Fasig-Tipton yearling sale: Looking behind the results
Hip 402 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale. Photo by The Racing Biz.
by Frank Vespe
The just-completed Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale saw its gross and average numbers rise versus 2016, though buybacks were also up.
Below, a look behind the top-line numbers.
SIRE POWER
Plenty of high-end sires — Malibu Moon, Curlin, Bodemeister, among others — made appearances at the just-completed Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale. And many of their offspring did well.
The sale topper, though, went to a new stud, Cairo Prince, whose first crop are yearlings this year. A son of his out of a Curlin mare fetched a winning bid of $300,000 from Eisaman Equine to lead all sellers. All told, Cairo Prince’s four to sell averaged $106,750.
That mark was third highest among sires with more than one yearling sold. The leader was Flatter, whose two to sell averaged $120,000, and he was followed by Lookin At Lucky, whose two to sell averaged $107,500.
One had to look quite a bit farther down the list to find mid-Atlantic-based sires. The top average — with just one to sell — among regional sires was Bullsbay’s $30,000.
He was followed by a young sire and a veteran. Super Ninety Nine, whose oldest are yearlings, had 10 hips sell for an average of $24,300, topped by a $47,000 filly out of a Coronado’s Quest mare. Great Notion, who has 12 crops on the ground, was next with four to sell for an average of $23,375.
In terms of number of hips sold, three regional sires tied for the lead. El Padrino, who had his first two stakes winners the weekend prior to the sale, Tritap and Seville had 11 each to sell. El Padrino’s averaged $13,272, while Tritap was at $12,318 and Seville fetched just $6590 on average.
REGIONAL SIRES BY HIPS SOLD
- El Padrino — 11 sold, average $13,272
- Tritap — 11, $12,318
- Seville — 11, $6590
- Super Ninety Nine — 10, $24,300
- Bandbox — 9. $22,555
- Weigelia — 7, $5642
- Friesan Fire — 5, $20,300
- Jump Start — 5, $20,200
- Orientate — 5, $19,100
- Hey Chub — 5, $4840
STATE RESULTS
The state with the largest horse representation in the sale was Maryland, with 120 hips that sold. That was almost double its nearest competitor, New York with 61.
Perhaps the biggest surprises, though, came from Virginia and West Virginia. Those two states ranked second and fourth of the 10 states represented at the sale by average selling price.
Virginia had nine horses sell for a grand total of $491,000. That was good for an average of $54,555, topped by a Tale of the Cat filly out of a Yes It’s True mare consigned by Audley Farm Equine that brought a top bid of $150,000.
West Virginia had six horses sell, and they fetched an average of $37,416. The grand total was $224,500. The top WV-bred was a Maclean’s Music filly out of a Fastness mare that brought a winning bid of $135,000. She was consigned by Bill Reightler for breeders David and Susan Wantz.
TOP SELLERS BY MID-ATLANTIC STATE
- Maryland — $175,000 filly by Lookin At Lucky-Slow and Steady, by Malibu Moon, consigned by Candyland Farm as agent
- New Jersey — $9,500 gelding by Hey Chub-Sassy Broad, by Arch, consigned by Gracie Bloodstock for Joe-Dan Farm
- Pennsylvania — $100,000 colt by Shackleford-Ms. Cruisen’, by Candy Ride, consigned by Darby Dan Farm as agent
STATE RESULTS BY AVERAGE PRICE
- Louisiana — $70,000 (2 sold)
- Virginia — $54,555 (9 sold)
- Kentucky — $40,394 (50)
- West Virginia — $37,416 (6)
- Maryland — $24,399 (120)
- New York — $19,155 (61)
- Pennsylvania — $14,931 (54)
- Florida — $8,357 (7)
- New Jersey — $6,850 (2)
- North Carolina — $5,000 (1)
THE BUYERS
Eisaman Equine was the star of the show, as far as buyers were concerned. Eisaman bought 16 horses at the sale — twice as many as any other buyer — for a grand total of more than $1.1 million. That number, too, was more than twice as much as any other buyer.
Eisaman was followed on the money list by Charles Zacney ($490,000), Cary Frommer ($287,000), Hillwood Stable ($276,000), and Three Diamonds Farm ($202,000).
Interestingly, the top five by horses purchased includes only two of the same names as the money list — Eisaman at number one and Zacney, tied for fourth. Others on the list by hips bought include Grassroots TRN & Sales Inc., which bought eight, Wayne DaCosta, who bought seven, and Helen Pollinger and Harry Weisleder, who bought six each.
At the other end of the spectrum, Joseph Lloyd was the most determined bargain shopper; he bought two horses for a total of $2,000, or an average of $1,000 each.
BUYERS BY AVERAGE PURCHASE (minimum two hips purchased)
- Cary Frommer — $95,667 (3 hips purchased)
- Charles Zacney — $81,667 (6)
- Classic Bloodstock — $71,000 (2)
- Eisaman Equine — $70,187 (16)
- Hillwood Stable LLC — $69,000 (4)
- Terry Gabriel — $57,500 (2)
- Country Life Farm — $52,500 (2)
- Three Diamonds Farm — $50,500 (4)
- Jerry Romans — $32,000 (2)
- Lindy Redding — $30,000 (2)
RESULTS BY DAMSIRE
How much does the mid-Atlantic region miss the sires Not for Love and Two Punch?
Those two sires — who passed away in 2016 and 2011, respectively — ranked one-two on the list of damsires at the sale by number of hips sold. Not for Love was the sire of the dams of 11 yearlings at the event, while Two Punch fathered five of the dams.
A number of other stallions were represented as the damsires of four hips, among them another deceased former mid-Atlantic stud, Allen’s Prospect.
Among damsires represented by more than one hip, the top stud here by average sales price was Awesome Again, whose two grandchildren averaged $110,000.
The late Rockport Harbor, who stood in Pennsylvania at the time of his death, led regional damsires in average sales price here; his three to sell averaged $35,000.
MOST HIP SOLD BY DAMSIRE
- Not for Love — 11 (average: $15,318)
- Two Punch — 5 ($20,600)
- Unbridled’s Song — 4 ($45,500)
- Harlan’s Holiday — 4 ($37,000)
- Forestry — 4 ($24,250)
- Distorted Humor — 4 ($23,750)
- Bernardini — 4 ($23,000)
- El Prado — 4 ($23,000)
- Tale of the Cat — 4 ($14,500)
- Allen’s Prospect — 4 ($14,000)
- Sky Mesa — 4 ($11,750)
