Uncle Mo Colt Paces Strong Fasig-Tipton October Session

Mike Ryan has spent more than $11 million on yearlings this year, but the veteran agent knows as well as anyone that when you see an opportunity to pick up a quality individual, you must seize it.

Acting on behalf of an unnamed client who has horses in training with Chad Brown, Ryan went to $410,000 to acquire an Uncle Mo  colt during the Oct. 23 penultimate session of the Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale, the final yearling sale of the season.

"I thought he was magnificent," Ryan said, putting the colt in lofty company. "I thought he was the best horse in the sale. In fact, he's one of the best Uncle Mo's I've seen since (classic winner) Nyquist . That's why I liked him so much. I thought he was exceptional. I told Chad he would probably top the sale, and it would take a bit of money to buy him. This horse is for a client of Chad's, and he's already got plenty of yearlings, but I said, 'This is a horse that you need to have in your barn,' so he said, 'Let's try and get him.'"

Consigned as Hip 1033 by Indian Creek, the colt that became the new sale topper was bred in Kentucky by Meg Dumaine and is out of the unraced Stormy Atlantic  mare Picardia. A half sister to grade 1 winners Lear's Princess and Pretty City Dancer, Picardia was bought from Taylor Made Sales Agency for $350,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale while carrying the colt in utero.

Considering the colt's attributes and potential as a stallion prospect, Ryan said the price was in the ballpark of where he thought it would be.

"He's a summer (racing) 2-year-old, and if he's good, he has a stallion's pedigree," Ryan said. "I felt $400,000 or around there would be what it would take to buy him."

Another active buyer throughout the yearling sale season who relished the opportunity to pick up another quality lot in October was Marette Farrell, who went to $400,000 for a filly from the first crop of champion Runhappy  on behalf of Speedway Stables.

Consigned by Peter O'Callaghan's Woods Edge Farm, Hip 1090 is a daughter of the stakes-winning Forestry mare Queens Plaza, the dam of multiple stakes winner Queen Caroline. The filly was bred in Virginia by Morgan's Ford Farm and was bought by Cavalier Bloodstock for $215,000 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

"She's got a lot of upside for us," Farrell said of the filly that will be sent to trainer Bob Baffert. "She's got a beautiful pedigree, is by a huge and exciting sire in Runhappy, and she was a beautiful physical. She was bred by Morgan's Ford Farm, and they are the organics of the organics. We're thrilled."

O'Callaghan said the filly was destined for an earlier sale, but she became sick and missed an intended date at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

"We just put her on the back burner and pointed her for this sale, and she bounced out of it beautifully," he said, noting the filly stood out in the offerings and exceeded expectations. "There was an army of people in there to bid for her. October is a great sale, and a lot of good horses come out of here. But you can never come in here with lofty expectations; you're often on a salvage mission, and the fact we got such a good result is very gratifying."

The day's third-highest-priced yearling was an American Pharoah  colt (Hip 1124) purchased by Team Casse in a telephone bid for $385,000.

Consigned by Paramount Sales, agent, the colt was bred in Kentucky by Gabriel Duignan's Springhouse Farm, Crosshaven Bloodstock, and Circular Road Breeders. The colt is out of the unraced Malibu Moon  mare Red Carpet Miss, a daughter of three-time grade 3 winner Stylish, by Thunder Gulch.

"He is like a reincarnation of 'Pharoah': the exact same head, exact same outlook, just a beautiful horse to be around," Duignan said.

Duignan said the colt was entered in the Keeneland September Sale but "had a little setback and had to miss it."

The three top-priced individuals fueled a vibrant session that saw gross and average prices outpace the comparable day a year ago. With continued outstanding fall weather in Kentucky, there was a large crowd in attendance, although noticeably down from the first two days, but that didn't seem to impact the numbers.

Fasig-Tipton reported 240 horses changed hands for gross receipts of $8,378,100, an average price of $34,909 and a $10,000 median. The session RNA rate was 26.4% with 86 horses not sold. During last year's third day, $7,990,900 was paid for 244 yearlings, with an average price of $32,750 and a $12,000 median.

From 1,188 cataloged through Wednesday, Fasig-Tipton has sold 740 horses for $27,577,200, an average of $37,266 and a $13,000 median.

To underscore the strength of the market, there have been 16 yearlings sold for $250,000 or more this year, compared with nine at the same point in 2018. The 80 sold for six figures exceeds the 63 such transactions after three days last year.

Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning Jr. said the numbers reflect a continued strong market.

"Three straight days of increases in average and increases in gross is certainly very encouraging," he said. "The resilience and depth of the market never ceases to amaze me. There might be a few less people here in person, but they certainly left plenty of money by phone or with other agents to bid on horses. We have one more day to go, and there is no reason not to be optimistic tomorrow will be a continuation of the strength we have seen through these first three days."

The final session begins at 10 a.m. Thursday.