Whichwaytothebeach topped the first Standardbred sale of the year as the Tattersalls Sales Company's 2022 Winter Mixed Sale was held on Monday, Jan. 17, in the race paddock at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Whichwaytothebeach, Hip 77, was the sale topper with a $390,000 bid by Gino Toscani of Mount Hope, Ont.
The Somebeachsomewhere-Swinging Beauty gelding won his four-year-old qualifying debut in 1:51.3 on January 8 at The Meadowlands. He was previously campaigned by trainer Brett Pelling for owners Alan Johnston and John Craig.
Whichwaytothebeach's biggest victory came in a consolation of the Max C. Hempt Memorial last year at Pocono then he took his mark of 1:49.2 winning a division of the Grand Circuit stakes event named for his sire at Woodbine Mohawk Park. A career winner of 12 of his 27 races and $581,165, he also boasts top three finishes in the North America Cup, Little Brown Jug and Monument Circle.
“He seems like a nice horse,” said Toscani, who will send Whichwaytothebeach to trainer Desiree Jones. “I hope he can come through. He’s just going to be four. His brother, Captain Barbossa, was good as a four-year-old and hopefully he’s going to be the same for us and we can get our money back.”
Whichwaytothebeach was consigned by Northwood Bloodstock Agency.
“It was a strong sale,” said Bob Boni, the owner and president of Northwood. “Quality always sells. It’s a cliché, but it’s very true. People want horses that are competitive, and they’re racing for good money in enough spots. Obviously, the more versatile a horse is, if they can race on a half and so forth, it’s a big edge. But quality holds up.
“With Whichwaytothebeach, which I think shouldn’t be underestimated, is there is sort of this myth that the four-year-olds need time to compete. Last year, the four-year-olds won most of the open stakes, be it Cattlewash, Ocean Rock, Allywag Hanover. A legitimate top four-year-old makes the step.”
Whichwaytothebeach's older Captaintreacherous brother, the 2020 Little Brown Jug champion Captain Barbossa, was another big ticket purchase at the mixed sale, selling for $210,000. Consigned by Preferred Equine, the five-year-old pacer was purchased by Robert Dinozzi of Ossining, New York. Previously trained by Tony Alagna, he earned nine wins and more than $600,000, with a mark of 1:47.1 taken in the Graduate Series last year at The Meadowlands.
“If he’s anything like he’s been all his career, he’ll make money,” DiNozzi said. “We’ll race him at Yonkers a little bit, put him in the Borgata Series, but he’s also good on a mile (track) so if he’s racing well, we will put him in everything. He’s raced with the best and either been competitive or beaten them. There is nothing not to like about the horse.”
Two other horses garnered bids of $200,000 or more, including four-year-old trotting mare Swift Swanda, winner of last year's Moni Maker, purchased for $240,000 by Josh Green, agent for Spring Station Bloodstock; and six-year-old Art Major gelding Belmont Major N, a recent New Zealand import with a 1:49.3 mark taken at Pocono, who was acquired by Amanda Kelley of Greenfield Center, New York for $200,000.
“We thought she was tremendous looking, and we loved the depth of the family,” Green said of Swift Swanda. “There is a lot of quality there.”
A total of 90 racehorses, broodmares and stallion shares sold for $4,253,300, resulting in an average price of $47,259. Last year, the sale totaled $3.74 million for 119 horses.
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(with quotes from USTA)