The dollars will be flying as buyers from around the world descend on Fasig-Tipton's Newtown Paddocks for Tuesday's November Sale, dubbed the “Night of the Stars.”
The typically strong catalogue kicks off at 3 p.m. with weanlings, followed by high-level broodmares and broodmare prospects and/or racing stock. Supplemental entries added to the back of the catalogue include additional weanlings, plus racing/broodmares prospects with recency appeal.
“We've got an outstanding catalogue–we're very, very pleased and honored and privileged to have the opportunity to sell a lot of horses in that catalogue,” said Fasig-Tipton President and CEO Boyd Browning, Jr. “We're really excited about the group that we're going to offer. It's certainly got a niche in the worldwide marketplace. One of the things we're really proud of is that there are buyers from all over the world who have that date circled on their calendar and will find some opportunities to buy some of the finest fillies and mares and mares in foal and some really outstanding weanlings. It's a quality group, and our market right now thrives on quality.”
The glittering catalogue includes a pair of 6-year-old mares who added to their value with victories during the Breeders' Cup Saturday at Santa Anita. Belvoir Bay (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) will sell as hip 96 with Bluewater Sales following her win in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, while GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize) sells as hip 98 with Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services.
Belvoir Bay will be making her second straight appearance in the Fasig-Tipton November sales ring. The bay mare brought a final bid of $625,000 a year.
“Being a Grade I winner obviously helps her selling prospects,” said Bluewater's Meg Levy. “She is somewhat of a unicorn, I'd say, in this sale with her breeding and just coming off a Breeders' Cup win.”
While connections have decided to withdraw Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) from the sale with an eye towards racing the filly next year, Taylor Made Sales Agency will offer the Distaff runner-up's dam, Diva Delite (Repent), in foal to Triple Crown winner Justify, as hip 173. Another high-profile defection from the catalogue is GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint runner-up Bellafina (Quality Road), who is also expected to race in 2020.
But there remain plenty of horses with Breeders' Cup connections in the sale, including a weanling half-brother by Mohaymen (hip 71) to GI Breeders' Cup Mile runner-up Got Stormy (Get Stormy); Laffina (Arch), the dam of Bast (Uncle Mo), as well as that GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies third-place finisher's half-sister by Pioneerof the Nile (hip 140 and hip 141); GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf runner-up Vasilika (Skipshot) (hip 193); and Sweet N Discreet (Discreet Cat) (hip 216), dam of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf third-place finisher Sweet Melania (American Pharoah).
Demand for top-level horses has been high and consignor Sandy Stuart of Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services expects that trend to continue Tuesday.
“I personally am always a little nervous that the prices can hold up when they are strong as they are,” Stuart admitted. “But we haven't seen a big change in the larger economy and, from two Triple Crown winners, to what was largely a great Breeders' Cup, and with handle increases, etc., it sure seems like there are a lot of highlights in horse racing right now.”
The Fasig-Tipton November sale was moved back a day to give buyers attending the Breeders' Cup in California extra time to finish their shopping in Lexington.
“This is as busy of a two or three-day period as we have all year, for sure,” Stuart said of the extra day before the sale. “If you do what I do–and it has to be the same for most people here–it can be exhausting. And these are critical decisions to your entire year that you are making at a breeding stock sale. So I think the extra day has been a huge help.”
Last year's sale topper was the brilliant multiple Group 1 winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy), who sold for $7.5 million to Stonestreet's Barbara Banke as she was buying out a partner. The 2018 sale produced a record gross of $89,473,000, and featured 22 horses who sold for seven figures.
The 2018 average was $639,093 and median was $327,500. The RNA rate was 27.5%.
Visit www.fasigtipton.com for more information.
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