Fasig-Tipton session led by Arch filly

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A day after posting powerful gains in its opening session, Fasig-Tipton’s Kentucky fall yearling sale continued to look strong Tuesday with a $260,000 Arch filly the highest price at 3:45 p.m.

James Herbener, agent, sold the session-leading filly to bloodstock agent Steve Young. The bay filly is out of the Royal Academy mare Royal Sanction and is a half-sister to German stakes-winner Ronja.

The Arch filly was the most expensive sold so far at the three-day sale and one of three to sell for $200,000 or more.

The other yearling to bring more than $200,000 by that time Tuesday was an Unbridled’s Song daughter of Sophisticat’s full sister Pure Symmetry. Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs had bought her from the Woods Edge agency. The chestnut filly is a full sister to the winner American Song and a half-sister to another winner, High Stakes Player. Her dam, a placed Storm Cat mare, also is a full sister to Grand Reward and Schramsberg.

With selling still underway Tuesday, there were five yearlings who had brought $150,000 or more. Trainer Mark Casse bought a $190,000 Lemon Drop Kid colt out of stakes-placed Present Danger. Dromoland Farm sold the chestnut colt, whose dam is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Derianne. Adena Springs, which has been active in the yearling market’s upper reaches this year, also bought a $180,000 Macho Uno-On Fuego colt from Peter O’Callaghan’s Woods Edge agency. Northshore Bloostock, agent, paid $160,000 for the Hidden Brook consignment’s Giant’s Causeway-Rose Diamond colt, a half-brother to stakes-winners Summer Patriot and Flawless Treasure and graded placed winners Deputy Diamond and Waddaan.

At Monday’s opener, the auction sold fewer horses than last year but raised its gross and average by 50 percent and 59 percent, while median more than doubled. The session auctioned 220 yearlings for $4,741,900, a 50-percent increase over last year’s total for 232 horses. Average and median performed even better, with average up 59 percent, from $13,582 to $21,554, and median shot from last year’s $5,000 to $12,000.