Yearling average at Northern California sale highest since 2015
The average yearling price at Tuesday’s Northern California yearling and horses of racing age sale in Pleasanton was the highest since the 2015 sale, according to the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, which conducted the auction.
The CTBA reported that 92 yearlings sold for $917,900, an average of $9,977 and a median of $5,850. There were 14 horses withdrawn and 26 listed as bought back.
The yearling average for the 2020 sale was $7,217. It was $4,898 in 2018 and $6,018 in 2019.
A few horses of racing age were included in Tuesday’s sale.
:: DRF BREEDING LIVE: Real-time coverage of breeding and sales
The most expensive horse was a filly by Stanford purchased for $45,000 by Robert Jones of San Leandro, Calif., according to the CTBA. The filly was consigned by Easterbrook Livestock Management, agent.
The filly is out of Jeannie’s Genie, a 9-year-old mare who did not race and is the dam of Sojourner Truth, the winner of two claiming races at Golden Gate Fields this year.
Stanford’s oldest foals are 2-year-olds. By Malibu Moon, Stanford, 9, was a multiple stakes winner and millionaire trained by Todd Pletcher. Stanford won the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic in West Virginia in 2016.
Tuesday’s sale had a catalog of 140 horses, compared to 126 in 2020 and 180 in 2019.
Four yearlings by the stallion Mr. Big sold for a combined $56,000.
For the 2022 breeding season, Mr. Big will stand at Legacy Ranch in Lodi, Calif., having previously stood at Rancho Temescal, stallion owner George Krikorian said.
Through Tuesday, Mr. Big ranked 10th among California-based stallions with 2021 progeny earnings of $1,313,558. Stay Thirsty leads the list with earnings of $2,721,838.
Mr. Big’s leading runner this year is Big Fish, the winner of the California Cup Derby at Santa Anita in January for Pete Parrella’s Legacy Ranch.
Kirkorian said last weekend that the move to Legacy Ranch will give Mr. Big a chance for a larger book of mares.
Mr. Big stood for $4,500 in 2021, but a fee for 2022 has not been determined, Krikorian said.
Tuesday’s sale was the first of two yearling sales in the state. Fasig-Tipton will conduct a yearling sale at Fairplex Park in Pomona on Sept. 28.