Elite Sales

LEXINGTON, KY- The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, which has surpassed $100-million in gross the last two years, returns with another typically glitzy renewal Tuesday at Newtown Paddocks. Bidding on the first of 271 catalogued offerings begins at 2 p.m. "We are very excited about the overall quality of the catalogue," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "I think our in-foal mares are definitely stronger than they've been in the past and we have some exceptional younger horses that are going to be offered. It's a tremendous group of young racing and broodmare...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which produced gangbuster results in 2022, returns for its 2023 renewal Monday in Lexington. Perennially a bellwether of the industry's sales market, the 12-day auction opens with a pair of elite Book 1 sessions beginning at 1 p.m. and, with the Keeneland barns awash with activity Sunday, both sales officials and consignors were heading into the sale with plenty of optimism. "The traffic has been incredibly positive," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "There are quite a few buyers here....

Gladys Weisbord, the mother of former Thoroughbred Daily News publisher Barry Weisbord and grandmother of BSW Bloodstock and Elite Sales founder Brad Weisbord, passed away Monday evening. She was 94. Barry Weisbord, who founded Matchmaker Breeders Exchange in the 1980's and started the American Racing Championship Series in the 1990's, credited his mother's early support of his love of racing with launching, not just his career as an innovator in the sport, but also that of his son. "Unlike a lot of people in our industry, I was not introduced...

Elite Sales, the Thoroughbred consignment business of Liz Crow and Bradley Weisbord, will begin selling yearlings in 2023, adding to their existing business of breeding and racing stock, according to the pair. "Elite Sales launched in 2017 with the goal of being the number-one consignor of horses of racing age and broodmares/broodmare prospects," said Weisbord. "With six years under our belts, we have experienced a wide range of success including selling 21 off-the-track broodmare or racing prospects for $1 million or more." The addition of yearlings to their lineup is...

Last year's GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity S. winner Pinehurst (Twirling Candy--Giant Win, by Giant's Causeway) has been retired from racing and will stand the 2023 breeding season at Gary Broad's Walmac Farm after being acquired in partnership with Kiki and Louise Courtelis's Town and Country Farms Nov. 22 in a Fasig-Tipton Digital 'Flash Sale.' The price, a record for a digital sales price in the U.S., was undisclosed, according to Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton's Director of Digital Sales. "Tom Ryan [of SF Bloodstock] called us on Wednesday of last week...

by Christie DeBernardis & Jessica Martini LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of All Ages Sale, marking its 10th edition, confirmed its importance on the calendar with a strong renewal at Newtown Paddocks Monday. "It was a tremendous sale tonight," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. "It was even stronger than we anticipated. We saw an unbelievable depth of bidding activity tonight. We had activity from the East Coast, West Coast, international participation. It was very encouraging. It was a very strong marketplace overall." A total of 129...

The seasonal foliage was about the only thing falling at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, which concluded a wildly successful run in Lexington Friday afternoon. Over the course of 10 days of trade, sales officials reported gross receipts of $203,585,500 for 2470 horses sold, good for an average of $82,423. Further demonstrating the strength of middle market, the median price of $37,000 established a new November record, eclipsing the previous mark of $35,000 set on five previous occasions, but most recently in 2014. The buyback rate closed at a...

Bidding on behalf of Spendthrift Farm, Ned Toffey went to a session-topping $3.1 million to acquire Paris Lights (Curlin--Paris Bikini, by Bernardini) as the third-last horse through the ring as part of the supplemental catalog on the opening day of the Keeneland November Sale in Lexington. The 4-year-old filly, who was consigned to the sale by ELiTE, agent, went three-for-four as during her sophomore season, capping the campaign with a hard-fought head defeat of fellow WinStar Stablemates Racing colorbearer Crystal Ball (Malibu Moon) in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks...

Grade I winner Paris Lights (Curlin--Paris Bikini, by Bernardini) has been supplemented to Book1 of the Keeneland November Sale, which will be held Nov. 10-19. Consigned by ELiTE, agent, she is cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect. Bred by WinStar Farm and campaigned by WinStar Stablemates Racing, Paris Lights won last term's GI CCA Oaks and this year's GIII Distaff H. "Paris Lights is the whole package," WinStar Farm President and CEO Elliott Walden said. "She has a Grace I race record combined with a world-class pedigree. We are...

Breeders' Cup winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}--Matauri Pearl {Ire}, by Hurricane Run {Ire}) has been retired and will be entered in the Nov. 9 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, according to a release from Elite Sales, who will consign the 3-year-old filly. Campaigned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Peter Deutsch, Michael Kisber, and The Elkstone Group, Aunt Pearl was undefeated in three starts at two, beginning with her five-length 'TDN Rising Star' debut in a Churchill Downs maiden special weight and continuing in the GII...

By Christie DeBernardis & Christina Bossinakis LEXINGTON, KY--There was plenty of buzz at Newtown Paddocks Monday with a lively day of trade for Fasig-Tipton's July Breeding Stock and Horses of Racing Age Sales. The popular Horses of Racing Age Sale was back for its ninth straight year and there was plenty of demand for promising or accomplished runners. Stakes winner Front Run the Fed (Fed Biz) topped the auction, selling to George Sharp for $440,000 off a third-place finish in the GIII Poker S. The second highest-priced horses was recent...

The Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age--an amalgamation of live and digital auctions--will be conducted Monday, with bidding beginning at 1 p.m. The auction will be held with live auctioneers at the Keeneland sales pavilion and with horses presented for sale both physically at Keeneland and at off-site locations. Buyers have the option of attending the sale live or of bidding online. Elite Sales will offer 10 horses at the auction and all but one will be on-site Monday afternoon. The racing/broodmare prospect Mary's France (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}) (hip 4)...