‘Solid Sale Getting Better Every Year:’ Fasig-Tipton October Sale Concludes

LEXINGTON, KY – The Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings Sale concluded Thursday with a solid renewal which very nearly kept pace with its record-setting 2022 version even in the midst of a softening yearling market and a backdrop of uncertainty in the global economy and geo-political landscape.

“It was a very successful 2023 Fasig-Tipton October sale,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said after the last horse went through the ring Thursday evening. “The results were very similar to last year and very similar to the 2021 results, which is pretty remarkable when you consider everything that is happening in the world that we live in, from the economy to some of the challenges our industry has faced. To have 1,600 horses on offer the last four days and to be standing in the back walking ring with five horses to go and it is full of people and there is enthusiasm and activity, it shows the resiliency of our industry.”

Through four sessions, 1,064 yearlings grossed $51,120,000. The average of $48,045 dipped 4.6% from last year's record figure and the median of $24,000 was down 4.0% from another 2022 record.

The buy-back rate was 21.5%. It was 18.7% a year ago.

“The good news for all consignors is that, if you have a late-maturing horse, or a horse that has a little bit of an issue, you can bring that horse here. Can this sale support a very good horse? The answer is absolutely, positively, yes. I think this sale has established itself on the calendar as a very legit sale, one that you have to attend and participate in, whether you are a buyer or a seller. We look forward to continued growth and continued great graduates coming from this sale.”

Ocala horseman Karl Keegan made the highest bid of Thursday's final session of the auction, going to $330,000 to acquire a colt by Bolt d'Oro from the Knockgriffin Farm consignment.

Denali Stud consigned the second and third highest prices of the session, with Mike Ryan going to $310,000 for a son of Into Mischief and Jacob West going to $275,000 on behalf of Mike Repole for a daughter of Curlin.

Hip 1441, the Curlin filly bought for Mike Repole | Fasig-Tipton

The auction was a case of feast or famine, according to Denali's Conrad Bandoroff.

“When you lead a horse up here, you are in one of two positions,” Bandoroff said. “You are either coming up for a horse sale or you are coming up for a funeral. I think this market is highlighting the polarization. If you have one that is a quality individual who vets, there is a good market for it. If you have a horse that doesn't vet or doesn't have the commercial physical, it's going to be a difficult market and you've got to be realistic about it. But that could also be the definition of a fair market as well. We are having a good sale. We've been fortunate that we've had some good horses here and the good horses are selling well.”

Ryan, who purchased 10 yearlings for $2,195,000 during the auction, found plenty of competition for the yearlings he followed up to the ring.

“We were runner-up quite a bit, too,” Ryan said. “We were getting hammered. But we do feel like we got some quality at good value. It is the last stop and there are a lot of horses here. You have to look at a lot of horses to find the ones you want. But there are some nice pedigrees here. And obviously there is money here for the good ones. It's a solid sale and it's getting better every year.”

Keegan Stretches for Bolt d'Oro Colt

Looking to play at the upper echelon of the pinhooking game, Karl Keegan of Lucan Bloodstock stretched to $310,000 to acquire a colt by Bolt d'Oro (hip 1575) late in Thursday's final session of the Fasig-Tipton October sale.

Karl Keegan | Fasig-Tipton

“We are going to pinhook the horse,” Keegan said after signing the ticket on the bay colt. “It seems like all of these sales–especially the 2-year-old sales–are going to the upper end of the market, so we are trying to buy really, really good physicals by good stallions and hopefully it works out back in the springtime.”

The colt is out of Whirl (Curlin), a full-sister to graded winner Pacific Wind and a half to multiple graded winner Strike a Deal (Smart Strike). Consigned by Jim FitzGerald's Knockgriffin Farm, he was purchased for $145,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale and RNA'd for $240,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale in August.

“He was an outstanding physical,” Keegan said of the yearling. “He was at Saratoga and it looked like he went through a bad patch there. They took him back and gave him some time. And he really blossomed and showed himself well here. He's an exciting prospect for Lucan Bloodstock.”

Keegan admitted he had gone past his initial budget for the youngster.

“We were at $150,000 to $175,000, but my guy stretched,” Keegan said. “This was the only horse I wanted to walk away from the sale with. And my guy stood in and supported me.”

Lucan Bloodstock also purchased a colt by Tom's d'Etat (hip 1332) for $80,000 and a colt by Outwork (hip 1573) for $15,000.

Keegan said there was plenty of competition for the pinhooking prospects he was shopping for.

