Fasig-Tipton October Finishes Strong

[Wandering Eyes]

LEXINGTON, KY – Fasig-Tipton’s Kentucky October Yearling sale finished up as strongly as it started Thursday, leading to a record average for the final major yearling sale of the season. Over the four-day auction, 1008 transactions were recorded for gross receipts of $38,258,900. The cumulative average was $37,955, bettering the previous record of $36,507 set in 2017 and besting last year’s mark of $35,576 by 6.7%. The median was $13,000, a dip of 13.3% from 12 months ago. The RNA rate was 24.5%–it was 22.7% last year. The gross was also a record, but to be expected given this was the largest catalogue in October sale history.

“It was an outstanding week with solid, consistent trade from beginning to end,” said Fasig-Tipton President and CEO Boyd Browning, Jr. “It’s kind of a testament to our industry that we’ve been selling yearlings for over three months and still, there’s quite a bit of demand for many of the horses, but not all the horses, as we know and understand. Coming into the sale, realistically, we would’ve said, ‘We hope we can be similar to last year’s levels.’ To exceed those levels is, frankly, really encouraging and I think it’s an indication of an increase in the quality of horses being brought to this sale by the consignors. And the buyers are sure here willing to support the consignors, and us, by bidding on those horses… This creates a good feeling heading into the Breeders’ Cup and there’s a little sale on Nov. 5 (the Fasig-Tipton November sale) that we’re looking forward to, as well. At the end of the day, we were well supported by consignors with more horses than we’ve ever had, and I think the best quality we’ve ever had. ”

Thursday’s fourth and final session saw 268 head change hands for $10,681,700 at an average of $39,857–the highest it had been all week. The median was $13,500. The RNA rate was 19.3% as sellers looked to move along what they could and buyers tried to fill their quotas last minute.

The sale and session topper was hip 1503, a $560,000 Candy Ride (Arg) colt consigned by Reiley McDonald’s Eaton Sales and purchased by Carlo Vaccarezza with the intention to resell him at next year’s Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale.

“We’re actually having the best day today that we’ve had the whole week,” Taylor Made Sales Agency’s Mark Taylor said mid-session Thursday. “The thing about this sale is that it’s not catalogued by quality [like Keeneland September]… Here, it’s a total wildcard where you might get all the better horses landing on the fourth day of the sale–you don’t know what’s going to happen. I think the market is just like it has been. In this sale, you’re always going to get a higher percentage of horses who don’t vet because sometimes that’s why they’re here. They didn’t get sold at a previous sale because they didn’t vet, and now they’re here and they still don’t vet. Now, whether that’s going to have any effect on them running, probably not, but in the veterinary community’s mind, there’s something wrong with them. So, you’re always going to get a little higher percentage of horses that you’re just up against it with right from the beginning because the vet sheet looks bad. However, it’s the last stop on the calendar, so sellers usually get a little more realistic with their reserves unless they don’t mind going to the races or the 2-year-old sales. It’s a hard sale to handicap, but I think the market’s just the same–quality’s selling, but with everything else, you have to be very careful.”

Action returns to Fasig-Tipton’s Newtown Paddocks Nov. 5 for the star-studded November sale of breeding stock.

Good End Result for Candy Ride Colt

Thursday’s sale and session-topping Candy Ride (Arg) colt (hip 1503) has had an eventful few months. He appeared to be seriously injured in a paddock accident on breeder Gail Peyton’s Forging Oaks Farm in Lexington, but his superficial wounds healed up and he went on to bring $560,000 from Carlo Vaccarezza.

He was originally slated to be sold at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale.

“A week before Saratoga, 2:30 a.m. in the morning, the neighbor’s five cattle got loose and ran through the farm,” explained consignor Reiley McDonald of Eaton Sales. “[The cattle] ran this colt and another one through their paddock fences, this colt hit a pole. He had a really nasty cut, but it didn’t involve the muscle or any nerves. It’s just a very bad blemish. It goes to prove how many good horsemen are here that are willing to look past a blemish and kick on and buy a horse. They think, ‘Who cares? If he runs, I don’t care.'”

The Feb. 18 foal was purchased in utero for $475,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November sale. Out of the winning dam Vanquished (Empire Maker), he is a half-brother to MGSW Takeover Target (Harlan’s Holiday). The topper is out of a half-sister to MGISW Critical Eye (Dynaformer).

