Without dispersals, prices fall

The absence of fashionable dispersals led to lower prices at the Barretts January mixed sale last Monday and Tuesday, but the figures did not discourage sale organizers.

Compared to 2004, which included a dispersal from Lakeview Thoroughbred Farm and a large consignment of horses of racing age owned by The Thoroughbred Corp, this year's sale saw declines in gross and average.

Overall, 493 horses sold for $3,214,300, an average of $6,520. Last year, the sale saw 517 horses sell for $4,057,300, an average of $7,848. This week's figures marked a decline of 21 percent in gross and 17 percent in average. The 2004 sale was down 7 percent in average from 2003.

The average price from Tuesday's session was down 3 percent from the corresponding session in 2004.

"We had $1.4 million in racehorses last year and didn't have those kind of horses this year," said Barretts president Gerald McMahon. "Those things come out and make the numbers the next year look not as good. In terms of industry analysis, this was on par with what the horses were bringing last year. That's the nature of a mixed sale."

The Tuesday session included the sale-topper, a Tale of the Cat yearling filly purchased for $72,000 by Sheehy Brothers Ireland.

Consigned by Mary Knight, agent, the Washington-bred filly was the only horse to surpass a selling price of $50,000. She is out of One Number Short, a Katowice filly who won three stakes at Emerald Downs and earned $151,245.

Last year, the sale-topper was the horse of racing age Taste of Paradise, who was sold to disband a partnership.

"This year was a real solid sale," McMahon said. "You take out The Thoroughbred Corp. and Taste of Paradise, which was $1.2 million, and you have numbers that are right on par."

The leading horse of racing age at this year's sale was Lutyens, a 4-year-old colt who sold for $45,000 to top Monday's session. Consigned by Eoin Harty, Lutyens was purchased by David and Holly Wilson. The Wilsons campaigned Designed for Luck, the winner of the 2003 Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita and the 2004 Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile at Hollywood Park.

The leading broodmare prospect was Kingdom Bound, who was consigned by Knight and purchased for $42,000 by Chris Coleman on Tuesday. On the racetrack, Kingdom Bound was stakes placed in the 2002 California Sire Stakes at Hollywood Park, and earned $113,680. She is a half-sister to Smokin Mel, the winner of the 1997 Gotham Stakes.

Trainer Darrell Vienna led all buyers, purchasing nine horses for $179,500. Andy Havens Bloodstock led all consignors, selling 107 horses for $584,800.

Barretts offers 202 for March sale

Barretts has cataloged 202 horses for its March selected 2-year-olds in-training sale, the company's most prestigious sale of the year. The catalog will be mailed in early February and is available online at Barretts.com.

The auction will be held March 15 beginning at 2 p.m., with training previews on March 7 and 13.