Jalen Journey Sale Topper at Fasig-Tipton HRA Sale Bringing $510,000

Reprinted from Bloodhorse

Jalen Journey Brings $510,000 at Fasig-Tipton HRA Sale

There may have been no shortage of hard-knocking racehorses to be found in the pages of Fasig-Tipton’s July Selected Horses of Racing Age catalog, but Jalen Journey had no trouble standing out.

“He’s a hell of a nice racehorse. It looks like he could be any kind of horse,” said agent Raymie Lightner, who signed for the colt July 8 on behalf of Rockingham Ranch on a final bid of $510,000. “Gary (Hartunian) was excited about the horse from the start and that’s why I was sticking around here. We’re happy to get him bought.”

FTKHRA, Hip 494: Jalen Journey, racing prospect, g, 2015, With Distinction – Petunia Face, by Congrats; Breeder: Dennis Foster & Edward Pendray (FL)

Sale Price: $510,000
Buyer: J. Raymie Lightner, agent
Consignor: Four Star Sales, agent

Sale History: 2016OBSAUG $14,000.

Consigned to the sale as Hip 494 by Four Star Sales, agent, Jalen Journey was fourth in his career debut and only start as a 3-year-old for former owner, Commonwealth Stable. Switched to the barn of Kathleen O’Connell for his 4-year-old campaign this year, Jalen Journey annexed all three starts—at six furlongs, seven furlongs, and a mile—prior to making his stakes debut in the June 29 Smile Sprint (G3) at Gulfstream Park where he finished second by three-quarters of a length to Diamond Oops.

“Jalen Journey has been a superstar,” said Tony Lacy of Four Star Sales. “Obviously, he’s proven a lot on the track over the last few months. He’s a real little professional. Obviously he loves his racing, when he goes out he runs hard and runs with his ears pricked and he’s happy to do what he’s doing. It’s great. It’s a lot of money but it’s difficult to find a horse that can run like that—so consistent and genuine. It’s great because they’re a good partnership and he’ll be a great Saturday afternoon horse for the new owners.”

Bred in Florida by Dennis Foster and Edward Pendray, Jalen Journey was purchased by Randy Bradshaw, agent, for $14,000 from the consignment of Kim Harrison to the 2016 Ocala Breeders’ Sales August Yearlings Sale. A gelded son of With Distinction, he is the second foal out of the Congrats mare Petunia Face, whose first foal Derek Adrian is a grade 1 winner on the dirt in Puerto Rico.

Jalen Journey holds of a 3-1-0 record from five starts with earnings of $148,800.

“We’ve had a lot of good geldings,” Lightner said. “That’s the only thing I can say to that.”

Among the more notable geldings to be campaigned by Rockingham Ranch are 2017-18 champion male sprinter Roy H, a multi-millionaire earner and seven-time graded stakes winner, and Stormy Liberal, Eclipse Award-winning champion turf male of 2018.

Lightner said Jalen Journey will join the barn of Peter Miller, who already trains Stormy Liberal and Roy H for Rockingham.

“I’m happy for the horse as much as anything else because he deserved that,” Lacy said. “He’s a nice stakes horse, straight-forward, uncomplicated, sound, and genuine.

“I think this sale serves a real purpose on the calendar. With Saratoga, Del Mar, and other opportunities, people want to get in and have a nice horse. I think Fasig-Tipton has done a really fantastic job putting this together over the past couple of years and it’s really gained momentum.

“For that reason I think these types of horses gain a premium, but it’s difficult to find them. The private market is obviously absorbing a lot of horses that are buyable, but in saying that this sale is a very viable place to bring a horse like this and I think it allows a lot of people to fight over them.”