Girvin Filly Leads Day 1 of F-T Midlantic Sale

The first day of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale got underway May 23 with a flying start. The day was topped by a Girvin   filly, Hip 88, who was hammered down to Donato Lanni, purchasing on behalf of Michael Lund Petersen at $725,000.

She was one of five other juveniles commanding over $500,000 each from five distinct buyers.

The Kentucky-bred filly out of Sweet Pistol was initially sold by her breeder Brereton Jones/Airdrie Stud at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale last year for $90,000 to Bet Racing. Consigned by Paul Sharp, she put in a respectable eighth-mile in :10 1/5 last week at the sale's under tack show.

"We had an excellent opening session to the sale with diverse bidding activity with buyers from all over the world participating," Fasig-Tipton president and CEO Boyd Browning Jr. said. "This sale has become a solid marketplace where you can sell a quality horse. There was lots of activity at all price ranges. We are off to a good start and think there will be many more fireworks tomorrow."

After Day 1 of selling, 172 horses were sold of the 231 through the ring, grossing $15,755,700, at an average of $91,603 and an 11% increase in the median price at $50,000, year on year. An RNA rate of 25.5% represents the 59 horses who failed to meet their reserve.

Comparatively, the first day of selling at the 2021 sale saw 170 horses change hands of the 210 through the ring, for gross figures of $15,826,500, good for an average of $93,097 with a median of $45,000. Forty horses failed to meet their reserve to represent an RNA rate of 19%.

The anticipation in the market among eager buyers could be felt and translated into tough sledding for agents looking to source precocious juveniles for summer racing.

"I think it's a similar market that we have seen all year at the 2-year-old sales," buyer Chad Schumer said midway through the day. "The good ones are bringing tremendous premiums, ones that are perceived to have any flaws or don't vet are struggling. We bought five today and have a much larger list for tomorrow; I hope we are more successful. This morning, we tried on the Always Dreaming   filly (Hip 11), and we went pretty strong on that horse. I was shocked at $525,000 (that) we didn't have the horse bought (She sold for $550,000.). We are waiting on a few vet reports to come back for tomorrow's horses, and we will see how it goes."

East Coast trainer Kent Sweezey felt similar feelings, who walked away from Day 1 with two horses purchased.

"We got outbid on more horses than we bought today. After vetting, we had a few horses come up with some small issues coming out of the sale," Sweezey commented. "It's the same song and dance; the good horses bring good money. Surprisingly horses are bringing more than what you see on the page. It's not matching up, but that's what 2-year-old sales are for. It's not just a pedigree. We got two today and hope to leave with four or five."

Spendthrift Farm and Frank Fletcher Racing closed out the first day of selling as the leading buyer, purchasing two head for total receipts of $1,015,000.

Leading juvenile consignor, de Meric Sales finished Monday selling 13 of their 15 horses through the ring on Day 1 for receipts of $2,115,000 to be the day's leading consignor.

"Today has been pretty good. We are 6 for 6, so at the moment, it's good," David Scanlon of Scanlon Training & Sales said. "We cut a couple of them pretty close on the reserves, getting one bid over. The demand for quality horses is outstanding, and there is always a high demand for what people deem the top horses. The market has been pretty solid all the way through. We are getting horses moved, and the attention in the barns is good. It's a healthy market so far, and we are happy with it."