By Christie DeBernardis
The Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale, which was pushed back a day due to a late-week ice storm in the Lexington area, kicks off its two-day run Tuesday, with sessions starting at 10 a.m. The first 300 hips sell Tuesday with an additional 308 horses, several of which were supplemental entries, going under the hammer Wednesday. The auction is well-timed, just one week before the Feb. 15 opening of the breeding sheds.
“It is really hard to ever compare February sales from year-to-year just because of the nature of it,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said. “It is not a select sale. It seems to me that we have a lot of quality this year both in terms of the quality of mares that are in foal, as well as the racing/broodmare prospects. One area that we are better in this year than probably ever is the quality of the short yearlings. It feels like a good catalogue as I have been through it and studied it. The consignors are confident that they are bringing better horses than they normally have in February. The market is strong, so we expect a good sale.”
The breeding stock market was exceptionally strong during the November sales and numbers were still up during last month's Keeneland January Sale. Consignors are hoping to see that momentum continue into the February sale, which is the last breeding stock sale before the start of 2-year-old sales season.
“We are certainly hoping the momentum from last year carries forward into this year,” said Jill Gordon, who leads her first consignment under her new banner Highgate Sales, run in partnership with Jacob West. “I think there are a lot of people that got shut out that wanted to buy broodmare prospects or broodmares from activel families. For stud farms and for breeders alike, this is kind of their last stop shop before the shed opens to fill orders and we are hoping that drives the market a little bit.”
Last year's Fasig February Sale was topped by the Ghostzapper mare Beloveda, who brought $510,000 from Gainesway carrying a foal by Street Sense. Racing/broodmare prospect Saguaro Row (Union Rags) was just behind her, bringing $500,000 from Catherine Hudson.
A total of 425 horses changed hands at last year's Winter Mixed Sale for a total of $12,506,700, an average of $29,428 and a median of $10,000.
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