Lavender Sky brings $340K at Fasig-Tipton

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Increases in gross and average warmed sellers up on a bitter cold day at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's winter mixed sale in Lexington on Monday.

Lavender Sky's quality race record did not escape notice, and Dr. William W. Lockridge, acting as agent, had to go to $340,000 to pluck her from the Three Chimneys agency's consignment.

The final results also provided some relief as gross and average gained and median stayed level with last year's figure. The one-day auction sold 192 horses, down from last year's 206, but saw a 28 percent increase in gross, from $2,392,900 to $3,052,600. Average price climbed 37 percent, from $11,616 last year to $15,899. Median price was the same as in 2009, at $5,000. Buy-backs rose significantly, from 16 percent to 29 percent.

Lavender Sky was cataloged as a broodmare prospect after a racing career that only ended on Jan. 2 with a sixth-place finish in the San Gorgonio Handicap, a Grade 2 race in which she finished second two years ago. Lavender Sky also placed in the Santa Ana and Dahlia handicaps, both Grade 2, and the ungraded Audrey Skirball-Kenis Stakes. She won 2 of 19 starts and finished second and third four times each. She retires from the racetrack with $195,852.

The 6-year-old Mt. Livermore mare is out of Nijinsky II's stakes-winning daughter Munnaya. She's a half-sister to a pair of noteworthy French runners, stakes winner Mystic Melody and stakes-placed runner Yaya. She's also a half-sister to a colt that is stakes-placed in the United Arab Emirates, Numaany.

Other high-priced horses at Monday's auction were Grade 2 winner Bear's Kid, a 7-year-old Lemon Drop Kid stallion prospect, whom Novel Group purchased from Glenmalure Farm, agent; Grade 3-placed stakes winner Julia Tuttle, a $260,000 racing or broodmare prospect that Bowden Global Equine purchased for $235,000 from Summerfield, agent; multiple stakes winner Rgirldoesn'tbluff, in foal to Medaglia d'Oro, whom Town & Country Farms bought for $215,000 from Hunter Valley Farm, agent; and dual stakes winner Rate of Exchange, whom Three Chimneys Farm, as agent, bought for $125,000 from the Paramount Sales agency.

Royal Parade was a high-priced buy-back when she failed to reach her reserve on a $135,000 final bid. Bluewater Sales agency offered the 9-year-old Saint Ballado mare in foal to Medaglia d'Oro. She is a half-sister to Preakness winner and millionaire Louis Quatorze and to Grade 1 winner Royal Indy.