Lexington, KY - Runners in this year’s Breeders’ Cup races proved popular with buyers at Monday’s Fasig-Tipton November sale, which finished firmly ahead of last year’s auction.
Total receipts for this year’s Fasig-Tipton November amounted to $73,859,000 spent on 129 horses. The median increased 32 percent from last year, from $190,000 to $250,000, while the ratio of horses failing to attain their reserve dropped from 35 percent to 20 percent.
The average fell from $692,184 in 2012 to $572,550 at this year’s auction, but Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning pointed out that last year’s sale average was buoyed by a $10 million horse.
“The statistics are frankly mind-boggling,” Browning said after the close of the one-day auction. “There’s no question that 12 months ago, if you had asked me ‘What would your gross sales look like in 2013? I would’ve said ‘Just get me somewhere close to 2012 levels.’
“I’m just blown away, honestly, by the results tonight.”
Some 24 horses brought $1 million or more (as compared to 15 last year), with recent Breeders’ Cup runners Mizdirection and Summer Applause breaking the seven-figure mark. Mizdirection, who defeated males in her title defense of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Saturday, brought $2.7 million for an ownership group that included Jungle Racing, which is owned by sports radio talk show host Jim Rome.
The 5-year-old mare, who retired with earnings of over $1.7 million, was purchased by Qatari Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani’s Al Shaqab Racing.
Rome expressed mixed feelings in the Santa Anita Park winner’s circle after Mizdirection’s second win in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint—both joy at a fantastic swan song for the mare, and sadness that she would be boarding a plane within hours for the trip to auction in Kentucky.
“I want her to have a good life as a mama, and I think the time is right to sell,” Rome said after the race. “It’s gut‑wrenching. It’s tearing me up, but from a business standpoint, and this is a business, it’s something we need to do.”
Rome, who buys horses strictly to race, had previously said publicly that he didn’t want to get into the business of breeding.
Mizdirection was consigned by Lexington, Ky.-based Three Chimneys Farm.
Summer Applause, who finished fourth in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, also impressed buyers to the tune of $1.3 million. Consigned by Greenwood Lodge Farm, the 4-year-old filly was purchased by Stonereath Stud of Paris, Ky. The daughter of recently-deceased sire Harlan’s Holiday, Summer Applause earned wins in the Grade 2 Top Flight Handicap and Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes with a runner-up performance in the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes at Keeneland earlier this fall.
The sale catalogue apparently saved the best for last appropriately-named Betterbetterbetter (IRE), who drew $5.2 million from Whisper Hill Farm’s Mandy Pope as the second to last entry to go through the ring. Pope famously purchased session topper and Horse of the Year Havre de Grace for $10 million at last year’s Fasig-Tipton November.
Four-year-old Betterbetterbetter is a daughter of famed Irish stud Galileo and was sold by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency in foal to War Front, whose offspring have been highly successful at the graded stakes level.
“We had her priced a tad under that but very close,” said Pope of the final price. “We’ve bought some really nice mares and I’m very excited. Hopefully you’ll be seeing me in the winner’s circle at the sales and at the racetrack and all will be good.”
Pope, who boards her horses at Timber Town Stable on Leestown Road, confirmed that the mare would reside locally for this year and that she wouldn’t necessarily plan to sell the resulting foal in Europe, where it would be commercially desirable.
Although domestic interests purchased four of the top ten-priced horses, the sale had an international feel. Several buyers from outside of the U.S. emptied their wallets, as well: Japan’s Shadai Farm spent $2.4 million on filly In Lingerie, and another $2.7 on broodmare Champagne d’Oro. Kia-Ora Stud of Australia also purchased a pair of seven-figure horses – $1.35 million for broodmare Inglorious and $1.35 million for race filly Pure Fun.
Additional high prices included broodmare Love and Pride at $4.9 million; broodmare Champagne d’Oro, who brought $2.7 million; $2 million mare Rhumb Line, and recently-retired race mare Joyful Victory, who also brought $2 million.
After landmark figures at the local yearling auctions this fall, buyers and sellers were feeling optimistic on Monday that the strong numbers at the one-day sale could signal a continuing upward trend for the industry at large.