Fasig-Tipton sale session topped by $575K colt

A $575,00 colt by second-crop sire Scat Daddy topped Monday's opening session as Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic May 2-year-old sale kicked off a two-day run in Timonium, Md., with gains in average and median prices.

Mercedes Stable snapped up the $575,000 colt, a chestnut son of unraced Magical Mist, by Congaree. Kings Equine, agent, consigned the March 20 foal. Cataloged as Hip No. 39, he is from the family of Grade 1 winner J P's Gusto and had worked an eighth-mile in 10.2 seconds at the auction's under-tack show.

Gross fell 8 percent as 156 juveniles, including private purchases, brought $7,342,500, down from last year's $7,997,600 for 176 horses. But average climbed by nearly 4 percent and median advanced 8 percent. The average price was $47,067, up from $45,441 at last year's opener, and median was $27,000, as compared with $25,000. The buyback rate was 26 percent, up from 20 percent last season.

The Scat Daddy colt was one of 19 horses to bring $100,000 or more. The session's second highest-priced juvenile was a $210,000 Exchange Rate colt out of the stakes-winning Dynaformer mare Maliziosa. Ahmed Zayat and Mike Moreno partnered to purchase the dark bay or brown half-brother to Grade 3 winner Bobina. The Hartley/De Renzo agency consigned the March 21 colt, and he worked a quarter in 21.8 seconds.

The early price leader among fillies was Hip No. 156, a $200,000 Harlan's Holiday daughter that Charles J. Cella bought from the Niall Brennan agency. She is a dark bay or brown filly out of Grade 2 winner Ruby Surprise and is a half-sister to Grade 1-placed stakes-winner Free Flying Soul. She covered an eighth-mile in 10.4 seconds at the under-tack preview.

The sale was to continue through Tuesday with the second and final session beginning at 10 a.m.