Touch Gold colt gets $290K

Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's Eastern fall yearling sale, expanded this year from two days to three, entered its second session Tuesday at Timonium, Md., with eight horses selling early in the day for $100,000 or more.

By 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Fasig-Tipton was reporting a sale-leading price of $290,000 for a Touch Gold colt out of Georgia K. Sold by Thornmar, the colt went to Wensleydale Farm. He is a half-brother to Grade 1-placed stakes winner Aggadan and to stakes winner Love You Madly.

At Monday's opener, 212 lots sold for gross receipts of $4,983,700, with an average price of $23,508 and a $10,750 median. At last year's opening session, 264 horses were sold for $5,853,000; average price then was $22,170, and median $12,000.

The buyback rate at Monday's opener was 19 percent, down slightly from last year's 20 percent.

Monday's top seller was a $275,000 Forestry colt out of Grade 1 winner Catatonic that Hopewell Farm, agent, sold to James McIngvale. Hopewell consigned the colt on behalf of Faywood Stables. Sold as Hip No. 173, the dark bay or brown colt is a half-brother to stakes winners Alynar and Dactylic, and to stakes-placed runners Gassan Royal and D'Coach.

The sale was to continue through Wednesday.