by James Platz

Diamond Creek Farm management has a lot to be excited about heading into this year’s Harrisburg sale. The farm will feature a consignment consisting of 24 yearlings and more than 70 entries in the mixed portion of the sale. Of equal importance, progeny from Diamond Creek’s roster of top-flight stallions are spread throughout the catalog.

“It’s super exciting. Our stallions had an amazing Breeders Crown, so there’s a lot to look forward to,” said Shaun Laungani, Diamond Creek vice-president and director of bloodstock services. “Seeing some more of the first crop of Captain Crunch trade hands will be exciting. Seeing a select group, I think maybe there’s eight Downbytheseasides and one who is sister to Sylvia Hanover that Hanover is selling, will be exciting. Sweet Lou, just phenomenal. Always B Miki, phenomenal Breeders Crown results. We expect really strong averages for all of our pacing studs. Bettor’s Wish, his first crop that he bred while still in training, is going to have some nice representatives as well. Probably the most excited to see the stallions and see them succeeding.”

The Diamond Creek yearling consignment includes 15 pacers with three by Bettor’s Wish, a pair by Captain Crunch, and five by Always B Miki. There are 14 in total sired by Bettor’s Wish selling this week at Harrisburg.

“We’re happy to represent that first crop of Bettor’s Wish with the Ryders, who are sending their homebred to the sale, Hip 350. A really, really nice colt built very similar to Bettor’s Wish. Everybody’s excited to show him off as a representation of the stallion,” Laungani said.

Belmar is the first foal from Art Major mare Major Frost, a five-time winner with just shy of $80,000 on her card. She is a sister to Shoreview ($508,732) and Apothic ($112,639), and the third dam, Cool World, produced the great Eternal Camnation. Chris Ryder and Robert Mondillo own the colt.

A contingent of 36 yearlings represents Always B Miki, fresh off adding two new Breeders Crown champions in Sylvia Hanover and Grace Hill. Of the Diamond Creek lot, two Miki babies are consigned on behalf of Anthony Perretti and his associates.

“One of the VIP clients this coming week will be the group of Anthony Perretti, Joe Davino and Brad Shackman, who are sending the largest group of yearlings to the sale that they have in some time,” said Laungani. “They’re back working at Harrisburg for the first time in a while. I know they’re very excited about that and they’ve got a really nice, solid group to offer.”

Hip 487, Crowd Strike, is a dual-eligible Always B Miki filly from Perrett, Davino and Shackman. She joins Hip 253, Lazarus colt Lazar Sharp, second foal from a half-sister to O’Brien Award winner Sintra, as well as Hip 64, Geocentric, a Sweet Lou filly from the family of two-time Dan Patch Award winner See You At Peelers.

“This was a mare that we sold that was bought in foal to this filly. It’s the See You At Peelers family. The previous foal to this one, the third foal, Horizontal, just raced in the Breeders Crown final at two,” said Laungani. “This is a Sweet Lou filly. I encourage everyone to watch the video. She’s very flashy. She has the Sweet Lou blaze, and she’s just so light on her feet. You just have to watch and see. She’s basically dead sexy, that’s the only way to describe how she moves. She’s just got a beautiful gait.”

There are two other yearlings raised at Perretti Farm that will pass through the sale ring. Hip 65, Belle Brielle, an American Ideal filly consigned on behalf of Joe and Laurie Davino, and Hip 92, Miki In Luv, a filly out of a half-sister to millionaire Rockyroad Hanover, consigned for Perretti, Davino, Shackman and Drennan Stable LLC.

VALUE PICK

If you’re looking for a sleeper, Laungani said that Hip 497, Cantab’s Joy, may be worth a look. Her pedigree page shows a Kadabra mare with two winners from three foals, including one in 1:55, but what may garner more attention is her video.

“I don’t know that anybody would pick her out of the catalog. We videoed her in the paddock. Adam has probably videoed 1,000 or more yearlings to this point, and this filly was so fast he had to say she was in the top three ever, if not the highest. Just incredible speed and anyone can see that in the video,” he said.

Diamond Creek will sell seven yearlings on the first day, and of their consignment, six of the 24 are first foals with eight second foals.

“It’s probably a function of the people we’re working with. Not new breeders, but breeders that are in expansion mode,” Laungani said.

On the mixed side, Diamond Creek will offer the largest consignment they have ever brought to auction. Included in the roster are stallion shares, racehorses and broodmares. The total more than doubles the 32 horses the farm sold in last year’s mixed portion of the sale, where they averaged a little over $58,000.

“We have some nice yearlings to sell, and this will be our largest mixed sale consignment that we’ve ever taken. We have over 60 head. We’re selling for more people than we ever have, and there’s a bigger variety of everything, pregnant mares to racehorses,” Laungani said.