Strong Numbers Close Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale

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The Thoroughbred bloodstock market hit a sweet note with a strong close to the two-day Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale on Feb. 6. 

A total of 364 horses sold for $10,436,800, making for an average of $28,673 each. The average price rose 6 percent from last year and the total sales increased 10 percent from the 2017 edition of the sale. The median of $10,500 jumped 16 percent.  

The rate of horses not attaining their reserve price was 23 percent, down slightly from 2017.  

The Fasig-Tipton sale, following close on the heels of Keeneland’s January Horses of All Ages auction, saw a similar trend to sales of the past two to three years: competition was hot for horses at the top end of the market, but sellers had a hard time with horses at lower price points.  

Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning pointed out the most expensive horses came not out of bidding wars between two rival buyers, but bids from five or six underbidders in some cases. While it’s hard to tell how many of those upper-end underbidders were new customers, the most expensive horse of the sale did go to a relatively new organization.  

Girl Talk, a stakes-placed mare who was the last horse through the sale ring, brought the top sale price of $310,000 for consignor Denali Stud. Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds was listed as the purchaser for the daughter of top sire Medaglia d’Oro.

The Rock Ridge operation, established just five years ago, took over the former ClassicStar property in Versailles. ClassicStar was implicated as a fraud scheme involving Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse bloodstock and the farm property listed for sale. Rock Ridge keeps a band of 10 to 15 broodmares and sought to better the quality of its herd with the Girl Talk purchase, managing partner Codee Guffey told the Daily Racing Form. For the moment, 5-year-old Girl Talk will remain in training after finishing second in the Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct Jan. 21.  

A more competitive upper-level marketplace has buyers looking beyond the black and white of a horse’s catalogue page. Browning noted conformation, or the physical makeup of a horse, has become more important than ever.  

“Ten years ago, you could ask me to appraise a broodmare prospect based on her look on paper and I could generally give you a pretty good idea,” he said. “Today, trying to evaluate any type of horse on paper without any type of conformation information, you'd look like an idiot because you could be dramatically off in either direction.” 

This makes the screening process of potential buyers that much more critical—and labor-intensive. High volume purchasers at national sales like this one will often view the majority of horses in a catalogue in person and whittle down the list several times, eventually ending with a short list of lots they are interested in.  

Buyers have different preferences for a horse’s conformation depending on its age and intended use, but generally speaking most prefer horses with straight, symmetrical legs and strong hooves. Agents and trainers will examine the angles of joints such as ankles, shoulders, and hips in relationship to each other, as well as the length of the horse’s body. Some may have ideal standards for these criteria based on their past experience, but many want to see proportionate elements that will work together without placing undue stress on any one part of the horse’s body. 

In the case of broodmares and broodmare prospects, who made up a lot of the Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed catalogue, agents are looking for indications of what advantages or problems a mare could pass on to future offspring.  

Breeding sheds will open Feb. 15 and continue operations through June or July at most major stud farms. As Lexington-area commuters may have noticed, foaling season has already begun and will ramp up in earnest through March.  

The next auction in the Central Kentucky area will be Fasig-Tipton’s July Sale of yearlings July 9 and 10. 

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