F-T Horses of All Ages Sale—Evolution of Equity

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Photo: Fasig-Tipton Photos
Sunday morning at Fasig-Tipton

Since its inception in 2013, the Fasig-Tipton July Sale of Selected Horses of All Ages has grown to include horses of racing age and now mare prospects and broodmares with foals at foot. The summertime placement on the calendar gives owners and breeders the beneficial opportunity to upgrade stock for upcoming race meets or trade in on an investment before the fall.

"The sale has grown in the number and quality of horses, we continue to see a need in the marketplace for opportunities to sell horses, and this sale has been a successful complement to the yearling sale which takes place the following day," Fasig-Tipton president and CEO Boyd Browning said. "I think the yearling sale helps attract buyers for the Horses of All Ages Sale and vice versa. The one thing we are seeing in this world is the immediacy and currency. Horses in current form and with people ready to sell it creates a great opportunity."

This year the expanding catalog showcases 217 class offerings, including current-form race prospects, broodmares in foal, broodmare prospects, and stallion prospects. These horses will go through the Newtown Paddocks starting at 3 p.m. Monday, July 11.

"This sale gives people options and liquidity in the marketplace. Being a service-driven operation, we are serving the market," Browning added. "It's fun to see people get excited about the sale, and we are looking forward to a strong sale Monday."

The timing on the sales calendar creates a perfect opportunity for racehorse owners to sell and shop for their programs. With the premier Del Mar and Saratoga race meets around the corner, everyone has an eye for the winner's circle.

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"It's an important sale on the calendar; there is a shortage of racehorses around the country right now and demand for horses at all levels," Taylor Made Sales Agency's Mark Taylor said. "There are nice ship-and-win bonuses out on the West Coast which people will be anxious to capitalize on.

Mark Taylor at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Yearling Select/HOAA on July 10, 2022.
Photo: Jetta Vaughns
Mark Taylor at Fasig-Tipton

"Who doesn't want to have their picture taken at Saratoga Racecourse? We have sold a handful of horses over the last couple of years bought by people specifically to have a shot at Saratoga," Taylor said. "It's a nice midpoint in the year where some of the larger stables that maybe have a horse that doesn't fit their criteria can be moved and return the investment at the upcoming yearling sales. It's a good chance for the market to churn."

Bradley Weisbord and Liz Crow's ELiTE Sales bring forward a draft of 22 individuals that fit into programs at both ends of the spectrum.

"We initially started at this sale in 2017; this sale has always meant a lot to us and is an important target on our calendar every year," Crow said. "We always try to put together a good draft that will allow buyers to have options at both ends. Some horses still have conditions left, others can go right on to black-type events, and some are coming off black-type wins. We sold Fearless  out of this sale last year; he went on to win the Brooklyn Stakes (G2) on Belmont Day for his new owners, Repole Stable."

The 4-year-old Paynter   filly Hybrid Eclipse , offered as Hip 533, made a timely update to her page, adding a black-type win in the July 2 Caesar's Wish Stakes at Laurel Park.

"Hybrid Eclipse just won a stake by 3 3/4 lengths for trainer Brittany Russell with a 4 1/2 Thoro-Graph—a lifetime-best number," Crow said. "Coming in off a stakes win is all positive for her."

The 2021 edition of the sale was broken into two catalogs, the July Breeding Stock Sale and the July Selected Horses of Racing Age. Combined, 123 horses were sold of the 156 on offer for gross receipts of $7,917,500. That created an average price of $64,369 and a median of $40,000. Thirty-three horses failed to meet their reserve, representing an RNA rate of 21.1%.

As of Sunday evening, 55 horses had been withdrawn from the sale.

"The composition of the catalog changes from year to year based on who wants to sell, versus a crop being brought to the marketplace," Browning said. "Each year has its unique set of circumstances. We have some nice prospects and interesting 2-year-olds this year being offered, some purchased specifically as yearlings to be sold as 2-year-olds but not at a juvenile sale.

Boyd Browning Fasig-Tipton The July Sale at Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Ky., on July 8, 2022.
Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Boyd Browning at Fasig-Tipton

Browning said James Keogh's Grovendale Sales will offer a complete dispersal for Dew Sweepers, which features two 2-year-olds who recently ran for trainer Rusty Arnold during the Royal Ascot meet. Grand Oak  (Hip 521) finished 18th of 21 in the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) and Late September  (Hip 550) was last of 17 in the Coventry Stakes (G2). The 2-year-old filly Buttons , by Twirling Candy   (Hip 474), ran impressively at Horseshoe Indianapolis, breaking her maiden for Arnold on first asking June 28.

He said the original intent for this partnership, Dew Sweepers, was to resell these horses as 2-year-olds on the racetrack with either recent starts or published works.

"It was a specific mindset and plan," Browning said. "It offers some interesting horses, four of which were purchased initially overseas and could potentially be serious turf horses here in the States. It shows people are always looking and evaluating opportunities whether you're a seller or buyer, which is what makes great commerce."