Solid Opener to Fasig October Sale

LEXINGTON, KY–The Fasig-Tipton October Fall Yearling Sale opened its four-session run with a solid day of trade in Lexington Monday, during which 223 yearlings sold for $7,517,000 for an average of $33,709 and a median of $16,000. With 83 of 306 offered head failing to meet their reserves, the buy-back rate was 27.1%. Those figures were ahead of the sale's 2017 opening session, which saw 230 head gross $6,479,500 for an average of $28,172 and a median of $10,000, but Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. cautioned against making any hasty comparisons between the two sales.

“I don't think you can really get a fair comparison until we are two-thirds or three-quarters of the way through the sale,” Browning said. “Last year, the first day was the weakest of the four days and the average improved throughout each of the four days. Hopefully, the same thing will happen this year. But I don't know that you can make that conclusion or make any overall assessment in terms of the totality of the sale. I thought it was pretty consistent trade today and I think we saw a similar marketplace to what we saw last year. The sale is essentially in line with our expectations and we expect those trends to continue in the next three days.”

Three yearlings brought $300,000 or more during Monday's session, including a colt by Into Mischief who brought the day's highest price when selling for $400,000 to Steve Venosa, bidding on behalf of client Paul Brodsky. The yearling (hip 347) was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield on behalf of his breeder, Stonestreet.

“Buyers are saying it's difficult to buy the horses they want to buy and consignors are saying there is plenty of action on the better horses and they wish there was a little bit more on the lesser horses,” Browning said. “So while there is some polarization, there was some breadth to the marketplace today. The median was up and the RNA rate was acceptable, not great, but a lot of those horses will get sold over the next three days. There was a fairly broad marketplace overall, but the demand and certainly the real competition, is at the upper segment. I think that's natural and I think that's what we've come to expect. There was certainly a marketplace below $20,000 today, there is just not as much competition as you would hope.”

The Fasig-Tipton October sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

Into Mischief Colt Tops October Opener

A colt by Into Mischief topped Monday's opening session of the Fasig-Tipton October Sale when Ocala horseman Steve Venosa signed the ticket at $400,000 on behalf of Paul Brodsky.

“He was the best horse on the grounds,” Venosa, standing alongside Brodsky at the back walking ring, said after signing the ticket on hip 347. “He was the obvious horse here and it looked like everyone was on him.”

The yearling is the second foal out of multiple stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Cor Cor (Smoke Glacken). He was bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings and was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield.

The colt may be offered for resale next year, but plans remain flexible, according to Venosa.

“Nothing is etched in stone, so we'll see,” Venosa said. “We'll take him home, train him up and we'll make a decision when the time comes.”

Of the colt's session-topping price tag, Venosa said, “It wasn't a surprise because of the way the sales have been all year. They've been extremely strong and when a good horse walks in there, there are people there to buy them. And that was evident by the way he sold.”

Hip 347 was originally targeted at the Keeneland September Sale, but the Stonestreet team decided to give the colt extra time and re-routed him to the October sale.

“He was originally set up for Keeneland, but he wasn't coming around and they felt like there was a lot of horse there to wait on,” explained Francis Vanlangendonck. “You can get plenty of money for a horse at this sale, so we're not afraid to come here with a nice horse.”

Of the individual, Vanlangendonck said, “Whether he goes to the 2-year-old sales or races, he'll do well. He has a good mind. Stonestreet is thrilled. It all worked out well.”

Cairo Prince Filly to Stoneway Farm

Jim Stone's Stoneway Farm, which sold a Cairo Prince half-brother to graded stakes winner Instagrand (Into Mischief) for $450,000 at last month's Keeneland September sale, was active on the other side of the ledger Monday at Fasig-Tipton, going to $300,000 to acquire a filly by the promising young Airdrie Stud stallion.

“We love Cairo Prince,” said Stone's partner and racing manager Terri Burch. “We sold a Cairo Prince colt this summer for $450,000 and we have a couple of other Cairo Princes and we were very happy with them.”

Out of the unraced Church by the Sea (Harlan's Holiday), hip 310 was bred by Brereton Jones. The yearling is a half-sister to graded stakes winners Significant Form (Creative Cause) and Hay Dakota (Haynesfield).

“I think her walk was the best thing about her,” Burch said. “She had a big walk, a big hip. She looked a lot like the Cairo Prince babies, where they have a good body, very solid. And the family is really hot.”

Earlier in Monday's session of the October sale, Stoneway sold a half-brother by The Factor (hip 99) to its multiple graded stakes winner Ahh Chocolate (Candy Ride {Arg}) for $40,000.