“It was a nice sale,” McDonald said. “Mrs. Peyton has a nice broodmare band of 15 mares. I’m just very happy for her. We thought he would be unsellable for awhile when he first did it. To look at it, those injuries looked so awful, and then they somehow cleaned up. From her to go from, ‘Wow, we have nothing here’ to ‘Yes, he’s still a top horse and we still own the mare and the value’s still there.’ It’s a very good thing for a woman who’s put so much into the game.”

He added, “Needless to say, the cattle have been moved.”

Vanquished produced an Into Mischief filly Mar. 2 and was bred back to Justify for 2020. Gail Peyton’s husband and former Forging Oaks co-owner James Peyton died last year.

Like the $290,000 Street Sense colt he purchased during Tuesday’s session (see Pricey Pinhook Prospect for Vaccarezza), hip 1503 will be turned over to Jim and Torie Gladwell of Top Line Sales with the hopes of hitting a home run at next year’s Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale.

“I came to this sale for a couple of horses–the Street Sense and this horse,” Vaccarezza said. “I really love him. He’s an outstanding individual. He has everything going for himself. I think he’s going to be a great horse. He’s going to be at the Fasig-Tipton sale at Gulfstream Park.”

When asked about the upside of a pinhook prospect who was already so expensive, the South Florida-based horseman and restauranteur said, “With a horse like that, if he breezes well and develops, he can be an easy seven figures.”

Vaccarezza’s selection process starts with the page.

“We look at the pedigree first, and after the pedigree we look for the individual,” he said. “There are a lot of nice horses here, but they don’t fit my program. We look for big pedigrees that are fashionable for the big buyers, especially at a sale like Gulfstream Park.”

Agent Donato Lanni, who purchased last year’s $500,000 October sale-topping Street Sense colt, was the underbidder on this year’s topper.

Into Mischief Colt Heading ‘West’

It’s been tough to buy a son or daughter of Into Mischief at any kind of sale for a number of years now, and the final day of the final yearling sale of 2019 was no exception–the last Into Mischief in the Fasig-Tipton October catalogue spurred a protracted bidding war that saw agent Jacob West come out on top at $400,000. Hip 1306 was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency on behalf of Alastar Thoroughbred Company LLC.

West purchased the horse for a new client and said he would be campaigned in California.

“He’s a guy who’s been around racing for awhile, but he’s jumping in with both feet,” West said.

As for the price: “I think we all had an idea that he was going to be $300,000 to $400,000–it was the race to $400,000 and we were just lucky enough to be the even guy and not the odd guy. It worked out pretty good.”

Hip 1306 is a full-brother to Turnagain Tide, a $750,000 KEESEP buy last term by Larry Best’s OXO Equine. His second dam is stakes winner and track record setter Miraloma (Deputy Minister). This is the hugely productive female family of highest-level winners Dayjur, Maplejinsky, Sky Beauty, Pleasant Home, Tale of Ekati, etc.

“Into Mischief needs no introduction, out of an Empire Maker mare,” West said of the colt’s appeal. “He kind of looked a little bit different than a lot of the other Into Mischiefs, I think. He had a little bit more size and scope and stretch to him, which probably came from the mare’s side of it. He came from a good family. You go down the list of the broodmare sires on the page and they’re strong. He’s a horse who ended up being on the last day, and I think a little bit of desperation sets in for some people too. It’s the last opportunity to buy some yearlings, and if you have money left over, which a lot of people seem like they do, they’re going to go in there and spend it.”

Taylor Made’s Mark Taylor said, “Nice horse. Was scheduled to go to Keeneland September, was going to be in Book 2, but got a little foot abscess behind and just couldn’t make the sale. So, he had a physical setback. They brought him in to October and the horse cleared up fine, was healthy, showed great and got a great result.”

The aforementioned Turnagain Tide hasn’t posted a published breeze since firing a 1:01.11 bullet at Belmont Oct. 5, but Taylor said, “I actually think if this sale had been [later], it might have been better [for the price of hip 1306]. He’s got a full brother out there who we hear can run, so if that horse would’ve had a chance to make a start it might’ve helped us even more. I thought that was a fair price. He’s a very nice horse, and I’m glad Jacob got him. I think it was fair for buyer and seller.”

