Classic Empire Colt Leads Final Fasig-Tipton Session

Classic Empire ended the Fasig-Tipton’s October Yearlings Sale with a bang on Thursday when his colt out of Delay of Game sold for $310,000 to Mike Ryan to top the session and become the fifth most expensive horse of the sale.

Consigned by St George Sales, the EKQ Stables Corp.-bred saw a big update when his 2-year-old half-sister Spa Ready won impressively at Belmont Park in her debut last month. The first foal for her winning Bernardini dam Delay of Game, that made his dam the newest producer for Show Me The Roses. That Storm Cat mare is also the granddam of Grade II winner Stanford and stakes winner Hedge Fund.

The colt comes from a family with a storied past with his fourth dam Yarn the dam of Coolmore America stalwart Tale of the Cat and Group I winner Minardi. A prolific producer, Yarn’s family continues to gain prominence every year through many of her descendants. Tale of the Cat’s half-sister Myth also produced champion Johannesburg and Group II-placed Grand Admiral.

In addition to his female family, this colt is already set up for success with Classic Empire’s sire Pioneerof the Nile the sire of 10 runners out of Bernardini mares. Of those 10, seven are winners and two are stakes winners, including Grade III winner Dark Nile.

“I’m delighted that a superior judge like Mike Ryan got him also," breeder Dan Hayden told Thoroughbred Daily News. "He’s a lovely straightforward colt with a lovely motion and balance to him. He’s loaded with quality also. I like what I’m seeing from these Classic Empires.”

The colt was joined in the six figures yesterday by Classic Empire’s colt out of Bold Quality bringing $140,000 from SBM. Sold by the Warrendale Sales consignment, that colt out of Grade II-placed Bold Quality is a grandson of Grade III winner and track record setter Bold Union with each of his first three dams stakes performers.

Bred by Steve and Brandi Nicholson, the colt was the eighth most expensive offering of the session.

Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Classic Empire has seen his first yearlings sell for up to $375,000 with his weanlings selling for up to $285,000 last winter.