“We sold a colt earlier today and I was hoping we'd get a little bit more so this one wouldn't cost me so much,” Burch admitted. “If you have the particular horse by the particular stallion and everything checks the boxes, they like it. If you have the particular horse by not the particular stallion and still check all the boxes, the market is really difficult. So selling is not so good and buying is difficult.”

Burch added that competitive markets at previous yearling sales forced her to stretch for the filly Monday.

“We got shut out at Keeneland,” she said. “We shopped there and we didn't get anything. So that is why we came here and why we stretched a little bit more, so we could go home with something.”

Brereton Jones purchased the yearling's second dam Witness Post (Gone West) for $15,500 as a 3-year-old at the 2001 Keeneland November sale. The Airdrie Stud team knew hip 310 was a standout offering.

“It would be impossible for one to show better than she has for the last three days,” said Airdrie's Bret Jones. “She was one that we always had right at the very top, if not the top, of the fillies that we had coming to the sales. She had a foot abscess earlier in the year and had some issues with that that kept her out of an earlier sale, but she got all of that behind her and she vetted 100% clean. She couldn't be a classier, more athletic-looking filly and she has obviously sold well here today.”

As the October sale began its four-day run Monday, Jones saw a difficult market for sellers.

“I think a day like today has been tough on some people,” he said. “There have been some horses that were brought over here who were probably good buys for people. I think there is a lot of value at this sale because there have already been so many horses come through the sales this year that people may have spent some money on. But I think people need to be shopping this sale and shopping it hard.”

More Quality for Castille

Carrol Castille has already enjoyed graded success with a filly by Elusive Quality and the Louisiana native will be looking for more of the same after trainer Steve Asmussen bid $300,000 to acquire a son of the late Godolphin stallion on behalf of Castille's Whispering Oaks Farm Monday at Fasig-Tipton.

“I think he's a racehorse,” Asmussen said of the yearling. “He's just a very attractive horse with a pedigree that has worked for us.”

Asmussen trains She's a Julie (Elusive Quality) for a partnership which includes Whispering Oaks. The sophomore filly, a $160,000 Keeneland September purchase, won this year's GIII Iowa Oaks and GIII Remington Park Oaks and was second in the GI Alabama S.

Hip 240 is out of stakes-placed Bridgette Bordeaux (Medaglia d'Oro). Bred by Godolphin and Asiel Stables, the yearling was consigned by Lane's End, agent. His half-brother by Flat Out sold for $125,000 to Chuck Zacney at this year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale.

“We were obviously hoping to get him cheaper, but that is what he cost today,” Asmussen said of the yearling's final price tag. “He will go to Mr. Castille's place in Louisiana, to Whispering Oaks, and get the same start that She's a Julie did.”

Sonbol Active Early for Zayats

Ahmed and Justin Zayat were en route to Lexington Monday morning, but the family operation was still active early in the session, with bloodstock agent Sobhy Sonbol signing for two six-figure yearlings in the name of Zayat Stables.

“They are not here yet, they are on their way and got delayed,” Sonbol explained in between bidding assignments. “So I am here helping out.”

Sonbol signed the ticket at $150,000 to acquire a colt by Flatter (hip 153) from the Indian Creek consignment. The yearling is out of Atlantic Dream (Stormy Atlantic), a full-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Icy Atlantic. Bred by Wildwood Farm and Indian Creek, the chestnut RNA'd for $170,000 at last month's Keeneland September sale.

“Flatter is a great stallion–we like him a lot,” Sonbol said. “He was a very balanced colt who looks precocious. He is the kind of horse we like to buy.”

Also Monday morning, Zayat Stables purchased a filly by Union Rags (hip 130) for $125,000 from the Paramount Sales consignment. Bred by CRK Stables, the bay is the first foal out of Antiquity (Pulpit).

“She was very balanced and with a great walk and a great mind,” Sonbol said of the yearling. “She looked very athletic and with a good pedigree.”

Both Ahmed and Justin Zayat were in attendance later in Monday's session, in time to acquire a filly by Uncle Mo (hip 314) for $160,000. Out of Claire's Song (Unbridled's Song), the yearling was bred by Jim and Katie FitzGerald and was consigned by Indian Creek.

Also added to the Zayat operation Monday was hip 204, a colt by Central Banker purchased for $32,000 from Susan Forrester consignment.

Sonbol admitted the 1,500-strong October catalogue presented plenty of challenges.

“The sale has a big variety of different types of horses, so it's a hard market to judge,” he said. “The quality varies a lot. There are a lot of nice horses with quality. It's not an easy sale, but that's what makes it fun. It's nice when it's challenging. In September, the good ones are easy to spot. Here it takes a little more work. But it's a good and productive sale and I'm happy to be here.”