Figures soar at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale

The yearling market unequivocally passed its first test following a record-setting Keeneland September yearling sale, with across-the-board gains on Monday at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale.

The one-day sale, held at Fasig-Tipton’s Midlantic sales pavilion in Timonium, Md., moved 289 yearlings for revenues of $7,469,900. That was a 21 percent increase in returns from last year’s auction, during which 276 horses were sold for $6,166,100.

The average and median prices were the highest posted at the Eastern fall yearling sale in the past decade. At $25,847, the average price was 16 percent better than last year’s figure of $22,341. The median improved 42 percent, from $12,000 to $17,000.

Eleven horses sold for six figures, nearly doubling 2012's total of six yearlings who brought $100,000 or more.

Bortolazzo Stables purchased the sale topper, a $250,000 Quality Road colt out of the winning French Deputy mare Chalonnaise. The colt is a sibling to three winners from four starters out of his dam, including Grade 3-placed stakes winner Nathan’s H Q.

Bred in Kentucky By Classic Thoroughbred XII, the colt is from the family of Grade 2 winners Concord Point and A Penny Is A Penny, as well as Grade 3 winner Tasha’s Miracle. Consigned by Candyland, agent, the transaction made the colt the highest-priced foal out of his dam.

First-crop sire Quality Road, who stands at Lane's End in Versailles, Ky., was one of two stallions with two yearlings in the top 10 by price at this year’s sale. The other was perennial leading Maryland sire Not For Love, who stands at Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake City, Md. His yearlings were led by a $120,000 colt purchased by Ellen Charles.