American Pharoah Colts Top Day 2 at The October Sale

Fueled by continued demand for yearlings from the first crop of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah , The October Sale stayed strong during the Oct. 23 second session.

From 312 cataloged on the day, Fasig-Tipton reported 256 head sold for gross receipts of $9,068,000, compared with a $8,415,000 total for 237 last year. The session average of $35,422 was down slightly from $35,506 in 2017, but the median improved 25%, from $12,000 to $15,000. The 56 head that did not sell represented an RNA rate of 17.9%.

Compared to the first two sessions of 2017, 479 yearlings sold for $16,585,000, up 11.3% from $14,894,500 for 467 yearlings sold. The running average was $34,624, up 8.6% from a two-day average of $31,894 last year, while the median rose 36.4% from $11,000 last year to $15,000. The collective RNA rate was 22.5%, compared to 26.6% for the first two sessions last year.

"It was a another solid day of sales in Day 2, and you are obviously pleased when you are getting a lot of horses sold," said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning Jr. "The RNA rate was significantly improved compared with both last year and yesterday. There was good solid trade and the market appears to be similar to last year. Today certainly had a very good feel to it and there was solid activity from start to finish with some expensive horses early and some expensive horses late."

The day's top two sellers were both colts by American Pharoah, including the session-topper purchased by Zayat Stables, which bred and raced American Pharoah.

Consigned as Hip 580 by Peter O'Callaghan's Woods Edge Farm, agent, the colt from the female family of champion and Broodmare of the Year Personal Ensign had been purchased for $230,000 as a weanling at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Consignors and buyers said the sale has been fairly typical of the last yearling sale of the year, with the stock on offer spanning the spectrum, from late foals that needed extra time to develop mentally and physically to others that had been entered in earlier sales but were scratched or failed to meet their consignors' expectations.

"I think it has been very fair," said Andrew Cary, a partner in consignor Select Sales. "If you have quality, there are plenty of people here looking for that, so that is no surprise. It's always kind of a hit-or-miss sale and those that stand up to scrutiny do just fine. There are plenty of people here looking for those."

Cary said there was depth to the market not found at earlier sales, ostensibly due to the fact the Fasig-Tipton auction is the last stop on the yearling sale circuit.

"There are plenty of people here buying at various levels and we're selling horses that aren't getting huge amounts of vet work," he said. "There are a lot of people shopping in the $20,000 and under range, which at a lot of sales that's been the hardest thing. You always wish they would bring a little more, but getting them moved is the most important thing."

O'Callaghan said the sale did not appear as strong at the top as the past several editions, including 2017, when the sale-topper brought $700,000 and the top five horses overall brought $400,000 or more.

"I think it's a little bit softer here than it has been the last four or five years for the upper-end horses," the consignor said. "Quite a few horses made $350,000 and $400,000 here easily enough last year. That doesn't seem to be the same here this year. (The session-topping colt) certainly wouldn't have been in the mix here last year at that level."

The auction continues through Oct. 25 with daily sessions at 10 a.m. ET.