“It was very strong for the horses I was on,” Keegan said. “I came up here trying to buy these physicals to be in the upper echelon of the market at the 2-year-old sales. Those horses were really hard to buy.”

Ryan Strikes for Into Mischief Colt

Bloodstock agent Mike Ryan, busy all week at the Fasig-Tipton October sale, made his highest-priced purchase of the four-day auction Thursday, going to $320,000 to acquire a colt by Into Mischief (hip 1482).

Mike Ryan | Fasig-Tipton

“He's a beautifully bred horse,” Ryan said of the yearling. “He's going to be a two-turn horse. He has plenty of size and stretch and scope for an Into Mischief. He's got a serious pedigree. If he can perform on the racetrack, he's got a lot of appeal as a stallion.”

The bay colt, bred by My Meadowview and consigned by Denali Stud, is out of multiple graded stakes winner Tin Type Gal (Tapit), who is a daughter of Grade I winner Miss Shop (Deputy Minister).

“They are averaging $750,000 for the yearlings,” Ryan said of Into Mischief's knockout season at the sales this fall. “The median is $525,000. So this [final price of $320,000] is less than half the average. Of course it's the end of the year, but this horse has a lot of upside if he can perform.”

Curlin Filly to Repole

Mike Repole, who along with his partners will send champion Nest (Curlin) through the sales ring at Fasig-Tipton in a week and a half, restocked with another filly by Curlin Thursday at Newtown Paddocks when bloodstock agent Jacob West made a final bid of $275,000 to acquire hip 1441. The gray filly was consigned by Denali Stud on behalf of Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings.

Jacob West | Fasig-Tipton

“Mike has had a little bit of success with Curlin through the years,” West said after signing the ticket on the yearling. “It's the old saying, if it's not broke, don't fix it. She was just a beautiful filly and has the pedigree, through and through.”

The yearling is out of Tapping Pearl (Tapit), a daughter of Cat Dancer (Storm Cat) and a half-sister to Grade I winner Drill (Lawyer Ron).

West, on behalf of Repole, as well as other clients, has purchased six yearlings this week in Lexington.

“The market is incredibly harsh right now,” West said. “If you don't have the pedigree and the physical and the vetting, you get crucified. I feel bad for the breeders because I know how much work it takes to get them up to this ring. That's the unfortunate side of our business right now. It's incredibly polarizing. I don't see it changing for the foreseeable future.”

The polarized market has allowed him to find some bargains this week, West agreed.

“The first day of the sale, we bought a Quality Road filly for $3,000 and we bought a Gun Runner colt for $42,000,” he said. “They were just horses that the market didn't perceive to be what they wanted and they fell through the cracks. We had done our homework and due diligence and picked them up.

“The Quality Road filly had some significant vet issues, but $3,000 for a Quality Road filly, you're going to take a chance. The Gun Runner colt was just a backward horse. He didn't have the physical that everyone was looking for here. But for all of Mike's purposes, he will be patient on a horse like that, let him grow up and fill out. If he goes on and wins a big race, everybody will say, 'How the hell did they buy him for $42,000?' If you are willing to sacrifice on one of those things, you can find some bargains here.”

West concluded, “I'd say there are going to be some really good runners that come out of this sale. There are every year. It doesn't always have to be the sale topper that you land on.”

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Sendero is Second Stakes Winner for City of Light

Sendero became the second stakes winner and seventh winner overall for his freshman sire City of Light (Quality Road) with a maiden-breaking victory in the Jamestown S. at Colonial Downs Wednesday. Sent off the 1-5 favorite, the bay colt was hustled out of the gate and rushed up to press the pace four wide down the backstretch through a quarter in :22.66. He stuck his head in front nearing the stretch and bound clear while Bee Mountain chased him home in second.

Sendero missed by just a neck when second in debut over this same course and distance lawn July 18.

City of Light was represented by his first stakes winner over the weekend when Chop Chop won the Aristocrat Gaming Juvenile Fillies S. at Kentucky Downs last Saturday.

