by Sarah Mace
The second and final session of the 2011 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Preferred Yearling Sale on Sunday lived up to the promise of the resoundingly successful first session – and then some – generating huge increases across the board for the cumulative numbers and, through the two sessions, sending a grand total of 22 New York-bred yearlings through the ring for six figures.
The outcome of the sale could hardly fail to cheer the hearts of New York’s breeders. Following the conclusion of the second session, the cumulative numbers stood thus compared to last year: 28.9% more horses were offered over the two days (183); 31.9% more horses sold (124), and total sales increased by a staggering 83.0% ($6,725,500). The average price for a yearling increased 38.7% to $54,238 and the median rose 16.7% to $35,000. Even the buyback rate, which cast a slight shadow over the dramatic gains in the first session, righted itself by the end of the second session, showing a slightly improved final number (32.2%) over last year (33.8%).
Hip 300 (Debra Roma Photography)
The top seller, a January colt by Dixie Union bred by Waterville Lake Stables, Ltd LLC and foaled at Berkshire Stud in Pine Plains, went through the ring late in the first session, selling from the consignment of Don Robinson’s Winter Quarter Farm (agent) to Everett Dobson’s Cheyenne Stables for $250,000. (Hip 300). The bay colt’s stakes-placed winning dam, Dash for Money by General Meeting, who last changed hands at the 2007 Keeneland November sale for $230,000, has produced all winners from three foals to race, two of them six-figure earners. Second dam Hot Lear (Lear Fan) is a stakes winner and graded stakes producer, and third dam Medicine Woman (Dr. Blum), herself a graded winner, produced three stakes winners, including Love Medicine, dam of Grade 1-winner I’m the Tiger. Dash for Money currently has a weanling colt by Awesome Again and was bred this year to Afleet Alex.
Dobson, who recently invested in Three Chimneys Stallions, campaigns Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes winner Caleb’s Posse by New York leading sire Posse. He told the Thoroughbred Times, “I liked [the Dixie Union’s colt’s] athleticism, I like Dixie Union, and he’s got a great walk and a great attitude. It certainly didn’t hurt [that the colt is a New York-bred]. I like to race in New York and I’m starting to develop a stable up here.” Dobson added, “I’ve been watching how he handled everything up here the last few days and he checked all the boxes for me. What can I say, I’m thrilled to be in New York.”
Hip 271 (Debra Roma Photography)
A big flashy dark bay colt by Orientate (Hip 271), bred by Donald Flanagan and foaled at Buttonwood Farm in Rhinebeck, garnered the second highest price of the first session and fourth highest price in the sale overall. Walter Sorace (agent) purchased the January colt for $155,000 from Vinery’s first consignment to the NY-bred preferred sale. The colt’s winning dam Back Bay Lady (A. P Jet) is a half-sister to popular New York-bred Grade 3 Excelsior Stakes winner Inherit the Gold ($304,601), by Gold Token. The colt is has two winning siblings from two to start, Nauset Light (Greeley’s Galaxy) and Tapped Out Bruno (Tapit). Flanagan acquired Back Bay Lady as a Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling in 2001 for $105,000.
A chestnut colt by Indygo Shiner (Hip 324) topped the second session of the sale, and was the second highest seller overall. Bred by Dixie Farm and foaled at Song Hill Thoroughbreds in Mechanicville, the March colt was hammered down to John P. Fort for $185,000 from the consignment of Darby Dan Farm. He is the second foal from Free as Tristan (Crafty Friend), whose first foal, Associate (Wando), is a winner. The second dam, Argentinean-bred Miss Carlotita is a Grade 1 winner in Argentina and has also produced two stakes winners. Dixie bought Free as Tristan for $13,000 at the 2007 Keeneland November sale. With no reported foal this year, she was bred to Yes It’s True in the spring.
The top filly of the sale and third highest price yearling, is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Z Fortune ($432,942) by freshman sire Invasor (Hip 323). Purchased by Northshore Bloodstock (agent) for $160,000 from Paramount Sales (agent), the chestnut filly, which was foaled in March, was bred by Delehanty Stock Farm, where she was foaled, and is one of 11 foals from Grade 2 winner Fortunate Faith, by Fortunate Prospect. Of Fortunate Faith’s nine foals to start, eight are winners
Hip 260 (Debra Roma Photography)
The top selling New York-sired New York bred, who also ranked eighth best seller overall, was a colt by top ten New York stallion Read the Footnotes, sire of Grade 1 winner Rightly So, who stands for Sequel Stallions at Keane Stud. The February colt (Hip 260), who was bred by Fred W. Hertrich III and foaled at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, sold in the first session from the Denali Stud consignment to Brooklyn Boyz (J. J. Crupi, agent) for $135,000.
The bay is the most recent of nine foals out of the unraced Silver Deputy mare Age of Silver and sixth to change hands via public auction for six figures. He has seven winning siblings of seven to start, including, Silver King, by Distorted Humor, a multiple winner of $184,798, stakes winner Age of Humor by the same sire ($135,605) and multiple stakes-placed Coach Ryan by Broad Brush ($113,099). The colt’s lone New York-bred sibling, Cryin’ Ryan, is a winner. Age of Silver did not have a live foal this year, but was bred in the spring to Tapit.
Click here for hip by hip results.
