F-T October Sale Winds Down Strong Yearling Season

Fasig-Tipton will drop the curtain on its 2021 yearling sales season Oct. 25-28 in Lexington, where 1,586 horses are cataloged to the Kentucky October Yearlings auction.

 As with all other facets of the Thoroughbred sales arena this year, the powerhouse sales company enjoyed a yearling market that went from strength to strength in the wake of the downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

According to BloodHorse MarketWatch data, comparisons of 2021 with 2020 yearling sales to date show 4,942 foals of 2020 have sold for gross receipts of $497,258,089, up 33.9% from the $371,324,060 aggregate of 2020 when 5,540 yearlings changed hands. This year's cumulative average has jumped 50.1% from $67,026 to $100,619, and the median has doubled to $40,000 from $20,000 a year ago. The RNA rate has shown a decrease to 18.2% from 25.7%.

After consolidating three sales into one Selected Yearlings Showcase in 2020, Fasig-Tipton welcomed those events back to their stalwart spots on this year's calendar, seeing encouraging results throughout the year.

The first major yearling sale of the season, The July Sale, surpassed gross receipts from 2019 by nearly $3 million while both the average and median rose accordingly, and the RNA rate declined by 7.8% to 24.9%.

The Saratoga Sale in August saw key industry players happy to get back to securing future runners for their stables. Comparatively, from 2019 to 2021, there was not much change across the final figures in either direction, with the median price for yearlings sold remaining the same at $350,000.

The New York-Bred Yearlings auction saw record figures with a rise in gross receipts by more than $2.3 million. The average price jumped to $91,461, and the median climbed by $10,000, helping the RNA to decrease to 21.3% from 30.1% in 2019.

This year the October catalog is filled with active pedigrees and exciting updates, along with yearlings out of graded-producing mares.

"The quality should be the strongest and deepest catalog we have had in the October sale. The quantity has remained the same; we have some limitations on the grounds with accommodations," said Boyd Browning Jr., president and CEO of Fasig-Tipton. "The sale continues to improve, gaining acceptance and strength from both buyers and sellers. The synergy has increased every year.

"We have graduates like Hot Rod Charlie  and Jack Christopher ; both are leading contenders pointed to key Breeders' Cup races, which gives buyers a boost … We all dream of having a big horse," Browning said. "Into Mischief   was an October sale graduate, and look at what he has done, not only on the track but his impact in the stallion barn, being a $50 million—give or take—income producer a year for Spendthrift. To think you could have the opportunity to buy a horse like that at the October sale is amazing."

A half brother to Sept. 5 TVG Del Mar Debutante (G1) winner Grace Adler  is among the first-day offers. Bred and consigned by Blue Heaven Farm as Hip 182, the colt by leading sire Into Mischief is out of the grade 3-winning Newfoundland mare Our Khrysty , a half sister to grade 1 winner Bullsbay. Grace Adler brought $700,000 from Donato Lanni, agent for Michael Lund Petersen, at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase. She now races for Petersen and Willow Grace Farm.

Another active runner can be found in Taylor Made Sales Agency's Hip 266, a colt by Union Rags   out of grade 2-placed, grade 3 winner Purely Hot . The dam's 4-year-old Empire Maker  son Eight Rings  won the 2019 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) and returned to the winner's circle Oct. 2 with an allowance-level win at Santa Anita Park for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and industry giants Coolmore Stud, Golconda Stable, Madaket Stables, SF Racing, and Starlight Racing. SF Bloodstock/Starlight West sourced the colt from Taylor Made's consignment to the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $520,000.

Tuesday's offerings include Hip 545, a Mendelssohn   colt out of Super Girlie, the dam of Super Stock , who captured the Arkansas Derby (G1) in April and the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby in August, and was third last out in the Sept. 26 Oklahoma Derby (G3). Yearlings by Ashford sire Mendelssohn, a Scat Daddy half brother to popular sire Into Mischief, have been sought after this year with 83 of the 103 offered at public yearling auctions sold, averaging $159,337.

Spendthrift Farm's young sire Bolt d'Oro  , whose first yearlings have commanded attention at this year's yearling auctions by averaging $174,863 for 73 sold, has 29 offspring slated to go through the ring at the October sale. Among them is Hip 548, a colt out of Super Phoebe, the dam of the $2.4 million earner and multiple grade 1 winner Got Stormy . Consigned by Pope McLean's Crestwood Farm, the colt was bred by the partnership of Mt. Joy Stables, Pope McLean, Marc McLean, and Pope McLean Jr., the same connections that bred Got Stormy. A $2.75 million purchase by Spendthrift Farm last year from The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's marquee breeding stock sale, Got Stormy is currently campaigned in partnership with MyRacehorse and is headed to the Breeders' Cup World Championships for a third time.

Among the consignors looking forward to sending more stock under the hammer after a powerful comeback year is Candy Meadows Farm.

"We have a nice group, nearly all of these horses—this is their first sale—were pointed to this sale specifically. Some are later foals that we decided to give a bit more time," said Matt Lyons, senior vice president of Candy Meadows Farm. "I'm excited to get Hip 640, a colt by Munnings  , to the grounds and start showing; the mare has shown us she can throw a nice horse."

Hip 640 is out of the Tizway mare Tizacity. His half brother Dupuis, by Distorted Humor  , sold at this sale in 2019 for $165,000 to Kevin McKathan, agent for Newday TC, who turned him around to sell at the 2020 Ocala Breeders' Sales July 2-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale for $700,000 to West Bloodstock, agent for Robert and Lawana Low.

"A lot of good horses have come out of this sale the last few years; I have sold some good horses out of this sale and when something works for you, you tend to do it again," Lyons said. "We sold Coach  here in 2019 (for $65,000 to Liz Crow, agent for BSW Bloodstock); she has gone on to win the Rags to Riches Overnight Stakes and be graded stakes-placed in both the Golden Rod Stakes (G2) and the Fantasy Stakes (G3) this year, and ran in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) this year."

Coach's half sister by Collected   will sell as Hip 844 in Wednesday's session. Her half brother by Klimt   named The Judge and Jury  sold at last year's October sale for $117,000 to Golf 2020. Owned by trainer John Ennis and Hayden Noriega, he was fourth Oct. 9 at Keeneland in his debut.

Last year, from 1,553 cataloged to this sale, Fasig-Tipton reported 961 yearlings sold for an average of $34,073 with gross receipts of $32,743,700 and a median price of $15,000.

"We have found over the years this sale has produced runners, being great for sellers," said Tommy Eastham, owner of Legacy Bloodstock. "A lot of what we sell is for smaller farms that don't necessarily have the staffing to do so themselves, so it's more user friendly for them. These October yearlings get a month to six months additional time outside to grow and be a horse, which is beneficial."

"The October sale has a unique quality in that it's the 'last call for alcohol,'" Eastham added. "Fortunately, in this good market where supply and demand are more in balance, it's OK to (offer a yearling) at the end of the year."

As of Sunday afternoon, 174 hips have been withdrawn from the sale. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. ET daily.