By Jessica Martini
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale–looking to keep a streak of $100 million-plus gross renewals going into a fourth year–will be held Monday at Newtown Paddocks in Lexington. Bidding on the 321 catalogued offerings begins at 2 p.m. and kicks off with an offering of 159 weanlings before continuing on with a glittering array of fillies and mares.
“My expectations for the November sale–like they are every year–are sky high,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “They are high because of the quality of the horses who are in the catalogue. We've got really, really quality horses, from the foals, to fillies and mares on the racetrack, to fillies and mares coming off the racetrack, to in-foal mares. I think in many ways, it is as deep a catalogue as we have had in forever. The fillies and mares and the foals are better than they have ever been, in terms of the number and quality. It's kind of like a kid in the candy store on that night.”
The catalogue received several timely updates during Breeders' Cup weekend, including the final supplemental additions to the catalogue. Takingtimeoff (Curlin) (hip 318) is a 6-year-old broodmare who was added to the auction Saturday, a day after her half-sister Immersive (Nyquist) capped off an unbeaten season with her third Grade I victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Canadian Horse of the Year Moira (Ghostzapper) made her third trip to the Breeders' Cup a winning one Saturday in the GI F/M Turf and will go through the Fasig-Tipton sales ring Monday as hip 293, while Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy) was third in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and is catalogued as hip 216.
Three additional supplements were announced Sunday morning, including the addition of the dam of Breeders' Cup champion Soul of An Angel (Atreides).
Namely, they are Uncorked (Aus) (Pierro {Aus}) (hip 319), Factor One (The Factor) (hip 320)–dam of said Breeders' Cup champion, and Susie's Baby (Giant's Causeway) (hip 321).
Factor One enjoyed a major update Saturday when her daughter, Soul of An Angel, defeated top sprinters to claim her third graded stakes, and first at the elite level. She is the dam's first foal. Factor One is consigned by Hill 'n' Dale as agent.
Also included is Australian-bred Uncorked, winner of this year's GIII Royal Heroine Stakes and who ran second in the GIII Goldikova Stakes on Saturday. She is being offered as a racing or broodmare prospect with Elite as agent.
The last to go through the ring, Susie's Baby is herself a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Caravaggio (Scat Daddy), and hails from a very active family. Her first foal is GSW & MGISP Family Way (Uncle Mo). She is offered in foal to Gun Runner, and consigned by Hill 'n' Dale as agent.
The weanlings on offer at the November sale include the first foals of superstar Flightline, as well as champions Jackie's Warrior, Corniche and Epicenter. Breeders' Cup winners with their first foals represented in the catalogue are Aloha West, Golden Pal, and Life Is Good, as well as Grade I winners Cyberknife, Drain the Clock, Early Voting, Happy Saver, Idol, Jack Christopher and Olympiad. GI Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun has his first weanlings in the catalogue, as do graded winner Greatest Honor and stakes-winning speedster Nashville.
During last year's November sale, 25 mares sold for seven figures, with 16 selling for $2 million or more and 10 selling for $3 million or over. The auction was topped by a pair of mares who sold for $6 million. Mike Repole bought out his partners on champion Nest (Curlin) at that price and John Stewart bid that amount for Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) just days after that champion won her second GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint.
A total of 154 horses grossed $101,281,000 a year ago, for an average of $657,669 and a median of $295,000.
Browning is expecting to see a similar marketplace at this year's November sale.
“There is no reason for there to be any significant change from 2023,” he said. “All in all, I would say the yearling market was pretty similar to last year, maybe slightly better at the upper end and maybe slightly weaker at the lower end. And we are in a fortunate position with this one particular sale, we deal really only in terms of quality.
“I don't think anyone is coming to the November sale this year thinking it's going to be a great buyer's market,” Browning continued. “But I think the buyers, when they go through our catalogue, they will turn down a lot of pages. And when they turn down a lot of pages, that generally results in a good horse sale.”
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