Fasig-Tipton numbers rise

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's two-day juvenile sale in Timonium, Md., which posted a $280,000 sale-topping End Sweep colt in its opener Monday, continued its upswing Tuesday and ended with gains across the board.

Together, the pair of sessions sold 282 lots for $9,312,600 in total receipts, up 9 percent from last year, when 268 horses brought $8,529,400. The average price also climbed, by 4 percent, from last year's figure of $31,826 to $33,023 this year. The median followed suit, rising 7 percent, from $21,000 to $22,500.

The stronger market helped the buy-back rate - the percentage of horses who failed to bring their minimum bids - decline significantly, from 31 percent last year to 26 percent in 2002.

Roger Dreyer bought the $280,000 sale-topper, an End Sweep colt out of the Phone Trick mare Line's Busy, from consignor Walter Burke of Valley View Farm. Burke bought the colt last year for $53,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale.

Doug Neece's Integrity Media purchased the Tuesday session-topper, a $210,000 Grand Slam colt, from the consignment of Niall Brennan Stables, agent. The Grand Slam colt is out of the graded-placed stakes winner Tipsy Girl, by Raise a Cup.