By Jessica Martini
TIMONIUM, MD – The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale gained momentum throughout its first session Monday in Timonium, with a filly by Uncle Mo bringing the day's top price when selling for $320,000 to Legion Bloodstock.
A total of 145 yearlings sold Monday for $3,947,200. The average was $27,222 and the median was $14,000. The buy-back rate was 18.5%.
During last year's opening session, 149 horses grossed $4,577,300 for an average of $30,720 and a median of $20,000. The buy-back rate was 16.3%.
Ten yearlings sold for six figures Monday, compared to eight during last year's opening session.
“For the good horses, there are still plenty of people trying to buy them,” said Legion Bloodstock's Kristian Villante after making the day's highest bid. “You kind of have a polarized market here with a lot of the state-breds who are here.”
Bloodstock agent Tom McCrocklin purchased the second yearling to bring six figures during the session when going to $140,000 to acquire a colt by Girvin.
“The market is reflective of the horses,” McCrocklin said. “There is a lot of picking and choosing. But if you bring a good one in here, there is plenty of money.”
The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale concludes with a final session beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Uncle Mo Filly Draws a Crowd
A filly by Uncle Mo (hip 158) was the highlight of the first session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale when bringing a final bid of $320,000 from Kristian Villante of Legion Bloodstock. The yearling is out of stakes winner Andina (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}) and is a half-sister to graded winner Andina Del Sur (Giant's Causeway). She was consigned by Scott Mallory on behalf of Matt Dorman's Determined Stud.
“We bought her for a group of guys who have been with us for a long time,” said Villante. “She has a beautiful physical and she comes from a very good program–they are building a great broodmare band. She just kind of stuck out here.”
Of the Maryland-bred filly's final price tag, Villante said, “We kind of thought she would be in that $300,000 range, so it was a touch more than we were thinking, but it was in the ballpark.”
Villante said a trainer was still to be determined for the filly.
“We will let the guys figure it out,” he said. “She will go with Travis [Durr] to the training center and get broke there and go from there.”
Dorman purchased Andina, with this filly in utero, for $200,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November sale.
“She's been a great horse from the beginning, so it's great to see her go to some really good folks,” he said. “We are really happy with that result.”
Determined Stud, originally based in Dorman's home state of Maryland, set up shop in Kentucky last winter with the purchase of the former Sierra Farm. But a certain number of broodmares will remain in Maryland, according to Dorman.
“We will foal a certain number in Maryland every year,” he said. “So some are in Kentucky and some are in Maryland. We have a couple more big ones that are coming every year.”
Mendelssohn Again Popular in Timonium
Mendelssohn, who had the top two lots at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale, was again well-represented in Timonium Monday with Country Life Farm going to $155,000 to acquire a filly by the Coolmore stallion (hip 157) shortly after Cary Frommer went to $145,000 to acquire a colt (hip 119) by the half-brother to leading sire Into Mischief. Both yearlings were consigned by Northview Stallion Station.
Hip 157 is out of stakes winner Amie's Legend (Not For Love) and is a half-sister to stakes winner Ghoul's Night Out (Ghostzapper) and was bred by Two Legends Farm and Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds.
Hip 119, who RNA'd for $145,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale in August, was bred by David Wade. He is out of Undisputed Legend (Domestic Dispute) and is a half-brother to multiple stakes winner Whereshetoldmetogo (El Padrino).
“He was a heckuva lot of horse,” Frommer said after signing the ticket on the pinhook prospect while sitting alongside Ellen Charles. “I just liked his attitude at the barn. He acted like he was special.”
Last year's Midlantic sale topper, a colt by Mendelssohn also consigned by Northview Stallion Station, resold for $1.3 million at this year's OBS April sale.
“He had a little bit of a slow start, but he started picking up at the end of Saratoga and I think they are going to be better 3-year-olds,” Frommer said of the stallion. “And that family–where do you get that kind of family?”
Frommer came back later in the session to purchase a filly by Mitole (hip 172) for $75,000 and also purchased a colt by Nyquist (hip 181) for $150,000 after the yearling, consigned by Becky Davis, was originally led out unsold.
Girvin Colt Destined for Resale
A colt by popular freshman sire Girvin will likely be appearing in a sales ring next spring after Tom McCrocklin purchased the yearling (hip 101) for $140,000 on behalf of Michael Sucher's Champion Equine during Monday's first session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale in Timonium. Consigned by Vinery Sales, the colt is out of the unraced Tiz Possible (Tiznow), a daughter of champion Proud Spell (Proud Citizen).
“He's by Girvin from a very good female family,” McCrocklin said of the colt's appeal. “He's a good-balanced colt. I think he has a lot of room to improve. And the plan would be to resell him at the 2-year-old sales.”
The New York-bred yearling was bred by Mary Lester and his dam was purchased while carrying the colt for $5,500 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale by Erin Fisher.
Girvin, who began his stud career at Ocala Stud in Florida, is relocating to Airdrie Stud for 2023. From his first crop to race, he has been represented this year by GII Saratoga Special winner Damon's Mound, as well as two other stakes winners.
“They are winning races,” McCrocklin said of Girvin. “He's moved from Ocala Stud to Airdrie, so I expect he is going to get better mares and I expect, with the better mares, he will be a proven, solid stallion.”
McCrocklin continued, “It's a very strong market. It's hard to buy horses and it's particularly hard to buy Girvins.”
Mens Grille Strikes for Honor Code Filly
David and Lori Hughes, bidding out back, made the first six-figure bid of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale when going to $125,000 to secure a daughter of Honor Code (hip 84) from the Chanceland Farm consignment. The yearling, bred by Katherine Voss, is out of Tanca (Polish Numbers) and is a half-sister to this year's GIII General George S. winner Cordmaker (Curlin).
“We bought the filly largely because of Cordmaker. She was one of the ones I liked coming in,” David Hughes said. “And we know Katie. She takes care of a lot of our horses.”
Hughes said the filly's final price wasn't a surprise, but he added, “We weren't going any higher.”
The Hugheses have been racing under the Mens Grille banner since 2013 and have been represented by stakes winners Enchanted Ghost (Ghostzapper)–acquired by the couple from the Chanceland Farm consignment at this same sale in 2016–and Ghoul's Night Out (Ghostzapper).
While the Hugheses don't breed, the filly's potential future value as a broodmare impacted the purchase.
“One of the attractive factors about her is her residual value as a broodmare,” Lori Hughes said.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
