The 2020 Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association Fall Mixed Sale posted across-the-board declines on Oct. 8, topped by a $60,000 gelding by Grasshopper.
A total of 55 horses changed hands for revenues of $408,300 during this year's sale, for an average sale price of $7,424 and a median of $3,400. The buyback rate was 28 percent.
This year's sale introduced online bidding for the first time, which accounted for $94,500 in purchases – 23 percent of the overall gross.
The yearling portion moved 48 horses for revenues of $389,400, down 17 percent from last year's slate of yearlings, when 38 sold for $469,800. The average yearling sale price fell 33 percent to $8,285 from $12,363.
This year's sale-topper was Hop To It, a Grasshopper gelding who sold to NBS Stable for $60,000.
The dark bay or brown gelding is out of the winning Speightstown mare Islet, whose two foals to race are both winners. The Iowa-bred hails from the family of Grade 2 winner Windward Islands and French Group 1-placed Deveron.
Though the overall figures were down, Hop To It's $60,000 price tag tied the record for the most expensive horse ever sold at the Iowa auction, equaling the mark set last year.
Iowa State University consigned the sale-topper, and it topped the sale's consignors by both gross and number sold, moving 26 horses for $273,800.
NBS Stable was the sale's leading buyer with two purchases totaling $79,000. Dick Clark bought eight horses to be the most active buyer by bulk.
To view the auction's full results, click here.
The post Grasshopper Gelding Tops Iowa Fall Mixed Sale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
