Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale Opener Soars

After a day's delay, the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale got underway Feb. 8, with trade ending on a high note, nearly doubling gross receipts from this day a year ago. The opening session saw 198 horses of the 236 on offer sold at the Newtown Paddocks near Lexington.

"The numbers are great, don't get me wrong, but it's the level of interest and activity," Fasig-Tipton's president and CEO Boyd Browning Jr. noted. "It's the feeling when you walk around and seeing the reaction from consignors who are blowing past reserves—seeing a legitimate marketplace for all types of horses. Today was a very encouraging market for short yearlings, with great demand for both in foal broodmares and broodmare prospects. A tremendously healthy marketplace today."

The day concluded with increases across the board, with gross receipts of $6,598,800 for the first day of selling. A positive climb in average price to $33,327 was achieved and a median of $14,500. There were 38 horses that failed to sell to represent an RNA rate of 16.1%. At this time a year ago, gross receipts for the day came to $3,956,300 for 207 sold. The average was $19,113 and the median was $8,000. The 57 horses that went unsold represented an RNA rate of 21.6%.

"The RNA rate is low, and we will continue selling them in the sales office tonight and tomorrow to reduce that even further. The market is healthy right now; there is a vibrancy to it. What is most encouraging is the activity for horses at $50,000. This might not be life-changing, not like when you get $500,000, but that extra $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 goes a long way in helping reinvest, making payroll, paying your note to the bank, or feed bill. It provides some stability and a base for the industry, which is the most encouraging thing."

Top price honors for the day went to Bodhicitta  (Hip 177). The daughter of Showcasing  sold for $450,000 to Japan's K I Farm. St George Sales, agent, consigned the mare who recently ran in second in the Jan. 1 Robert J. Frankel Stakes (G3T) and fourth in the Jan. 29 Meghertz Stakes (G3T) last out. K I Farm was the day's leading buyer by gross with their single purchase.

"The market seems pretty solid, I have followed in a few and they seem to be selling well," consignor Archie St George noted. "If you have the right horse, you are rewarded. The yearlings that I have seen have sold well. It's the same old story: if you have the right commodity, you will do well."

Taylor Made Sales Agency consigned the days top two short yearlings, led by a colt by Lane's End Farm's City of Light   who sold for $260,000 to Peter Pugh, agent for Cherry Knoll Farm. Consigned as Hip 42, the New York-bred colt is out of an unraced Broken Vow mare Spoken Not Broken, the dam of the La Verdad Stakes runner-up Eloquent Speaker  (Flatter  ), who is offered as Hip 536 in Wednesday's second session by Taylor Made Sales.

"Yearlings were stronger this year than last year, for one reason: we had better yearlings," Browning said. "Folks have watched the strength of the sale and saw a viable market in both November and January. We are appreciative of them allowing us to sell some high-quality short yearlings, and they were well received in the marketplace and those people were rewarded."

A few hips before, a Gun Runner filly consigned as Hip 38 sold for breeder Christian Black. The filly was purchased as a pinhook prospect by Joe Pickerell, under the name Stock Thoroughbreds, for $225,000. The Pennsylvania-foaled filly is out of Sororitysweetheart (Discreetly Mine ) a full sister to grade 3 winner Classy Class  and grade 2-placed Full House .

"We are still looking; we are always shopping for good horses," Pickerell said. "It's just a matter of finding them at the price we like."

Later in Tuesday's session, Cocktail Party  (Hip 218) sold under the James B. Keogh (Grovendale) banner for $240,000 to be the third-highest price and top-priced mare in foal. She sold in foal to Liam's Map   on a March cover. The Mizzen Mast  mare is out of the Premiership mare Partyship, a producer of multiple stakes winner Barrier Reef  and stakes-placed Arctic Party and Kissin Party . Dash Goff purchased the mare to add to his burgeoning broodmare band. She will stay in Kentucky with Bayne and Christina Welker at Spring Ridge Farm.

"The tax situation is good, and I had some money to invest… I think we got a lot more money coming into the industry, and these horses are going to go up some more," Goff said. "They're high now, they're really high, but I think they're going to hold their value or be more. I just like if you got a good foal out of a nice mare, they'll sell."

Brookdale Sales, agent, consigned the day's highest-priced mare listed solely as a broodmare prospect in After the Party (Hip 129). Initially cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect, the 4-year-old filly by Into Mischief   sold for $110,000 to Clarkland Farm. After the Party is out of the stakes-winning Bandini  mare Defy Gravity , who also produced stakes winner Green Destiny . Defy Gravity is a half sister to grade 1 winner Callback and further down the page, by way of the third dam Supercharger , is the 2010 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Super Saver  .

The first day of selling concluded with Taylor Made Sales Agency the session's leading consignor after 23 of their 26 head offered sold for gross figures of $1,807,500. 

The Kentucky State legislature representatives were presented two checks, each for $100,000, to Marshall and Fulton County from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association-Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders. These funds were raised to help with relief from the tornadoes that ravished Western Kentucky Dec. 10.

"It was nice having the state representatives here for the KTA presentation, walking with them into the back ring today, where it was packed, and the outside walking ring was filled," Browning said. "They were filled with people from our industry who aren't billionaires but hardworking like their constituents. It was healthy for the legislators to see that we live in a political world, and this is our signature industry here in Kentucky."

The sale concludes Wednesday with Hips 301-608 set to sell, beginning at 10 a.m. ET.

"We will have some fireworks tomorrow as well. The fireworks are great, but it's the trading of the 90% of horses that walk through," Browning said. "The fireworks will take care of themselves. It's being able to get those horses moved at a fair price, where the sellers can recoup some or all and maybe make a little profit. That is the backbone of the industry, being able to support the men and women that are in the trenches."