Fasig Finishes Strong

Flashy American | Fasig-Tipton Photo

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As predicted based on the catalog, trade on the second and final day of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale was stronger than during Monday's opening session. As a result, the four highest-priced offerings of the sale all came Tuesday, including topper Flashy American (Flashy Bull), who went to Blue Sky Stable for $395,000. The graded stakes winner was consigned to the sale by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent III as hip 426, and was offered in foal to Orb (Malibu Moon).

A total of 341 horses sold during the two-day sale for a gross of $8,260,600 and an average of $24,225–down 6.9% year-over-year. The median was $9,500 compared to $12,000 12 months ago. The buyback rate was 21.9%, which was not far off last year's figure of 21.4%. A total of 406 horses sold last year for $10,560,700.

“There is a real thirst and a real desire for quality,” said Boyd Browning, Fasig-Tipton's president. “If you don't meet the standards that the buyers establish as the quality threshold, it's not fun selling a horse. It's also not fun trying to buy a horse that does meet that quality threshold because there is immense competition. It is the same trends we have seen in recent years, and I would expect those to continue in 2016.”

The second day of the sale witnessed 157 horses gross $4,966,100 and average $31,631 (+32%). The median was $12,000 (+9%). During the corresponding session last year, 275 horses sold for $6,592,300, good for an average of $23,972 and a median of $11,000.

“I think the results today reflected the quality of horses on offer compared to yesterday,” said Browning. “The horses were twice as good. In an open sale like this, they fall where they might.”

Mares offered in foal to the late Scat Daddy also proved to be hot commodities. On behalf of a partnership, Olin Gentry bought 'TDN Rising Star' Funfair (More Than Ready) for $350,000 Tuesday. Darby Dan Farm consigned Funfair (hip 431), who was offered in foal to the recently deceased stallion. On Monday, Maggie d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) topped the opening session when selling to Green Lantern Stables for $210,000. Consigned by Select Sales, hip 55 was also in foal to Scat Daddy.

“Losing Scat Daddy was a real loss to the North American breeding industry,” said Browning. “He was a stallion that provided great versatility on dirt and grass, had appeal to Americans and Europeans, and was a stallion who was coming into his own. That was a real significant and painful loss considering his youth.”

Stakes winners Achiever's Legacy (City Zip) and Stoweshoe (Flatter) rounded out the quartet of mares who led the sale. They both sold for $330,000 and were offered just several hips apart in the supplemental catalog late yesterday afternoon.

Consigned by Taylor Made, Achiever's Legacy (hip 519) hails from the powerful Amelia Bearhart family and sold to Roy and Gretchen Jackson's Lael Stable. Stoweshoe (hip 522) was offered by Hunter Valley Farm, agent, and sold to agent Mike Recio's Rockbridge Bloodstock. Out of the Theatrical mare Comedy, Stoweshoe is a full-sister to multiple graded stakes winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Taris and a half-sister to stakes winner Theatre Star (War Front).

The highest-priced short yearling also sold yesterday, when agent Marc Ricker went to $100,000 to secure a colt by Violence. Consigned by Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services, agent, the colt (hip 318) is out of the With Approval mare Bala, making him a half-brother to multiple graded stakes winner Bay to Bay (Sligo Bay {Ire}).

For the catalog and complete results, visit www.fasigtipton.com.

Flashy Record, Flashy Price…

Graded stakes winner Flashy American had been the talking horse on the sales grounds, and she met expectations, selling to Blue Sky Stable for $395,000 to top both Tuesday's session and the overall sale.

Neil Howard, Gainesway's general manager, and Brian Graves, Gainesway's director of public sales, secured the mare, who was offered in foal to Orb.

“We would have liked to have her for a little less than that, but the price was fine,” said Howard. “We pushed a little further than what we intended to. When you come to these horse sales, you look for stuff that quality-wise fits your program, and quality-wise she fits the program.”

Flashy American, who sold for just $5,000 as a weanling, proved her worth on the track and earned $778,683 for Preston Stables and trainer Ken McPeek. In 2014, she scored her biggest victory, the GIII Sixty Sails H. She was also third in that year's GI Delaware H.

“She could run,” said Howard. “We haven't decided exactly where she is going to go yet, but probably Tapit. It was all about quality.”

Taylor Made Sales consigned the 7-year-old mare, who is from the same female family as graded stakes winner I'm Already Sexy (Ready's Image). Flashy American had actually been offered and sold for $360,000 during last year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale, but the buyer defaulted on payment.

“We had to go to Plan B and bring her in here,” said Taylor Made's Mark Taylor. “We did a lot of extra promotion to get the word out because we didn't want people to think she was damaged goods, or that the buyer bought her and she had some problem.

“The reserve was well below the final number. She was fairly sold, and I'm glad it worked out for everybody. It goes to show you that if you have quality, the market's still good. The lower-end horses are kind of taking a beating, but if you get one that's got quality, there's still plenty of money around.”

Still Feeling the Loss…

Shortly after Flashy American sold, stakes winner Funfair drew her own share of the attention. Olin Gentry bought the 6-year-old More Than Ready mare–who was offered in foal to Scat Daddy–on behalf of a partnership.

“She's a nice mare,” Gentry said. “The Scat Daddy [cover] had a lot to do with it. He was probably right there behind Tapit as the best stallion in America. It's a real shame. Hopefully we will get a good one.”

Funfair was consigned by Darby Dan Farm, agent, and is from the same family as millionaire Dynever (Dynaformer) and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt winner Furthest Land (Smart Strike). She delivered her first foal, a Malibu Moon filly, last year. The filly was offered at the 2016 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale and sold to Blue Sky Stables for $250,000.

Gentry declined to name the partnership purchasing Funfair, but he did confirm she will remain in Kentucky. Future breeding plans have not been decided.

 

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