also been added Majazconsigned by Shadwell Estate as lot 1252. The daughter of Observations was classified as a horse out of training. She is out of the Gallileo mare To kiss and was placed five times as a 3-year-old. Cushion concluded her racing career in the United States, including seconds in the 2014 My Charmer Handicap (G3T) and the 2015 Violet Stakes (G3T).

DJ Stable’s Jonathan Green said they are looking for relative value in this sale.

“We looked at November sales here in the United States and honestly, we thought that because of the Big Beautiful Bill, especially if you were a seller, the prices were excellent,” Green said. “It was very difficult to buy on those sales and we are value players.”

Green said that because U.S. buyers are not as active in these sales compared to domestic auctions, he believes there will be a greater opportunity for value purchases. He believes both of Monday’s mares would have cost twice as much if they had participated in the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Both Dismissed and Majaz are coming to the US, but have different immediate futures. Dismissed will join DJ Stable’s broodmare band, and Majaz will race, perhaps as early as February.

“She’s an average-sized mare,” Green said of Dismissed. “She has good conformation and, most importantly for our program, there is a lot of American blood and a lot of winners in the immediate family; horses that have competed and won in the United States. And you have to keep that in mind when you buy horses abroad and bring them to America, that there has to be some kind of commercial appeal for the future foal.”

Majaz goes to the stable of trainer Mark Casse. Green pointed to champion two-year-olds in her bloodline that indicate precocity.

“I think she can run across the United States and maybe shorten some distance,” Green said. “She has been running mainly a mile. (If) we get her back to a flat mile and maybe even try on dirt roads, because the Dubawis can run on dirt roads, then maybe we can have a really nice value play with this filly as well.”

Earlier in the day, Repole Stable, represented by Alex Solis II, dropped the hammer at $83,324 to Laugh out loud . She is a 12 year old daughter of Dubawi, consigned by Godolphin as lot 1260.

Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, Upland Flat and Nick Bauer spent $55,549 for The power of fate. Supplied by Whattan Manor Stud as a horse in training, the 4 year old Sea The Stars filly has not won this year, but has two wins out of 3. She is out of the King’s man mare Rux powerwhich produced two winners from three years of racing age.

Taylor Made entered the first of four mares from the consignment head into the sales ring on Monday. Sharpen sent as Lot 1462, was the penultimate of that day’s Scepter Session. She was sold to Stephen Hillen Bloodstock for $499,943. Sharpen was owned by Taylor Made’s Medallion Racing, DJ Stable, Steve Weston and Stewart Hoffman.