Trishas Even has a yearling colt by Omaha Beach. With no foal reported this year, she was bred back to Bolt d'Oro. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

JAMESTOWN S., $129,000, Colonial Downs, 9-7, (C), 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:04.50, fm.
1–SENDERO, 120, c, 2, by City of Light
                1st Dam: Trishas Even (SP), by Even the Score
                2nd Dam: Trisha Brown, by Theatrical (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Hey Majesty, by Majestic Light
($130,000 Ylg '21 KEEJAN; $300,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP).
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Harrell Ventures, LLC; B-Knockgriffin
Farm (VA); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $75,000.
Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $87,000.
2–Bee Mountain, 118, f, 2, Street Sense–Snow Top Mountain,
by Najran. ($75,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $110,000 2yo '22
EASMAY). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Walter B. Doggett III; B-Audley
Farm Equine (VA); T-A. Ferris Allen, III. $25,000.
3–Gettin'downonit, 120, g, 2, Anchor Down–Cape Town
Woman, by Johannesburg. ($15,000 Ylg '21 EASOCT).
1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Port Lairge Stables; B-Kingston
Thoroughbreds LLC (VA); T-Mark Beecher. $13,750.
Margins: 2 1/4, 2HF, NK. Odds: 0.20, 20.30, 57.30.
Also Ran: Moon Sign, Notion, Unbridled Sass, Gabriel's Wing, Grandpa's Kid, Thank Ya Pete.

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Over $1 Million In Virginia Breeders Fund Awards To Be Distributed From 2021 Victories

The Virginia Thoroughbred Association announced that $975,000 in Virginia Breeders award monies will be distributed to breeding farms in the state whose horses reached the winners circle in 2021 at any track in North America. That $975,000 figure is up $25,000 from 2020.

Adding in $75,000 in Virginia Stallion awards — up $25,000 from 2020 as well — a total of $1,050,000 in bonus monies will be distributed via the Breeders Fund. A total of 46 different breeders will share in the prize pool, which comes from 161 winning Virginia-bred horses that accumulated purse earnings of $2,916,905. The bonus averaged 32 percent of each winning purse. As recently as 2019, that figure was 19 percent.

The Virginia Breeders Fund is generated by one percent of every dollar wagered in Virginia on live racing and via OTB and ADW betting. Each year, the Virginia Racing Commission approves how the money in the Fund is allocated. A large portion is set aside for payments to breeders of registered Virginia-breds that win a race at any track in North America. There is a $25,000 cap on any single award.

Morgan's Ford Farm, based in Front Royal, led the charge with $126,694 from 15 wins. Chess Chief, who scored a pair of stakes wins, and Bella Aurora, who connected in a single stake, were both key. The former, a 6-year-old Into Mischief horse, scored a maximum $25,000 award in winning the New Orleans Classic and a $19,027 bonus in the Tenacious Stakes. Both were held at Fair Grounds. Bella Aurora won the Interborough Stakes, good for $17,441 while Supply and Demand, with three wins in New York, produced over $32,000 in awards.

Mr. & Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III finished second in awards with $113,855 led by several key contributors — Passion Play, Virginia Beach and Attachment Rate. Passion Play's victories in the Bert Allen and Edward P. Evans Stakes each returned a $19,027 award as did Virginia Beach's win in the Camptown Stakes. Attachment Rate, a former Kentucky Derby participant, captured an $11,035 payday for winning a February allowance at Gulfstream.

Knockgriffin Farm did not have any five-digit award winners but did have 14 overall. Multiple victors Vincent Van Gogo and Gimme Some Mo collected three each and Mucho Mas and Mo Clare's each had a pair. The combined total of $72,346 was good for third in the standings. Gimme Some Mo's $9,944 award from a Churchill Downs claimer was tops and Shastee's maiden special weight $8,562 bonus score at Gulfstream was next best.

Audley Farm Equine's bonus tally of $69,353 came from just five wins, but three were $100,000 stakes. Determined Kingdom prevailed in the Jamestown, Tasting the Stars was best in the Nellie Mae Cox, and Urban Fairytale finished first in the Brookmeade. Each provided an extra $19,027 on top of purse money earned.

With Repo Rocks' three wins and American Dubai's two, Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin took fifth place with $69,166. She had seven triumphs in all but benefitted most from American Dubai's dominating 7-length allowance win at Oaklawn with a $106,000 purse. Repo Rock's hat trick of wins all took place in New York — a maiden special weight at Belmont followed by two winning allowance efforts at Aqueduct.

Carlos Moore and Gillian Gordon-Moore's bonus of $55,443 was good for sixth among breeders. All came from Steve Asmussen trained Boldor, who prevailed in three stakes last year — the Sam's Town at Delta Downs, the King Cotton at Oaklawn and the Punch Line at Colonial.

Quest Realty's $49,799 figure came from six different horses, two of which reached the winners circle three times each — Drosselmoon and Stay Out. Another trio had their picture taken twice — Jestful, Point of Grace and Stay In.

The William Backer Revocable Trust reached the $40,000 level thanks to Shaaz's late season win in a $67,000 maiden special weight at Santa Anita. The Uncle Mo colt, a Bob Baffert trainee, was making his first lifetime start.

