Aquis Purchase $1.5 Million Curlin Colt at Saratoga

Tara Madgwick - Wednesday August 7
Aquis Farm were active during the second session of the 2019 Saratoga Yearling Sale in North America securing the equal highest priced colt of the sale.

Curling colt from G1 winning Scat Daddy mare WapiConsigned by Denali Stud, the colt from Chilean Grade I winner Wapi was knocked down to Aquis in partnership with Let's Go Stable and Crawford Racing Farm for $1.5million and will be trained by Todd Pletcher.

Aquis CEO Shane McGrath was in attendance and bought the colt in consultation with renowned bloodstock agent Demi O'Byrne.

"We've had Demi on board for a while and we came up here and looked at 25 colts and he said this was the one," McGrath told TDN.

"I came up and looked at him and I agreed with him. And fortunately, Todd Pletcher loved him as well. At the end of the day, when you have the colt of the sale, you're going to have to step up and you're going to have to bat up. We're a big operation down in Australia and we want to get global."

The colt's sire Curlin was super popular at this sale and also had the other equal highest priced offering, a colt from America and another colt from Yes Liz that made $1million.

Aquis have an expanding bloodstock empire in Australia and will stand stallions in Queensland, NSW and Victoria this year.

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