by Steve Bailey

A Wildcat Heir colt brought $85,000 to top day one of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale on Monday in Lexington during a solid session that did not produce the huge declines experienced at recent U.S. yearling sales.

M H & B purchased the chestnut colt, who is out of the unraced Black Tie Affair (Ire) mare Tarahumara, from the consignment of Beth Bayer, agent. The session topper is a half brother to stakes winners Lizzy’s Township and Many Kisses.

Fasig-Tipton reported the sale of 173 yearlings from 261 offered for total receipts of $1,933,500, a decrease of 11% from last year’s corresponding session, when 182 yearlings sold for $2,173,100.

Average price fell 6.4% from $11,940 during last year’s opening session to $11,176 this year, while the median price jumped 20% from $5,000 to $6,000. The buy-back rate improved slightly from 37.7% during last year’s corresponding session to 33.7% this year.

Baccari Racing purchased the second-highest priced yearling of the day, going to $75,000 for a bay Mr. Greeley colt out of the unraced Monarchos mare Sparky Three. The colt was offered by Dromoland Farm, agent.

The bay colt’s second dam, the Grade 2-winning Danzig mare Danzig’s Beauty, also is the dam of Grade 2 winner and prominent sire Distorted Humor and stakes winner Dancing Gulch.

Eisaman Equine Services paid $62,000 for the highest-priced filly of the day, a dark bay or brown Offlee Wild filly out of the stakes-placed winning Slew City Slew mare Slews Majesty.

Bayer was the day’s leading consignor by total sales with two yearlings sold for $112,000. Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services sold three yearlings for $105,000.

B.C.3 Thoroughbreds was the leading buyer on the day, purchasing ten yearlings for $202,400. Eisaman Equine bought four yearlings for $153,000.

The three-day sale continues today at 10 a.m. EDT.

For hip-by-hip results, click here.

Steve Bailey is deputy news editor for Thoroughbred Times