Fasig-Tipton Midlantic winter sale shows declines in average price, higher buybacks

True to form for many regional-level mixed auctions, the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic winter mixed sale struggled to connect beyond the top offerings, producing lower average returns and a higher buyback rate.

The single-day auction closed on Sunday afternoon with 139 horses sold for revenues of $901,900, up 3 percent from last year’s edition when 104 horses brought $878,100. The average sale price finished at $6,488, down 23 percent from $8,443, while the median fell 20 percent to $3,500 from $4,350.

Sunday’s buyback rate finished at 30 percent, up sharply from 13 percent in 2016.

At the top of the market, one horse eclipsed the $50,000 mark, down from two the previous year. The 10 horses sold for $20,000 or more was one fewer than the previous renewal.

The Brogden family’s Machmer Hall purchased the sale-topper for a second straight year, this time going to $70,000 for a yearling Dialed In colt.

The chestnut colt is out of the winning Lord Carson mare Her Lady Grace, who is the dam of three winners from five foals to race. The extended family includes multiple Grade 2 winner Halory Leigh and Grade 3 winner Tricky Fingers.

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Donald Brown Jr. bred the colt in Pennsylvania, and he was consigned by Bill Reightler, as agent.

Her Lady Grace has had a rocky history at auction, being offered five times and changing hands just twice. She was most recently a no-bid at the 2012 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, where she was offered in foal to Fairbanks. Sunday's session-topper was her first foal to sell at public auction.

The auction’s most expensive offering of the breeding stock contingent was Lady Chesley, a broodmare prospect by Speightstown who sold to Taylor Made Sales Agency, as agent, for $35,000.

The unraced 3-year-old filly is out of the placed Danzig mare Leavminthedust, whose five foals to race are all winners, including Grade 1-placed Danzig Moon and multiple Canadian classic-placed Leavem in Malibu.

Lady Chesley’s extended family features champions Inside Information and Smuggler, English classic winner Quick as Lightning, Grade/Group 1 winners Educated Risk, Subsidy, and Evilasio; Grade 2 winner Gone Astray, and Grade/Group 3 winners Reload, Philanthropist, Defer, Stratospheric, and Black Coyote.

Bred in Ontario by William Graham, Lady Chesley initially sold for $100,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale.

Northview Stallion Station consigned Lady Chesley, as agent.