The yearling market – like all bloodstock markets the past decade – has been humming along at a steady clip, rising from the depths of the 2008 Great Recession and showing no signs of slowing down. Demand has been strong, especially for horses perceived to be at the upper levels of the commercial marketplace, be it in pedigree or conformation. In 2017, 6,989 yearlings were sold at public auction in North America for a total of $481.7 million and a record average price of $68,923. The average was up a robust 13.7 percent over the 2016 average. The yearling sales season got under way in July, with the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling sale, and the results of that auction fell in line with current trends – the sale was up 7.7 percent in average from 2017. The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select sale (Aug. 6-7) and Fasig-Tipton preferred New York-bred sale (Aug. 11-12) are up next (see previews in this insert), and they are just the beginning of a long sales season that will see some 8,000-plus yearlings go through auction rings across North America in the next three months. Following is a look at the other sales in North America where almost all of the rest of the commercial crop of 2018 yearlings will be offered. Washington summer yearling sale: Aug. 21 www.washingtonthoroughbred.com In 2017, 92 yearlings sold for a total of $1,204,600, an average of $13,093 and a median of $7,500. The Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association will provide state breeders with an opportunity to sell foals from their yearling crop the third week of August at its annual yearling sale. The WTBOA has cataloged just 101 yearlings this year, a concession to the fact that breeders prefer to wait until the fall to sell their breeding stock. Last year, the sale was a summer yearling and mixed sale, but there were 117 yearlings in the catalog and just three broodmares. This year’s sale, to be held at Emerald Downs, has 101 yearlings cataloged, with 80 being Washington-breds, 11 Kentucky-breds, seven California-breds, two Oregon-breds, and one Florida-bred. Leading Washington sire Atta Boy Roy has 14 in the catalog. The sale will include progeny by five stallions whose first foals are yearlings – Curlin to Mischief, Dontmesswithkitten, Karakontie, Race Day, and Tapiture. Last year’s sale was topped by a $67,000 yearling colt by Smiling Tiger out of Premo Copy, by Supremo, purchased by John Maryanski from the consignment of Halvorson Bloodstock, agent for Roche Farm.   Texas summer yearling sale: Aug. 27 www.ttasales.com In 2017, 56 yearlings sold for a total of $674,300, an average of $12,041 and a median of $5,250. Held in conjunction with the Texas Thoroughbred Association’s mixed sale at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, the summer sale features Texas-bred yearlings in majority, though yearlings bred in other states are represented. Last year, the yearling portion of the sale accounted for 71 percent of the horses sold at the sale. The sale-topper was a Texas-bred yearling colt by Texas stallion Too Much Bling out of General Reunion, by General Meeting, purchased by Susan Moulton for $100,000 from the Asmussen Horse Center consignment.   Barretts select yearling sale: Aug. 28 www.barretts.com In 2017, 53 yearlings sold for a total of $2,177,000, an average of $41,075 and a median of $32,000. This will be the last select yearling sale held by Barretts, which announced it was ending its operations at the end of this year. Now owned by Fairplex as part of the Los Angeles Country Fair Association, Barretts has been the premier auction operation in the state since the 1990s, having been founded in 1989 by Fred Sahadi, Jerry McMahon, and Ralph Hinds. In the wake of the Barretts decision, Fasig-Tipton Co. and The Stronach Group announced they had reached an agreement to hold sales at Santa Anita beginning in 2019. The 2018 Barretts sale, to be held at Del Mar, has 86 yearlings cataloged, compared to 88 at last year’s sale. The sale has four yearlings by the late Unusual Heat, the perennial leading sire in the state, and by first-crop sires of yearlings Liam’s Map, Tonalist, and Wicked Strong. The 2017 sale was topped by a filly by Bodemeister out of North Freeway, by Jump Start, purchased for $300,000 by Jay Em Ess Stable from the consignment of Harris Farm, agent for Fairview.   CTHS Ontario premier yearling sale: Aug. 30 www.cthsont.com In 2017, 203 yearlings sold for a total of $2,863,803, an average of $14,107 and a median of $7,922. The CTHS Ontario sale has been the premier sale in Canada for decades and the preferred spot for Canadian breeders to sell their best yearlings. Last year’s sale was topped by three yearlings that each brought $67,337 (converted from $85,000 Canadian). Two were colts by Victor’s Cry, and the other was a colt by Not Bourbon. The sale had 320 cataloged. This year, the sale boasts 275 horses, with sires represented by their first crop of yearlings including Canadian-based stallions Conquest Curlinate (eight yearlings), Frac Daddy (13), and Silver Max (six).   Equine Sales Co. consignor select yearling sale: Sept. 6 equinesalescompany.com In 2017, 141 yearlings sold for a total of $1,651,900, an average of $11,716 and a median of $7,000. Equine Sales, with operations in Opelousas, La., holds three sales annually. Its September sale is for accredited Louisiana-breds, and this year’s sale has a catalog of 219 yearlings. The sale has yearlings by the top four Louisiana sires by progeny earnings this year – Star Guitar (five), Astrology (four), Half Ours (17), and Custom for Carlos (20). Stallions whose first foals are yearlings that are represented in the sale include Wicked Strong, Palace, Medal Count, Tapiture, and Race Day. The sale-topper in 2017 was by Kentucky-based sire Mineshaft out of Noble Bandit, by Cat Thief. Purchased for $97,000 by Louis Roussell III, the colt was consigned by 4M Ranch, agent.   