Fasig-Tipton July selected horses of all ages sale posts big gains

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Enthusiasm for young racing stock helped the Fasig-Tipton July selected horses of all ages sale post big gains Monday evening, with multiple stakes-placed Kuchar bringing $500,000 to lead the way.

Fasig-Tipton reported 129 horses sold for gross receipts of $10,814,000 at its sale held at its Newtown Paddocks headquarters. Last year's sale finished with 79 horses sold for $5,905,500. Both sales were mainly made up of active racing stock; however, the 2021 Fasig-Tipton July sale began exploring the viability for a breeding stock marketplace in the summer, and this year's sale also included a mix of those offerings.

Monday's average price was $83,829, a year-to-year gain of 12 percent from $74,753 in 2021. The median jumped 16 percent, to $58,000 from $50,000.

The buyback rate improved to 19 percent, compared to 25 percent.

"Tremendous sale tonight," Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning Jr. said. "I think it was even stronger than we had anticipated. We've seen great demand for active horses on the racetrack with good, current form, and we saw an unbelievable depth of bidding activity tonight."

Browning added that he was "somewhere between very happy and thrilled" with the results.

The consistent 3-year-old Kuchar, who has only missed the board once in six career starts, sold for $500,000 to bloodstock agent Steven Young from the consignment of WinStar Racing, as agent, to lead the sale. Led by Kuchar, 12 of the top 13 prices were 2- or 3-year-olds.

"There's just a lot of demand for a horse that can go run," Browning said. Buyers were looking for horses with upside who could "go to Saratoga and run next week, there are several horses that were sold that are going to ship to Del Mar for that program."

Young was shopping for an undisclosed client, and could not confirm which trainer Kuchar would be sent to, but did say the colt would be headed to New York this summer.

"He's a proven, improving 3-year-old," Young said. "If his next three months he improves as much as his last three months, he'll be a pretty nice horse."

Kuchar, by young classic sire Uncle Mo, won his maiden in March at Oaklawn Park under the tutelage of Rodolphe Brisset for breeder WinStar and partner Siena Farm. The colt then finished second in the Oaklawn Stakes to Home Brew, who went on to win the Pegasus at Monmouth.

Kuchar won an allowance race on May 22 at Churchill Downs and then was second in the off-the-turf American Derby just more than a week ago, beaten two lengths by Grade 1 winner Rattle N Roll.

The second-highest price of the evening came for First Constitution, the only non-3-year-old to crack the top group. The Chilean Group 1 winner was purchased for $430,000 by the international RRR Racing, which campaigns Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Switzerland. WinStar Racing also consigned the 5-year-old.

First Constitution, a Chilean-bred from a shuttle crop by WinStar's Constitution, initially raced for breeder Haras Don Alberto and won the Group 1 Gran Criterium Mauricio Serrano Palma in 2020. He came to the United States last year, with WinStar partnering with Don Alberto's U.S. division, along with Twin Creeks Racing, which co-owned Constitution. He has won twice from eight starts since the move, taking the Jazil Stakes in January at Aqueduct and the Flat Out Stakes in May at Belmont.

Although a small selection of broodmares – some with 2022 foals alongside – and broodmare prospects were on offer, the highlight from the breeding stock offerings on the evening was a lifetime breeding right to the promising freshman sire Girvin. Champion Equine LLC, with Catherine Hudson acting as agent, secured the right for $150,000.

The 8-year-old millionaire Girvin, by Tale of Ekati, stood the 2022 season at Ocala Stud for an advertised fee of $6,000. The young stallion won the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational and two other graded stakes. A half-brother to graded stakes winners Midnight Bourbon, Cocked and Loaded, and Pirate's Punch, he now stands at Ocala Stud in partnership with Kentucky's Airdrie Stud and his racing owners, Brad and Misty Grady.

Girvin ranks fifth on the freshman sires earnings list through Monday and has already sired five winners from nine starters, fewer starters than any other freshman in the top five. Those winners include Devious Dame, 5 1/4-length winner of the Astoria Stakes last month at Belmont, and Damon's Mound, a 12 1/2-length debut winner on July 2 at Churchill Downs with a Beyer Speed Figure of 84.

For hip-by-hip results, click here.