Midlantic-breds led the way during a productive opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic two-year-olds in training sale Monday in Timonium.
Three of the top four sellers – including the top two – were bred in the region. The day was highlighted by the $1.1 million sale of Hip 118, a Virginia-bred colt by Uncle Mo which topped the session.
During the session, 152 horses found new homes, generating a total of more than $12.6 million in sales. The session average was $83,109. The median declined slightly, from $43,000 to $40,000.
Both the gross sales and average were up more than 10 percent from last year’s opening session. The gross rose 10.7% — about $1.2 million – from last year’s opening total of $11.4 million And the average, on four fewer horses sold, was up 13.7%.
More good news for sellers came from the decline in the buyback rate. Of the 190 hips through the ring today, 38 – 20% — were not sold. That compared favorably to the 25.7% of hips that were buybacks in last year’s opener.
Notably, it was last year’s second session that generated the sale’s significant fireworks, including the $1.8 million purchase of the Into Mischief filly later named Gamine; she is now a Grade 1 winner. Last year’s sale was conducted May 20 and 21, immediately following the Preakness.
This year’s two-day sale was postponed for more than a month from its original date because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Fasig-Tipton instituted numerous safety protocols for the sale, including a reduction in the capacity of the sales pavilion and a requirement that participants wear masks.
Two Maryland-breds were among the top four sellers, joining the Uncle Mo colt atop the leaderboard. Hip 213, a chestnut Not This Time colt out of the winning Indian Charlie mare Sanctissima, brought a winning bid of $650,000. Not This Time was a Grade 3 winner and is a half-brother to Liam’s Map; his oldest offspring are two-year-olds. The colt, named Mr. Penny, worked an eighth of a mile in 10 1/5 seconds.
Hip 213 was consigned by Classic Bloodstock LLC as agent. Lauren Carlisle, acting as agent, signed the ticket.
The other top Maryland-bred seller was Hip 173, a filly by Upstart out of the stakes-winning Pure Prize mare Plum. She brought a top bid of $400,000, fourth highest on the day. Upstart, whose oldest are two-year-olds this year, was a multiple graded stakes winner of $1.7 million on the track. Plum, who won the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, has had three foals hit the track, and all three are winners.
The filly worked an eighth in 10 seconds flat. She was tied with 11 others for the fastest furlong work at the sale.
Cary Frommer consigned the filly as agent and had called her “my brightest star” prior to the sale. Sallusto/Albina as agents submitted the winning bid.
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