by Dave Briggs
In August, when Ontario breeder David Clancy sold a Speaker’s Corner colt (above) out of Carta de Oro for $142,000 out of the Hill ‘n’ Dale consignment, it proved to be the third-highest price reached at the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s (CTHS) Canadian Premier Yearling Sale.
None of it would have been possible without the Ontario Thoroughbred Improvement Program’s (TIP) Mare Purchase Program.
That program allowed Clancy – who goes by the Track West Racing, an ode to the track club he ran for in high school – to “stretch” to buy Carta de Oro, in foal to that Speaker’s Corner colt, for $170,000 U.S. near the end of the fifth session of the 2023 Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale.
Not only was Carta de Oro by top sire Medaglio d’Oro and out of Communique, a mare that earned nearly $600,000, all of Carta de Oro’s foals have raced and earned money.
“On that one I was definitely stretching, because that’s the most I’ve ever paid for a mare in foal, for sure,” Clancy said, adding that he was thrilled when her colt sold to Gary Barber at the CTHS sale. Presumably, the colt will go to top trainer Mark Casse.
“As a breeder, you always want to get the horse in good hands, and then hopefully hands that are going to race the horse back at Woodbine,” Clancy said.
It helps that Barber and Casse campaigned the colt’s half-sister Witwatersrand, a Connect-sired graded stakes winner that earned $183,125 and won the 2023 Sovereign Award winner as Champion 2-year-old Filly.
Though, Carta de Oro died last year, Clancy said he’s used the Mare Purchase Program to help him buy a handful of new mares in each of the last three or four years.
“I have about 15 broodmares and with the mare program, I have definitely upped the ante a bit the last few years,” Clancy said. “I’ve got some better mares and younger mares.”
This year’s Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale begins Tuesday (Nov. 4) in Lexington, KY and Ontario breeders are reminded that there is $400,000 available, on a first-come-first-served basis, to help them acquire in-foal mares. Though, it’s always best to inquire about the details and how much remains in the program this year by first contacting TIP program coordinator Ashley Douglas.
For Clancy, who is a relatively new Ontario breeder who bought his first broodmare some 15 years ago, the Mare Purchase Program has been essential for helping grow his equine operation.
He’s already used the program to help him acquire Medaglia D’oro mare Social Dilemma, in foal to Taiba, for $48,000 U.S. at this year’s Fasig-Tipton October Digital Sale. Clancy also is hoping to use the program to help him purchase a mare at this week’s Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale to bring back to Ontario.
“We’ve got quite a few nice horses coming through the pipeline right now,” he said. “Hopefully, this [Carta de Oro colt] will run well… for all kinds of reasons – number one because it makes you feel good, number two is you get some breeders awards.”