Keeneland September yearling sale: Sept. 10-23 www.keeneland.com/sales In 2017, 2,555 yearlings sold for a total of $307,845,400, an average of $120,487 and a median of $57,000. The Keeneland September sale is annually the largest sale in the world, and last year’s sale had 4,138 yearlings cataloged in 12 sessions. The sale is even bigger this year, with 13 sessions. Last year’s sale featured a super-select Book 1, with just 167 yearlings, followed by a Book 2 of three select sessions. It was very successful, with the first session averaging $570,263 and helping propel total receipts of the sale over the $300 million mark for the first time since 2008. Keeneland changed the format for this year, as it will offer four select sessions of approximately 1,000 yearlings in its select Book 1, Sept. 10-13, followed by a dark day, and then Books 2 through 6. That format is similar to 2016, when Book 1 had three select sessions without the super-select day. Keeneland instituted a bonus for consignors in 2017 to those who sell or buy a Grade 1 winner in Book 1, or those who sell a graded stakes winner in any session. Those bonuses stay in effect this year. The 2017 sale was topped by a Tapit filly out of Pretty ’n Smart, by Beau Genius, purchased for $2.3 million by M.V. Magnier, from the consignment of VanMeter-Gentry Sales, agent. The filly is a sister to Grade 1 stakes winners Cupid and a half-sister to graded stakes winners Heart Ashley and Ashley’s Kitty.   Fasig-Tipton Midlantic fall yearling sale: Oct. 1-2 www.fasigtipton.com In 2017, 312 yearlings sold for a total of $7,855,100, an average of $25,177 and a median of $14,000. The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic yearling sale is one of the largest regional sales in the country, and in 2017 its catalog had 499 horses, its biggest in six years. Despite the large increase in supply, the sale recorded a 5 percent increase in average, while the median rose 40 percent. Total receipts were up 22 percent. The sale offers state breeders a proven place to sell statebred progeny and progeny by Maryland sires, though the sale is not restricted to Maryland-breds. It also is a sale strongly supported by breeders in neighboring states. In 2017, 167 (33.5 percent) of the yearlings were bred in Maryland, while New York had the second-largest number, 119, and Pennsylvania the third largest, 91. The 2017 sale-topper, a $300,000 colt by Cairo Prince, was bred in Kentucky. Sold by Becky Davis, agent, the colt out of Current Event, by Curlin, was bought by Eisaman Equine.   Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. select and open yearling sale: Oct. 9-11 www.obssales.com In 2017, 406 yearlings sold for a total of $8,120,500, an average of $20,001 and a median of $8,000. The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. made a major change to its sales calendar in 2017 when it eliminated its longstanding August yearling sale and moved it to October. It had been held in August for decades, but the change was made to get it away from the major selected sales in August and the Keeneland sale in September. Last year, OBS had two sessions in October, one select and one open, and it sold a total of 406 yearlings, or 111 fewer yearlings than it did for its August sale in 2016 when it had three sessions This year, the sales company plans on having three sessions again, with a select session Oct. 9 and open sessions Oct. 10 and 11. The sale is a major market for the rank-and-file Florida breeders. Last year, 61 percent of the yearlings (385) were Florida-breds, with Kentucky-breds second-most represented, 111, and New York-breds third at 85. The sale-topper in 2017 was a Kentucky-bred colt by Violence out of Frank’s Hope, by Pulpit, purchased for $275,000 by John Oxley from the consignment of Kaizen Sales, agent.   Barretts fall yearling sale: Oct. 16 www.barretts.com In 2017, 131 yearlings sold for a total of $2,169,000, an average of $16,557 and a median of $5,500. Barretts conducts a mixed sale in October at Del Mar, and though called mixed, the vast majority of horses cataloged are yearlings. In 2017, 131 (83 percent) of the 158 horses sold at the Barretts October sale were yearlings. The 2018 sale may be the last ever for Barretts (see August sale on page 26 for details), though the company has indicated it is considering holding one last sale in January. Last year’s Barretts fall sale was topped by a California-bred filly by Smiling Tiger out of Carrie’s a Jewel, by Slewdledo. She was purchased or $220,000 by Slugo Racing from Critter Creek Farm, agent.   Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale: Oct. 22-25 www.fasigtipton.com In 2017, 981 yearlings sold for a total of $35,812,900, an average of $36,507 and a median of $12,000. The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale used to be a low-end sale, offering a last chance to sell yearlings for those that developed very late or a chance sell those yearlings that had been bought back at earlier sales. But it has grown in importance to where today it offers a robust market for sellers and buyers alike. Just 10 years ago, the sale averaged only $13,512. Last year, it averaged $36,507, up 10 percent over 2016 even though 26 percent more yearlings were sold. The sale-topper in 2017 was a $700,000 Medaglia d’Oro colt out of Broadway Gold, by Seeking the Gold, bought by Mark Casse, as agent, from the consignment of Bacari Bloodstock.