Fasig-Tipton photo
Saturday’s opening session of the two-day Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred sale is now in the books, and breeders and consignors should be feeling pretty good. The average and median showed increases over last year’s first session and a strong group waiting in the wings for Sunday’s conclusion of the sale makes it likely that the upward trend will continue.
In session one 92 yearlings sold for $6,934,000 compared to 95 yearlings for $6,427,500 in the corresponding session in 2013. The average price for the session rose 11.4% to $75,370 (from $67,658), while also exceeding the cumulative average of last year’s record-breaking sale ($72,480). The median for the session was $60,000 up 9.1% from 2013 ($55,000).
“I think we’ve seen a continuation of the trends in the marketplace that we saw in July and at the select sale here,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “Overall, there was competitive bidding, especially for the higher-quality offerings. It was a solid marketplace. Buyers had difficulty buying the lots that they wanted.”
Buybacks were somewhat elevated, climbing to 36.1% from 28.6% a year ago. Browning said, “The buyback rate crept higher tonight than the same night last year, which might have something to do with consignors having some alternatives for their horses in terms of the ability to race them themselves. This is probably more of a breeder-oriented group here in New York. But we will wait and see how that shakes out after both nights.”
The top seller of session one was a bay filly from the first crop of multiple Grade 1 winner Tizway (Tiznow) who was purchased by Hubert A. Guy, Agent for $250,000 (Hip 310). Foaled on April 15, 2013, the Breeders’ Cup nominated filly is out of multiple winner Free as Tristan by Crafty friend.
Free as Tristan has produced two accomplished runners from two foals to race: multiple New York-bred stakes winner Amberjack by Indygo Shiner ($292,855) and multiple graded-placed Associate, a Kentucky-bred by Wando ($301,229).The filly’s second dam was a Grade 1 winner in Argentina and is a stakes producer. The filly was bred by Dixie Farm and consigned by Marshall W. Silverman.
Four other yearlings in session one brought at least $200,000 and 24 New York-bred yearlings in all topped six-figures, among them two individuals from the first crop of New York-based sire Dublin (Hips 246 and 300). Last year in session one 18 yearlings sold for six figures and three sold for $200,000 or more.
Session two takes place on Sunday at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs beginning at 7:00 p.m.
