Steady Action at Fasig Opener

LEXINGTON, Ky–The money was there for perceived quality during the first of two sessions of Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale Monday in Lexington.

A total of 146 head changed hands on the day for a combined $4,677,200. The average was $32,036 and median was $18,000–both of which compare favorably to last year's cumulative stats of $28,673 and $10,500, respectively. The buyback rate for the session was 29.5%, compared to 22.7% for the entirety of last year's sale.

A total of 13 offerings reached or surpassed the $100,000 threshold Monday, putting the 2019 renewal on pace to meet or exceed the mark of 24 horses which did the same in 2018. Eight brought $200,000 or better during the entirety of last year's sale, but only two did the same on Monday.

Topping Monday's session was graded stakes-winning broodmare prospect Cheekaboo (Unusual Heat), who was purchased by K R Japan for $300,000 from the Small Batch Sales consignment as hip 57.

The day's second topper was also the priciest short yearling: hip 191, a daughter of Into Mischief consigned by Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services LLC, brought $200,000 from Irish Meadow Stable.

“The market was very solid today,” said Fasig-Tipton President and Chief Executive Officer Boyd Browning, Jr. “It's the same old story–we sound like broken records–the quality offerings were very much in demand, with lots of bidding and lots of activity on those horses. Unfortunately, not every offering at this time of the year is going to be perceived as a real quality offering. But, for the most part, there was a marketplace for virtually every horse that walked through there. So, I thought, all in all, it was a successful day and there's no question that the market continues to demand quality and is willing to pay for it… I think the stratification continues, and we don't see any reason in the marketplace, frankly, to give us any indication that it's going to change in 2019. I think we'll continue to experience stratification in the marketplace at 2-year-old sales, at yearling sales and the mixed sales in 2019.”

There were no repeat buyers among the toppers until the 15th priciest lot, and Browning said he was pleased with the diversity of the buying bench.

“There was a broad cross-section of buyers,” he said. “We sold the sale topper to a group from Japan; we had Australian representatives here who bought a few horses; obviously, some folks from south of the border were active in the marketplace; and certainly there was American participation. So, it was a broad and diverse group of buyers today.”

The Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale's second and final session begins Tuesday starting at 10 a.m. For more information, visit www.fasigtipton.com.

Cheekaboo Heats Things Up Early

Grade II winner Cheekaboo (Unusual Heat) woke up a somewhat sleepy sales pavilion early in Monday's session, garnering a winning bid of $300,000 over the phone from Japanese interests. The ticket was signed as K R Japan.

Offered as a broodmare prospect, Cheekaboo was consigned as hip 57 by Small Batch Sales on behalf of Ciaglia Racing.

Click for walking video.

“We had the reserve a bit less than that, so it was exciting to exceed the reserve,” said Small Batch's Fletcher Mauk. “We're super excited for the owners–they did a great job exercising patience with this filly, putting her in the right places and they've been rewarded for it.”

Hailing from the extended female family of Grade I winners Miss Josh, Royal Mountain Inn and Bit of Whimsy, Cheekaboo was purchased for $55,000 as a Barretts October yearling in 2014. Turned over to trainer Peter Eurton on behalf of Ciaglia Racing, Mike Burns and Sharon Alesia, her signature win was a 23-1 upset of the 2016 GII Honeymoon S. over nine panels of Santa Anita sod. She racked up total earnings just short of $372,000 from three wins and 24 starts.

“It was typical of what you'd expect for a Grade II winner in the last sale of the year before the breeding shed opens,” Mauk said when asked about the interest Cheekaboo had garnered during inspection time. “Most of the larger farms were interested in her. They respect the race record; race record says a lot. I think for the sire, she was a bit of an anomaly because she was a bigger-bodied horse than what most people expected from Unusual Heat. So to have that long shoulder, high withers, powerful hip, I think really carried her further than it could have had she been a more typical offspring of Unusual Heat.”

Into Mischief Filly Stands Out Among Short Yearlings

A filly by commercial powerhouse Into Mischief proved the most popular short yearling Monday at Fasig-Tipton, bringing $200,000 over the phone from Irish Meadow Stable. Bred by the Regan family's Newtown Anner Stud, she was offered by Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services as hip 191.

“She's a lovely filly; a big, strong filly with a beautiful walk,” said consignor Ron Blake. “We were really thrilled with her and hope she grows and develops. We think a lot of her. Anyone that would have her would be very proud to have her. We wish the best of luck to everybody.”

Newtown Anner purchased hip 191's dam Kashami (Mizzen Mast)–who hails from the very productive Dr. John Chandler family of Grade I winners Dynaforce (Dynaformer) and Cetewayo (His Majesty) and millionaire Willcox Inn (Harlan's Holiday)–for $160,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September sale. She was a maiden special weight winner in eight attempts for Wayne Catalano. Hip 191 is Kashami's third foal–she produced a now-placed Pioneerof the Nile filly who sold privately after RNA'ing for $240,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred sale; and a 2-year-old Majesticperfection filly who brought $100,000 at that same auction last term. Hip 191 was bred in Kentucky, and Kashami subsequently visited Kitten's Joy.

Into Mischief has emerged as one of North America's best sires, both on the track and in the ring, and Blake acknowledged that his name carried plenty of weight in this open sale.

“You don't want to overload them and have too many of them, because the object is to come here and stand out and not be one of 40 or 50 Into Mischiefs–you want to be one of one or two, and have a nice enough horse that everyone wants it,” he said. “We sold a Tiznow [colt] here last year for $260,000; we sold an Into Mischief filly here [in 2015] for $180,000, so every year we try to bring one that we think will stand out a little bit.”

Blake said he was pleased with how his consignment had been received overall Monday.

“We've done pretty well today,” he said. “We sold a Shackleford colt (hip 95) earlier for $70,000–I thought that was good money–so I think overall we've been pretty happy with today.”

McMahon & Hill Double Down on Frosted

Agents Mike McMahon and Jamie Hill picked up their second filly from the first crop of Frosted (Tapit) Monday when they went to $160,000 to scoop up hip 111 out of Stuart Morris's consignment. They paid $240,000 for a New York-bred weanling filly by the same Darley inmate, also consigned by Morris, at Keeneland November.

“He was a great racehorse and a lot of times those great racehorses make good sires,” Hill said of brilliant MGISW Frosted. “I know they bred him to a lot of good mares. It's the second Frosted we've bought, both of them from Stuart, both of them quite a bit of money, one of them was a New York-bred and this is a Kentucky-bred, so we've got our bases covered.”

Frosted was a clear second–behind only farmmate Nyquist–by first-crop weanling average last year. His 12 foals to sell brought an average of $186,250.

Hill confirmed that hip 111 would be part of his and McMahon's successful pinhook venture.

Out of the young multiple stakes-placed mare Enchante (Bluegrass Cat), hip 111 is half to a now 2-year-old Uncle Mo filly who cost $250,000 at Keeneland September. Champion Forty Niner is under her fourth dam.

“We knew what the reserve was, and we were right at the reserve–maybe a tick over,” Hill said of the price paid.

Of the market overall, he echoed a familiar sentiment: “If you have the right horse it brings the right money, but if you don't, you're left with nothing.”