Gross and average down at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale but median, buyback rate improve

The four-day Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale, the final major-market North American yearling auction of the season, concluded a solid run in a turbulent marketplace on Thursday evening, posting an improved median and buyback rate.

Led by a $600,000 Uncle Mo colt sold on Wednesday, Fasig-Tipton reported 961 horses sold during the four-day auction for gross receipts of $32,743,700. In 2019, 1,000 yearlings sold over four days for $38,258,900. The average price dipped moderately to $34,073, a change of 10 percent compared to $37,955. The median jumped 15 percent, to $15,000 from $13,000.

A marketplace that was already extremely selective became even more so this fall, with the buyback rate at several sales climbing upward. Perhaps due to the urgency to either move or acquire stock in the final sale of the season, Fasig-Tipton October bucked that trend. The cumulative buyback rate was 22 percent, improved from 24 percent last year.

Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni purchased the sale-leading $600,000 Uncle Mo colt. He was followed on the leaderboard by a $560,000 Quality Road colt purchased by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners as the upper end of the marketplace showed strength and a willingness to stretch for top lots. Last year's top two prices at this sale were $560,000 and $410,000.

The sale-topping Uncle Mo colt was consigned by Lane's End, as agent. The Kentucky bred is out of the winning A.P. Indy mare A. P. Dream, dam of four winners from as many starters, led by Group 2-placed stakes winner Wind Fire.

A. P. Dream is out of the multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Dream Supreme – who in turn is out of Grade 1 winner Spinning Round – making her a full sister to Grade 1 winner and sire Majestic Warrior and stakes winner Crystal Current. A. P. Dream and Majestic Warrior also are half-siblings to Grade 3-placed stakes winner Evolutionist, Grade 3-placed Tour de Force, and stakes-placed Gold Shield.

The Ontario-bred Quality Road colt who followed on the leaderboard was consigned by his breeder, Anderson Farms. He is out of the stakes-placed Bernardini mare Pearl Turn. That makes him a half-brother to Gretzky the Great, winner of the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine and expected to be among the favorites for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf next week at Keeneland.

Spendthrift Farm, which stands leading sire Into Mischief, went to $475,000 for a Florida-bred colt by that stallion, one of his three in the top 10 prices to conclude a strong yearling sale season for him. The colt is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Yara, with Canadian Triple Crown winner With Approval and Grade 1 winners Brilliant Speed, Healthy Addiction, and My Sweet Addiction appearing on the catalog page.

Rounding out the top five prices were a pair of colts by first-crop yearling sires. A $315,000 Mohaymen colt sold to Trade Winds Farm is a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Got Stormy, while a $310,000 New York-bred Classic Empire colt purchased by bloodstock agent Mike Ryan is from the family of major winners and successful sires Johannesburg, Pulpit, and Tale of the Cat.

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