Fillies and Mares Set to Shine at Night of the Stars

It is the perfect storm. With the weather gods cooperating, the weekend of Nov. 6-8 was proving to be ideal for the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships followed by The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's breeding stock sale.

"It's almost a once-in-a-lifetime setup to have the weather like this," said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning Jr. of dry, sunny weather with temperatures reaching the low 70s.

While the World Championships were being conducted without fans and only participants able to attend, the Fasig-Tipton sale grounds were populated the morning of Nov. 6 by a broad cross section of international buyers or their agents and representatives.

The sale that for decades has carried the moniker "Night of the Stars" begins at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, with the 287 horses cataloged including big-name stellar race fillies and mares, a large group of well-bred and/or well-conformed weanlings, and a draft of broodmares who have produced runners at the upper echelon of racing and/or are in foal to prominent stallions.

Browning said this year's group of fillies and mares, in particular, are among the best in years and reflects the lack of interest or experience in breeding by their respective owners.

"The composition of the horses available changes every year, depending upon who owns them and the horse's ages," Browning said. "We are very lucky that a lot of the top-end horses this year are owned by folks who aren't traditional breeders and we've had a long-standing relationship with them."

The auction has a synergistic relationship with the Breeders' Cup, as the venue has always been an attractive lure to connections with horses coming out of the championships on a high note. Last year, champion Blue Prize was purchased by Larry Best's OXO Equine for a sale-topping $5 million three days after scoring her second consecutive victory in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).

Blue Prize led a group of 18 horses sold for seven figures as Fasig-Tipton reported 128 horses grossed $68,011,000 for an average price of $531,336 and a $300,000 median. The 40 horses that went unsold last year represented an RNA rate of 23.8%.

According to BloodHorse MarketWatch, this year's catalog includes 17 grade/group 1 winners, headed by Monomoy Girl, one of three champions consigned by ELiTE to the sale as racing/broodmare prospects. The 5-year-old mare parlayed a 2018 Distaff victory into an Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old filly and came back in for another brilliant Distaff score Saturday at Keeneland.

Another champion and Breeders' Cup participant entered in the sale as part of the ELiTE group is Uni, the 2019 Eclipse Award-winning female turf horse who won the 2019 TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) and ran fifth in Saturday's edition of the race. ELiTE's champion trifecta is rounded out by Midnight Bisou, a 13-time graded stakes winner who has earned $7.4 million and was sidelined prior to the Breeders' Cup.

"It's our most exciting draft yet; it is extremely exciting," said ELiTE's Bradley Weisbord, noting that concerns about the circumstances under which the sale is taking place will be offset by the strength of the offerings. "The concerning part is it's definitely a tough time, not only in the country but around the world. We have an election that is up for grabs, an economy that is staggering with people out of work, and you have internationals that can't travel, a virus that's killing people. It's a scary time.

"But we believe we have some of the most special offerings to come around in the last 25 years," he continued. "For the very top end, you need two, three, or four buyers who believe these horses are worth millions and millions of dollars, and that is not an easy feat. They are trying to buy them to cultivate their broodmare bands. They can see through a one-year, two-year economic issue and understand they need to have these pawns in their chess game to succeed at this sport. Hopefully, they show up for them."

Consignor Mill Ridge's Headley Bell, who was trolling the sale grounds the morning of Nov. 6 in his other role as a buyer, said the sale could benefit from the Breeders' Cup being held at Keeneland, especially in a year in which some people could be reluctant, or unable, to attend either event due to COVID-19.

"To have the Breeders' Cup bring people in and then to have the sale at the same time is probably the impetus we needed to sustain some energy," he said. "It definitely assists as far as selling goes and adds energy as a buyer. It gives you another reason to come. There will be a lot of people that won't come, but there will be a lot of people who do come that wouldn't have without the Breeders' Cup."

Browning said having a breakout performance during the World Championships would be more impactful to the sale than having both events in the same locale.

"I don't think there is an appreciable difference in the sale side of things when the Breeders' Cup is in Lexington," he said. "What would add to the value of the horse is the performance on the racetrack, not the location of the race itself."

The sale begins with 159 weanlings as Fasig-Tipton has greatly expanded that portion of the catalog this year. Among the stallions whose first foals will be selling at Fasig-Tipton is undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify .

"It's the largest group of weanlings we've ever had, it's the best group of weanlings we've ever had in terms of pedigree, and it's the best group of weanlings we've ever had in terms of physical conformation," Browning said. "It's a really strong group and we couldn't be more pleased with the response we've received on the recruiting side of things. We've seen a lot of really good weanlings."

"I think the good weanlings will sell crazy," said Mike Ryan, who is buying and selling at Fasig-Tipton. "There will be great demand for them. I think the quality fillies and mares will sell very, very well as they always do. They will always hold their value. It's the same old story. If you have a nice horse, you will be rewarded."

One mare entered in the sale with which Ryan has a special relationship is Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) runner-up Rushing Fall, one of just three females in the modern era to win grade 1 races at 2, 3, 4, and 5, alongside elite race mares Beholder and Lady Eli. The mare was among the second flight of horses purchased by Ryan for the Edwards family's e Five Racing, paying $320,000 to acquire her at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected yearling sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

To draw attention to Rushing Fall's presence in the sale, consignor Indian Creek and the Edwards family have installed an exquisite hospitality tent in the Fasig-Tipton barn area, with catered breakfast pastries and coffee, a cocktail bar, and complimentary Rushing Fall caps, among other amenities.