KINGSTON, Jamaica - Despite the strict protocols associated with COVID-19 and the limited catalogue of young horses on offer, Roshane Douse, chief executive officer at the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association of Jamaica (TOBA) indicated that the 2020 Yearling Sale went well when all factors are considered.
While 66 lots were listed, only 45 went through the sale as 10 lots were withdrawn and 11 lots went unsold during the auction.
This year’s Yearling Sale, which for the first time took bids online, reached a total of $68.4 million.
The Lot 48, a bay filly bred by Savoy Stomp out of the Graeme Hall mare Rumble, was purchased by this year’s Derby winning owner Carlton Watson for $6.1 million.
The property of Chad Feanny, Herman Wong-Leung and Donna Wong-Leung, the yearling is half-sister to Above and Beyond, this year’s 1000 Guineas and Jamaica Oaks winner, and Further and Beyond, a promising two-year-old currently in training.
Savoy Stomp was offering his first crop of horses since he started to stand at the HAM Stables Limited. Savoy Stomp is an American importee by Medaglia D’Oro – Crystal Current.
Four of the other lots were sold for $2 million, while 18 lots went for $1 million and over.
Trainer Robert Pearson purchased Lot 49, a bay filly by Savoy Stomp – My Angel for $2.6 million, while Lot 30, a bay filly by Savoy Stomp – Lady Mandi, was sold for $2 million.
Trainer Anthony Nunes bought Lots 27 and 31 for $2 million each. Lot 27 is a bay colt bred by Here Comes Ben – Rejected Slew and Lot 31, a bay filly bred by Savoy Stomp – Princess Geeta.
Other noticeable lots sold were:
Lot 19 – bay colt by Bern Identity – Moonlight Brew – $1.9m
Lot 62 – chestnut filly by Fearless Vision – Morebulletstofire – $1.8m
Lot 42 – bay filly by Legal Process – Kalamata – $1.8m
Lot 38 – chestnut colt by Midnight Hawk – Mameta – $1.7m
Lot 41 – chestnut colt by Bern Identity – Feasibility Study -$1.7m
Lot 29 – chestnut colt by Northern Giant – Goldstardancer – $1.6m
Lost 35 – bay filly by Natural Selection – Excellence - $1.5m
Lot 6 – bay colt by Bern Identity – Wonder Girl - $1.5m
“The sale turned out better than I was expecting. This year was a pilot project for us at TOBA, as never before has a Yearling Sale been streamed live. Plus, buyers on our digital platform could bid and make purchases – another first for TOBA. The support that we received today was heart-warming as it was more than what we were expecting,” Douse told this publication at the conclusion of the sale.
He added: “Despite the small number of horses catalogued this year (66), the number [total sales] that we did today [Sunday, November 15] was more than what we were expecting when doing our planning for the event. The final sales figures surpassed the amount that we actually projected at the office. Yearling Sale 2020 was new, it was different, yet despite COVID-19, TOBA was still able to have a sale. That to us at TOBA is an achievement and we can only learn from this experience going forward,” he added.
