Strong Buyer Traffic on Eve of October Sale

As potential buyers went about their business Oct. 23, inspecting yearlings entered in the Fasig-Titpon October sale, the crew at Brookdale Sales could hardly keep up with the volume of requests to see the consignment’s offerings.

“It was overwhelming,” said Brookdale’s Joe Seitz of the traffic volume on a day with weather that could only be described as spectacular. “The horses were getting tired and that’s a good thing.”

Seitz said the large turnout at Barn E—actually a huge temporary tent with stalls needed because the more than 1,200 horses cataloged exceed barn capacity—on the eve of the Oct. 24 first session could be attributable to buyers finding the Brookdale yearlings appealing and because many buyers still have not gotten what they wanted at other sales.

None of the 31 horses in Brookdale’s group have been offered for sale this year, as they were specifically targeted for October. Seitz said some yearlings were late or late-developing foals who needed the extra time from August or September, when most of the other sales take place. Other yearlings were held for October because they would be standouts in the marketplace, he said.

“It’s a good venue and really fits a lot of horses,” said Seitz, who sold the 2015 October sale-topping Tapit   colt for $410,000. “I think we’re going to see a continuation of the September sale, where the middle market was very strong.”

St. George Sales has a Tapizar   colt that had a recent major catalog update that factored in to the decision to sell the yearling in October rather than an earlier sale, said Archie St. George.

Consigned as Hip 489, the colt is a half brother to stakes winner Victress, who recently added a grade III placing to her résumé when second in the Ballerina Stakes at Canada’s Hastings Racecourse, and to grade II-placed Majestic Presence.

“He was entered at Keeneland but we kept him out, hoping there would be an update with Victress,” St. George said.

Among those making the Fasig-Tipton rounds Sunday in search of yearlings that can be re-sold as 2-year-olds next year was Cary Frommer, the prominent South Carolina horsewoman who was not active at last year’s October sale because she already bought as many horses as planned for the year.

“I think it’s going to be really strong, based on the number of people here,” said Frommer, who was accompanied by business partner Barry Berkelhammer. “People were shut out at (the) Keeneland (September yearling sale) and then did not get what they wanted in (the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic yearling sale).”

Consignor Chris Baccari said the October sale has evolved into a solid auction that has produced horses purchased at realistic prices that have gone on to perform well.

“Here, you can catch every horse,” Baccari said. “It has a different kind of vibe. I have sold well here and when I was a trainer, I bought well here. It’s a good system for buyers and sellers.”

The sessions at Fasig-Tipton’s headquarters in Lexington begin at 10 a.m. daily.