Lexington, KY - For some of the horses running in the Breeders' Cup in Louisville, their next stop will be just down Interstate 64 to be sold at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington, and the auction house is debuting some new technology for potential buyers.
The Breeders' Cup is Nov. 4-5 at Churchill Downs with a one-day sale starting at 4 p.m. on Nov. 6 that Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning describes as the "premier mixed sale in the world" with several horses expected to sell for more than $1 million.
This year's one-day sale features 28 Grade 1 stakes race winners or dams of Grade 1 stakes race winners.
Among the horses scheduled to ship from Churchill Downs include multiple Grade 1 winner Smiling Tiger, who will run in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, and Elusive Kate, who will run in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
The 155-horse sale catalogue is available at Fasig-Tipton's auction facility on Newtown Pike or at http://www.fasigtipton.com.
Fasig-Tipton also is rolling out new technology with for the November sale. The print catalogue features "QR Code Enhanced Pedigrees."
Each catalogue page has a QR (Quick Response) Code, which can be scanned with a smart phone app. The user can then access information on that horse's enhanced online catalogue page.
The enhanced online catalogue features such information as updated pedigrees, updated past performances, race replays, links to news articles, consignor contact information, and for weanlings, a link to its sire's stallion register page.
Even for people not in the market for a horse, Browning "encourages people to browse" using the new technology.
Before the November Sale, Fasig-Tipton also has the last major yearling sale of the year
Oct. 24-26.
There are 1007 entries for its Fall Yearling Sales. Each session begins at 10:00 a.m.
The final day is a dispersal sale for the estate of Carl Lizza Jr.'s Flying Zee Stable with 40 New York-bred yearlings.
When describing the 2011 yearling market "the proper words are slightly encouraged," Browning says. "It's tied in some ways to a reduced supply, there's a similar level of demand so average prices have climbed a little bit."
Last year's sale topper was $310,000 with the average at $13,616.
While it may not have the star power of the November Sale, "you don't know where a great horse is going to come from," Browning says.
Watch for updates on http://www.bizlex.com as Jeff Beach covers the November Sale at Fasig-Tipton