Fasig-Tipton New York: Average up, median down in opening session

The first night of the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling sale displayed a growing demand for high-level prospects in the state-bred program, but a potentially less forgiving marketplace for those in the lower tiers.

A total of 88 New York-bred yearlings changed hands on Saturday night for revenues of $7,126,500, up 3 percent from last year’s opening session, when 92 horses brought $6,934,000.

The average sale price rose to $80,983, up 7 percent from $75,370 at the corresponding session in 2014. However, the median price dipped 15 percent from $60,000 to $51,000.

“It’s a very good start to the New York-bred sale,” said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning. “It’s remarkable when you consider the growth and the progress that’s been achieved in this marketplace over the last five years. We hope to finish it up with a great session tomorrow. Overall, we’re very pleased.”

Addressing the decline in median, Browning advised patience, noting that the single-session figure wouldn’t paint as complete a picture of the market.

The buyback rate finished at 31 percent, improved from last year’s opening-session figure of 36 percent.

“There’s still selectivity in the marketplace,” Browning said. “There’s not a buyer for every horse unless every horse is of sufficient quality.”

The top of the market showed significant improvement on Saturday, with a pair of horses bringing $300,000 or more, when none did so over the entirety of last year’s sale. Eight horses sold for $200,000 or more, already tying last year’s overall number.

Leading the session was a Tiznow filly who sold to McMahon and Hill Bloodstock as agent for Sheila Rosenblum’s Lady Sheila Stable and Vivien Malloy for $350,000.

Bred in New York by Stone Bridge Farm, the bay filly is out of the Grade 1-winning Abaginone mare Acey Deucey, whose two winners from three foals to race include multiple stakes winner Preachintothedevil. She is from the family of champion Cascapedia; Grade 2 winners Big Jag, Reneesgotzip, and Glacial Stream; and Grade 3 winners Cascading Gold and Far Right, among others.

“She was a beautiful filly with a wonderful family, probably two turns,” Malloy said. “Everything was good.”

The transaction made the filly the most expensive foal sold at public auction out of Acey Deucey, who has now produced four six-figure foals from five to go through the ring. She was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield Sales, as agent.

“We had another number in our head, and we were hoping she didn’t go that high,” Malloy said. “I remember a trainer of mine saying, ‘You’d better step up, Vivien, because they’re getting really good.’ I’m selling [yearlings] tomorrow. I hope I’m as lucky as [the breeder] was tonight.”

Bloodstock agent Mike McMahon, who signed the ticket, said the partnership between Malloy and Lady Sheila Stable had been about a year in the making, and the right opportunity finally presented itself on Saturday night.

“[Trainer] Linda Rice and I bought her and picked her out and worked on the whole thing together, and the two ladies let us buy the [session]-topper,” he said.

The Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling sale concludes Sunday night at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion, with the session beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern.

For complete results from the session, click here.