Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale up markedly on Day 1

The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale got off to a strong start on Tuesday, with international interest in the $450,000 mare Bodhicitta and yearlings by the hot young sires City of Light and Gun Runner helping the opening session to finish with major year-over-year gains.

Fasig-Tipton reported 198 horses sold for gross receipts of $6,598,800 on Tuesday, the first session of the two-day sale that wraps up the mixed sale season. Last year's comparable opening session finished with 207 horses sold for $3,956,300.

This year's sale was bumped back one day due to an ice storm in Lexington late last week.

Tuesday's average price finished at $33,327, soaring 74 percent from $19,113 in the comparable opening session in 2021. The median spiked 81 percent, to $14,500 from $8,000. The buyback rate also improved, finishing at 16 percent compared to 22 percent.

Leading the session was Bodhicitta, purchased for $450,000 by K I Farm of Japan, which bid via the internet. The 6-year-old, British-born daughter of Showcasing was offered as a racing or broodmare prospect by consignor St. George Sales, as agent.

Bodhicitta began her career in Ireland before coming to the U.S. and breaking her maiden in California in 2019. She was second in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes in May 2020, then broke through with a victory in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap in her subsequent start.

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She went winless in eight starts following that effort, although she was third in both the Gamely and the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes last year, and was second in the Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes on New Year's Day.

Bodhicitta, who is out of the winning Teofilo mare Solfilia, is from the family of Group 1 winners Hero's Honour and La Collina, as well as group stakes winners Astadash, Decado, Foxes Tales, and Fracas.

The session's second highest price overall was a yearling colt by City of Light, purchased by Peter Pugh, agent for Cherry Knoll Farm, for $260,000. This is the second crop for City of Light, whose first crop was in strong demand at last fall's yearling sales. Led by a $1.7 million colt who topped the Keeneland September yearling sale - a rarity for a first-crop sire - City of Light averaged $318,017 from 75 yearlings sold last year.

"Everyone believes in that horse," Mark Taylor of consignor Taylor Made Sales said. "I've never seen a horse so universally embraced. I've never heard anybody knock City of Light. And this was a really nice individual, I thought."

The New York-bred colt is out of the unraced Broken Vow mare Spoken Not Broken, whose first starter is stakes-placed Eloquent Speaker. Spoken Not Broken is a half-sister to Grade 3-placed stakes winner Bridgehampton, dam of stakes winner Amundson, and to stakes winner Stormy Novel.

This is the family of Grade 1 winner Behrens and graded stakes winners Called to Serve, Cowboy Cal, Hot Novel, Legislator, and Mississippi Delta.

Just a few horses earlier, a strong market for the newly turned yearlings was established when a filly from the third crop of Horse of the Year and record-setting freshman sire Gun Runner sold for $225,000 to Stock Thoroughbreds. Joe Pickerell, who signed the ticket, said the Pennsylvania-bred filly is a pinhook prospect.

"We thought she was probably the best filly in the sale, for what we're looking for - she's the right kind," Pickerell said. "By the hottest sire in the world, the hottest young sire coming up. And the kind that look like her and move like her are hard to buy.

“We're not sure where [we'll re-sell her] yet, but we'll let her grow up and develop and make a plan for her."

The filly is the second foal out of the Discreetly Mine mare Sororitysweetheart, a full sister to Grade 3 winner Classy Class and Grade 2-placed Full House.

The session's highest-priced broodmare in foal was Cocktail Party, purchased for $240,000 by Dash C. Goff from the consignment of James B. Keogh's Grovendale, as agent. The 7-year-old Mizzen Mast mare, a winner on the racetrack, sold carrying her second foal, to the cover of Liam's Map.

Cocktail Party is out of the Premiership mare Partyship, dam of 11 winners from 16 starters. Those include stakes winner Barrier Reef, a full brother to Cocktail Party, and stakes-placed Arctic Party and Kissin Party. This is the family of Grade 1 winner and sire Yes It's True.

For hip-by-hip results, click here.