Return on investment: Fiscal Policy wins Bassinet Stakes, becomes second sales-tip stakes winner

Breaking sharply and easily repelling all challengers, FISCAL POLICY drew off to win the $50,000 Coca-Cola Bassinet Stakes Saturday at River Downs.

The bay filly by Wildcat Heir-Betty's Courage, by Montbrook, becomes the second stakes winner from my 187 sales tips at this year's juvenile auctions. She debuted July 8 with a third place finish on synthetic at Arlington Park before breaking maiden by four and a quarter on dirt at Hoosier Park Aug. 15.

On Saturday, jockey Rex Stokes III got her away from the gate well, and the even-money filly dueled three-wide in the early going with second- and third-favored Sonja's Angel (2/1) and Internet Cafe (4/1). Those two faded to last and fifth of six, respectively. Stakes-placed Ruth and Neva drew within a head at the half-mile marker, but was decisively put away in the stretch to finish second. Bach Hamilton was third.

The time was just 1:13.40 for six furlongs, though Fiscal Policy set fairly brisk early fractions (22.2 for a quarter) and had plenty in reserve to dispatch the field.

Fiscal Polcy was bred in Florida by Robert L. Dodd, and is owned by Klaravich Stables Inc. and W.H. Lawrence. She is trained by Tom Amoss.

The filly brought a stout $140,000 as Hip 801 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. April auction of 2-year-olds in training. I liked her 10-flat eighth, wasn't fond of an unraced dam, but did note that she'd produced a solid, non-blacktype winner from two prior foals. The second dam here is the stakes-placed Copelan mare Grand Betty, who produced Grade 3-placed POSITIVE ENERGY, and this is the female family of Grade 1 winner FAMILY ENTERPRIZE, among others.

Upon her selling for $140,000, I wrote: "I thought she might bring less than the average Wildcat Heir (which was around $74,000 at the time I tipped her), but she brought much more."

She's a good-looker, by most accounts, and that had to help her cause at the sale, as well.

At least the owners are now starting to recoup their investment, with $54,080 in earnings and catalog blacktype that elevates the value of their filly beyond what she's already banked.

Track the performance of my 187 sales picks, and a few pans, at this former post.