Fasig-Tipton opens on a down note

Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's October yearling auction entered its second session Tuesday off of steep losses in line with the downward trend at earlier yearling sales this season.

But the Tuesday session did feature some fireworks. The top seller at 4:30 p.m. was a $260,000 Dixie Union colt out of Acanthus. Elwaleed Mousa bought the dark bay or brown colt, which sold as Hip No. 541 from Middlebrook Farm, agent. The colt's dam is a winner by Kris S.

Hip No. 541 was one of two six-figure yearlings at that hour. The other was Hip No. 555, a $140,000 Offlee Wild son of A Loose Kisser that M & B Bloodstock bought. Crossroads Sales agency sold the dark bay or brown colt, whose dam is a winning Kissin Kris mare.

On Monday, the first of three days' selling saw sharp declines. The session sold 182 yearlings for gross returns of $2,173,100, a decrease of 59 percent from last year, when 297 yearlings sold at the first of two days. The average price fell 33 percent from last year, from $17,801 to $11,940, and the $5,000 median was half of last year's $10,000.

Monday's session-topper was a $115,000 Grand Slam filly sold as Hip No. 197. The dark bay or brown filly went to Sunrise Stables South. Consigned by Gainesway, agent, she is out of the Deputy Minister mare Pout.

The sale was to continue through Wednesday at Fasig-Tipton's Newtown Paddocks facility in Lexington.