Stakes-placed Jalen Journey tops F-T July horses of racing age sale

Jalen Journey, a 4-year-old gelding who has won three races this year by impressive margins and with promising speed figures, topped the Monday Fasig-Tipton July horses of racing age sale by bringing a final bid of $510,000 from J. Raymie Lightner, as agent.

Overall, the sale posted weak returns compared to the same sale last year, with several high-priced buybacks among a surge of horses that did not meet the reserves set by their consignors. Of the 136 horses that went through the ring, 41 did not meet their reserves, for a buyback rate of 30.1 percent.

Average at the sale was $68,932 for the 95 horses sold, a decline of 26 percent compared with the average of $93,180 for 100 horses sold last year. At that sale, only 19 horses were bought back, for a buyback rate of 19 percent. Median was $45,000 this year, down 10 percent compared with the $50,000 median last year.

Gross sales were $6.55 million this year, compared to $9.32 million last year.

Though Jalen Journey is so far only stakes-placed, the late-blooming son of With Distinction narrowly missed in his first stakes start, the Grade 3 Smile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park, in his last race, losing by three-quarters of a length. In his previous three starts, he had won by open lengths while climbing up the claiming ranks. In his three wins, all at Gulfstream Park, Jalen Journey posted Beyer Speed Figures of 87, 98, and 99, usually good enough to win in the graded stakes ranks.

The second-highest-priced lot in the sale, and the highest-priced filly, was Orbolution, a 4-year-old filly by Orb out of My Rachel who has two career wins, including the P. G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga when she was 2. The filly was bought by her breeder, Hinkle Farms, after being offered in the sale by Taylor Made as agent for StarLadies Racing.

The most high-profile buyback was Fierce Lady, who received a final bid of $725,000. A New York-bred daughter of Competitive Edge who was bought for $75,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale, Fierce Lady won her first start, a restricted maiden special weight, on June 22 at Belmont Park by six lengths.