Barretts average jumps 43 percent

Led by a $145,000 sale-topper, the Barretts October mixed sale ended Tuesday evening with strong gains across the board.

Day Jewels, a 10-year-old Slew o' Gold mare out of Laday (Lyphard), was the two-day auction's most expensive lot. Magali Ventures, LLC, purchased Day Jewels from Golden Eagle Farm. Day Jewels, in foal to Golden Eagle's millionaire Event of the Year, is a stakes-winning half-sister to Grade 2 winner Big Sur.

The two sessions sold 423 lots - the vast majority, 171 lots, were broodmares - for $3,176,600 in total receipts. That nearly doubled last year's gross of $1,833,800 for 350 horses sold. The average price leaped by 43 percent, from $5,239 last year to $7,510. The median increased by 9 percent, from last year's $3,200 to $3,500.

The 171 broodmares sold this year grossed $1,403,700, easily outpacing last year's broodmare market. Last year, the auction sold 170 mares for $944,900.