McPeek On the Board Early and Late

A $250,000 Uncle Mo colt (hip 1189) got the final session of the Fasig-Tipton October sale off to a quick start, and just 11 hips later Uncle Mo’s champion juvenile and GI Kentucky Derby hero Nyquist one-upped his sire with a $265,000 seller. Consigned by Baccari Bloodstock, hip 1202 was purchased by trainer Ken McPeek on behalf of the fledgling C&H Diamond Racing of Gregory and Hilda Back and Al and Carole LaRose.

“They’re kind of getting in the game–they have 2-year-olds right now,” said McPeek, noting that the group has been in as a partner on some of his trainees, including a winner at Saratoga. “They’re from Houston, Texas and in the trucking business.”

McPeek and Three Chimneys Farm purchased a $385,000 Nyquist filly (hip 179) at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale this summer.

“I bid on Nyquist himself when he was a young horse and he just stamped her–bam!” McPeek said of hip 1202. “She’s a little downhill from the back to the front. She’s got an unbelievable motor on her, and as a horse trainer, you need that.”

Another filly by Darley inmate Nyquist (hip 703) topped the second session of the October sale at $325,000.

Hip 1202 is out of stakes winner Seacrettina (Sea of Secrets) and was bred by consignor Chris Baccari’s Seclusive Farm in partnership with Chester and Anne Prince and James Murphy. A Medaglia d’Oro colt out of the mare sold for $500,000 at KEENOV ’17, and a 2-year-old American Pharoah filly RNA’d for $385,000 last September and for $575,000 across town this April.

McPeek’s day had started at around 4:30 a.m., and it wasn’t anywhere close to over after he signed the ticket for hip 1202. Having overseen training all morning, he bought two more early and then zipped back and forth to Keeneland to saddle horses in the first, third and seventh races (including second and third-place finishes). He also bid on the sale-topping Candy Ride colt before striking again late in the day for hip 1558, a $400,000 Ghostzapper son of ‘TDN Rising Star’ and GSW Winding Way (Malibu Moon) consignedhttp://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogs/2019/1021/1558.pdf by Warrendale Sales, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised.

The purchase was made on behalf of the same new, undisclosed client that McPeek had purchased a $250,000 Liam’s Map filly (hip 630) for earlier in the sale.

Hip 1558 was a $335,000 Keeneland September RNA.

“I don’t remember him at Keeneland at all–for me I kind of clear it all out, and this is a horse I liked here,” McPeek said. “For a Ghostzapper, he was very light on his feet. You’ve got to like the broodmare sire, Malibu Moon. He’s just a really energetic colt; a horse who never stopped. Every time they brought him out, he was bouncing. He’s a natural athlete.”

Stonestreet bought Winding Way–a full to MGSW and GISP Kauai Katie–for $660,000 in foal to Pioneerof the Nile. A Medaglia d’Oro colt out of the mare brought $600,000 last September.

Curlin Colt Gets Sold Second Time Around

Leading sire Curlin had a huge Keeneland September with 41 youngsters sold at an average of $551,390, but one horse who failed to change hands at that auction was a son of Soarwiththebirds (Giant’s Causeway), a half to Canadian Horse of the Year Up With The Birds (Stormy Atlantic). He was bought back for $225,000 last month, but was purchased this time around by Patti Miller of EQB for $250,000. The chestnut was consigned by Baccari Bloodstock as hip 1291.

Miller said she was acting on behalf of an end-user: “Some people who race, and have good trainers and will give the horse a chance.”

When asked if she had seen the horse at September, she replied, “I looked at him at Keeneland, and I liked him, but he was kind of big at that point and he wasn’t walking as well. Here, he had a great, big, flowing walk and he looked the part… Also, some of them blossom by now–not in July or August or September. He was just a little bit behind. He had good bone, he vetted great for us. I just thought he was very special.”

While his hefty frame was a selling point for Miller, it might have kept some pinhookers off and the price down to an extent.

“We knew he was going to be well in that range,” Miller said of the price paid. “I don’t think he’s a pinhooker’s horse, because he is big and he’s going to be a big horse. They might get him to do that in March of his 2-year-old year (breeze an eighth or quarter), but it’s probably not the best thing for him.”

Mike Hall and Sam Ross’s Breeze Easy paid $360,000 for the unplaced Soarwiththebirds at the 2017 Keeneland November sale while she was carrying hip 1291. She had sold for $110,000 at Fasig-Tipton in February before visiting the Hill ‘n’ Dale supersire.

Soarwiththebirds is also a half to stakes winner Speightsong (Speightstown), and hip 1291’s third dam is Grade I-winning champion Wildnerness Song (Wild Again).

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