NEWS
Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale closes with major gains
Posted: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 10:01 PM
by Joe Nevills
The final day of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale saw a continued resurgence at the top end of the market, which helped spike economic indicators well above their 2010 levels.
The three-day sale closed with significant across-the-board gains, highlighted by an 81.4% increase in total sales despite a 9.5% decrease in horses offered. Total sales during the three-day sale rose from $9,395,300 last year to $17,046,800 in 2011.
Additionally, the averages soundly eclipsed their marks from a year ago, with the average price jumping 76.3%, from $13,616 to $24,010. Consistent with all three days of the sale, the median sale price of $12,000 was a 140% increase from last year’s final median of $5,000.
“Overall, the three days was very encouraging to us and very encouraging to the overall marketplace, so I’m very pleased,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning Jr. said “It’s the same thing we continue to see in every market—the ones that looked good and had some pedigree sold very well and the other ones were tough, but there continues to be a strong demand for quality horses.”
Day three concluded with a 127% gain in total sales compared with last year’s third session from $2,588,500 to $5,862,600. The average sale price jumped 104% to $25,005 from last year’s $12,210. The percentage of horses not sold on day three dropped sharply compared with last year as well, from 35.6% to 17.3%.
“The main body of the sale was very, very successful,” Browning said. “There was strong demand to the very end.”
Bidding was led on the third day by the overall sale topper, a $380,000 Medaglia d’Oro colt purchased by Adena Springs.
The purchase continued an active three days of shopping for Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs, who finished as the sale’s leading buyer with 32 yearlings purchased for a total of $2,372,000.
The colt is out of the winning Diesis (GB) mare Catumbella, the dam of four winners from as many starters, including Grade 1 winner Honor in War and graded stakes placed Dynamoor. He is from the family from French Horse of the Year Allez France and Grade 1 winners Al Mamoon and Icon Project.
“He’s a really a nice colt,” Adena Springs South General Manager Mark Roberts said. “It’s a great, great family. Frank has had some success out of that family before. He’s just a big strong colt.”
Consigned by Mill Ridge Sales, the colt was co-bred by Mill Ridge Farm and Audrey Otto’s Jamm, Ltd.
Headley Bell, managing partner of Mill Ridge Farm, said the colt was originally slated for the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of selected yearlings but was withdrawn after he came up with some swelling.
“Thankfully, Fasig-Tipton gave us confidence that there would be people here to support this sale and they’ve done a heck of a job,” he said. “We had Mark Casse, who I think is as good a judge as there is in the business, who wanted him very badly as did Mark Roberts, and they’ve got an exceptional team as well. We were very fortunate that the two top buyers wanted the horse.”
The second highest-priced horse also went through the ring on the final day, a Smart Strike colt that went to Mark Casse, agent, for $270,000. Also drawing high bids were a $250,000 Medaglia d’Oro filly purchased by Doug Branham and daughter Alaka Branham’s Hurricane Hills Farm and a $230,000 Dixie Union colt that went to pinhooker Al Pike.
Dromoland Farm led all consignors by average over the entire sale, with four horses sold for an average price of $119,250, led by a $190,000 Lemon Drop Kid colt that sold to Mark Casse, agent, on day two.
The sale concluded with the first phase of the dispersal of the late Carl Lizza Jr.’s Flying Zee Stable. The 39-horse dispersal was topped by a Lemon Drop Kid filly that sold for $375,000 to Glen Hill Farm.
“She checked every box,” said bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, who signed the ticket for Glen Hill Farm. “All the right guys were on her. Everybody waited for her.”
Total receipts for the 39-horse dispersal were $1,236,700, with an average price of $35,334 and a median of $15,000.
For hip-by-hip results, click here.
Joe Nevills is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer
