$5.2 million!

After a fairly quiet beginning at the Fasig Tipton 2 yo sale at Calder, Hip 58, a Tale of the Cat colt, was sold for a record $5.2 million, besting the $4.5 million brought last year by Fusaichi Pegasus.

Sheikh Mohammed's bloodstock manager, John Ferguson was the buyer, holding off Irish agent Demi O'Byrne and the Coolmore Stud team. Also in the hunt was New Jersey bloodstock agent Buzz Chace, whose clients include Aaron and Marie Jones. The previous world record was the $4.5 million brought by Fusaichi Samurai (by Fusaichi Pegasus) at last year's edition of the Fasig-Tipton auction.

"Obviously, he's a very nice horse," said Ferguson, who spoke with Sheikh Mohammed by cell phone during the bidding. "We had a pretty good idea he would make a good price." [Bloodhorse]

You can view the catalog page (pdf) here. Not much in the first two dams, but the third is Con Game, the dam of Seeking the Gold, Fast Play, Stacked Pack, as well as of mares that have produced black type as well. He had breezed an eighth in :10 3/5 against the wind, and was consigned by Robert Scanlon, who consigned sales topper Lion Heart at this sale two years ago. Last year, Tale of the Cat (Storm Cat) had 15 of his 2 yo's sell for an average of $163,800.