Tango Charlie's three wins in 2021 helped Morgan's Ford Farm and Godolphin reach $38,361 in bonus earnings. The 4-year-old Hard Spun gelding took a maiden claimer at Oaklawn followed by claiming wins at Ellis Park and Churchill. Oviatt Class chipped in with a maiden special weight victory at Del Mar, good for a $13,318 check.

Rounding out the top ten was Lazy Lane Farms with $37,659 from nine wins. Forloveofcountry was best on three different occasions while Dublin Yinz Money and Sing Along Suzy won twice each.

A total of $75,000 in stallion awards were distributed among six owners with 11 winners and combined purse earnings of $250,920.

Horses sired by Smallwood Farms' Friend or Foe won three and took $39,248 of the stallion reward pool. Mr. Buff led the way again with two stakes scores in New York — the Stymie and Jazil. The 8-year-old gelding has amassed $1.4 million from 17 lifetime wins.

Goodluckchuck, sired by Anne Louise Bonda's Big Picture, won three races to produce a $14,481 bonus. The 6-year-old gelding won an allowance at Charles Town, a claimer at Timonium and a starter optional claimer at Laurel.

Third largest award went to Lady Olivia at North Cliff, whose $8,967 bonus came courtesy of Heart Light's maiden special weight win at Colonial on Aug. 2. The 3-year-old Cosa Vera filly was best by a nose.

Other awards were received by Leanne Hester (Gone Clubbing), Ruxton Farm (Fierce Wind) and the late Sara Collette (Xenodon).

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Unified Colt Takes Grand Champion Honors At Virginia Yearling Futurity

Knockgriffin Farm's Virginia-Certified 2019 colt out of Causin Commotion took Grand Champion honors in the annual Virginia Breeders Fund 2020 Yearling Futurity, which was held September 9 at the Warrenton Horse Show Grounds in Warrenton, Va.

The champion is owned/bred by Jim & Katie Fitzgerald at their Marshall, Va., farm. The dark bay or brown colt is by Unified.

Morgan's Ford Farm's 2019 bay out of Smart Believer, who took top honors in the Virginia-Bred/Sired Fillies division, was named 2020 Reserve Champion. She is a daughter of Animal Kingdom. A total of $22,500 in prize money was distributed between the three divisions. The top two winners from each advanced to the Grand Championship final round.

In the Virginia-Bred/Sired Colt and Gelding class, Althea Richards' 2019 colt out of Darting won top honors. Also named “Best Turned Out”, the dark bay is by Divining Rod.

Susan Cooney's Celtic Sea, a chestnut colt by English Channel out of Embarr by Royal Academy, took second. Rounding out the class in order was Knockgriffin Farms' 2019 colt out of Trishas Even by Street Sense, Becky and Andy Lavin's 2019 chestnut colt out of Falsehood by Madefromlucky, Knockgriffin's 2019 colt out of Looking Great by American Freedom, Daniel Wukich and Quest Realty's E.P Milton by Jack Milton, Darlene Bowlin's 2019 gelding out of Cape Cod Bay by Great Notion and Frazer Hendrick's colt, Maximum Momentum by Koda Chrome.

In the Virginia-Bred/Sired Fillies category, Daybreak Stables' 2019 bay out of Callipepla was runner-up behind the Smart Believer filly. The daughter of Cupid was also named “Best Turned Out” in her class.

The rest of the field in order was Corner Farm and John Behrendt's 2019 bay out of Senate Caucus by Maclean's Music, Morgan's Ford Farms' 2019 Pearls by Super Saver, Doug Daniels' Dulini by Madefromlucky, Daniel Wukich and Quest Realty's Music Queen by Maclean's Music, Eagle Point Farms' Chickahominy by Great Notion and Susan Cooney's Speak Your Mind by Mr Speaker.

In the large Certified class, which saw colts and filles combined, Lorraine and Dennis Johnson's colt out of Bigshot On Nothing and by Mineshaft, finished second and was named “Best Turned Out” horse.

Joanne Krishack's filly New Age Bad Girl by Fiber Sonde was next followed by Ron Sapp's colt Rebel Empire by Sky Kingdom, Kathleen Hamlin's gelding Man of the Cloth by Fiber Sonde, DMG Racing Stables' gelding Freegftwthpurchase by Freedom Child, Daniel Wukich & Quest Realty's filly Lunar Motion by Great Notion and Michael Dalton's colt Quincannon by Buffum.

The judge for this year's Futurity was Rick Abbott, a former longtime Pennsylvania bloodstock agent who along with his wife Dixie, had a successful sales consignment business.

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