DEL MAR : Yearling Sale Puts Frosting on Mabee Cake

John and Betty Mabee’s big weekend continued Sunday night when one of their horses sold for $385,000 during the first night of the Del Mar yearling sale.

That price broke the previous California Thoroughbred Sales record, set in 1977 when a colt by Pretense was sold for $325,000.

It was not the Mabees’ only cash infusion of the weekend. They collected $550,000 when Best Pal won Saturday’s first running of the $1-million Pacific Classic.

The bay filly that went for a record price was sired by Mr. Prospector, who has sired more than 110 stakes winners. The filly’s dam is Ragtime Girl.

“Mr. Prospector is one of the top sires,” said Bruce Batson, assistant general manager of California Thoroughbred Sales.

“Somebody might say he’s the No. 1 sire, someone else might say No. 2, but I don’t think anyone would list him below the top five sires in the world. So the record sale wasn’t really a surprise.”

The buyer, Darley Stud Management Co. of England, is an agent for the actual buyer, an Arab sheik.

The first day of the yearling sale was not a total success for Mabee, however. Five of his six yearlings did not sell during the afternoon session, although the auction continued Monday night and more selling is scheduled today. Mabee had nine other yearlings to offer.

Among the yearlings bred at the Mabees’ Golden Eagle Farm east of Ramona is a bay filly sired by Seattle Slew out of American Drama.

In addition, a chestnut colt by Nijinsky--sire of 135 stakes winners--and Beautiful Aly will be auctioned, as will a colt sired by Habitony, who also sired Best Pal. John Mabee is Del Mar’s chairman of the board.

Horse Racing Notes

In 19 starts during the meeting’s first 18 days, John and Betty Mabee’s horses have won six, placed second twice and third three times. Before Bel Darling ran third in the $38,000 seventh race Monday, Mabee’s horses had earned $730,553.85. That broke the track’s previous record of $644,034 set at last year’s meeting by the Mabees. And there are still 25 days left in this meeting. . . . Bruce Headley-trained Mada won Monday’s featured allowance race by a length over Mydadskleven. Mada paid $16.60, $6.40 and $3.

Fire The Groom, a Bill Shoemaker-trained mare, was assigned top weight of 120 pounds for Saturday’s Grade I $300,000 Ramona Handicap. Alcando, Fire The Groom’s stablemate, is also being considered for the race by Shoemaker. She would carry 115 pounds. Other possible starters for the Ramona are the two recent winners of the split Palomar Handicap, Guiza and Somethingmerry. Somethingmerry, trained by Don Warren, went six furlongs on grass Monday morning in 1:15. Bequest, who last time out won the Grade I Santa Barbara Handicap at Santa Anita in March, might return in the Ramona.

Three hopefuls for Sunday’s Del Mar Derby also worked Monday morning. Bob Marshall’s Soweto went five furlongs on the grass in 59 4/5. seconds. Track Monarch, trained by Darrell Vienna, went three furlongs on the turf in 36 3/5 and June’s Reward, trained by Neil French, went six furlongs on the main track in 1:13.