The 2023 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale took place this week and the foals of dams purchased through Ontario Racing’s Mare Purchase Program (MPP) outpaced the sale average and median.
Eleven foals from the 2022 MPP were catalogued, and the six that sold went for an average of $27,333 and a median of $26,500, 14 and 12 per cent higher than the overall sale number, respectively.
Hip 43 led the way among MPP graduates with Gary Barber going to $60,000 to purchase the son of War of Will out of the Pulpit mare Cost. The dark bay or brown colt was consigned by Bernard McCormack’s Cara Bloodstock, Agent for Saintsbury Farms.
Also, among the MPP Foals to bring a sale price above the average was Hip 121 bred by Tall Oaks Farm.
The bay colt by Oscar Performance out of the English Channel mare La Malaguena was purchased by Canuck Racing Club 2LP for $35,000. Tall Oaks Farm bought La Malaguena at the 2021 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
“We were specifically looking for an English Channel mare,” said Tall Oaks Farm Director Colleen Dalos. “English Channels are strong turf runners which is great for Woodbine racing, and this is a bloodline that we did not currently have in our broodmare band.”
Through the MPP, Ontario residents can apply for an incentive totaling half the purchase price when purchasing in-foal mares at recognized public auctions outside of the province, up to a maximum of $25,000 per mare and $75,000 annually per person or partnership.
In 2022 Tall Oaks Farm bred La Malaguena back to their Registered Ontario Sire Amis Gizmo who stands at T.C. Westmeath Stud Farm Inc., taking advantage of the $2,500 bonus available to breeders who breed back to an Ontario Sire after bringing a mare to Ontario through the MPP.
“Tall Oaks Farm has leveraged the MPP two years in a row,” said Dalos. “First with La Malaguena for Amis Gizmo, and last year we purchased five new mares for our newest stallion Avie’s Flatter. We would never have afforded the quantity nor quality of mares purchased without the assistance of the MPP.”
In addition to the foals of 2022 MPP mares, thirteen foals of mares brought to Ontario in 2020 and 2021 were entered in the sale, putting the total number of recent MPP related yearlings at 24.
Sixteen of those 24 MPP yearlings sold for an average of $28,438, which was 19 per cent higher than the overall sale average.
“The program allows breeders to expand their broodmare bands with new bloodlines and helps Ontario get more broodmares into the province for breeding,” said Dalos. “Horse population is critical, so all these incentive programs are paramount to helping Ontario Breeders.”
Hip 113 out of Kin’s Ghost, who was brought to Ontario in 2021 through the MPP by Phoenix Rising Farms and bred back to Ontario Sire Souper Speedy, was the highest selling foal of an MPP mare.
The bay filly went for $115,000 to Canuck Racing Club 2LP and Terra Racing Stable.
Click here to learn more about the Mare Purchase Program in advance of the 2023 fall breeding sales.
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