A filly by young German sire Wiesenpfad brought the highest price at the Baden-Badener Auktionsgesellschaft (BBAG) yearling sale Aug. 30, selling for €390,000 ($514,970 in U.S. funds) to California-based Narvick International.
The sale went at a leisurely pace, but trading in the sale pavilion bustled with international horsemen, who helped push key statistical indicators to robust double-digit gains.
Overall, 149 of 223 horses offered were sold for total receipts of €7,156,000 ($9,457,308), up 26.4% from 2012. The average price of €47,983 ($63,412) marked an increase of 43.4%, and the median price of € 45,962 ($60,745) rose 53.1%.
The clearance rate slid marginally to 67%, compared with 68.4% at last year's sale.
Bidding alongside Riki Takahaski for an unidentified Japanese client, Narvick's Emmanuel de Seroux outlasted Irish bloodstock agent John McCormack to land the sale-topper, a half sister to 2012 Preis der Diana (Ger-I, German Oaks) winner Salomina. Named Salwina, the filly is out of German group III winner Saldentigerin, by Tiger Hill. She was bred in Ireland by consignor Gestut Bona.
Wiesenpfad's first foals are 2-year-olds of 2013. His sire profile was boosted two days ago at Baden-Baden when his first starter, Abendwind, won the Zukunfts-Rennen (Ger-III).
A two-time group II winner in Germany, Wiesenpfad is a 10-year-old son of prominent German miler Waky Nao. He stands at Rolf Moser's Gestut Trona near Schneverdingen, Germany.
Of just three offspring offered from the penultimate crop of deceased sire Monsun, Darley bought two colts, including a full brother to 2009 German Oaks runner-up Soberania for sale's second-highest price of €360,000 ($475,523) through agent Franziska Schaertlin-Coffey.
The German-bred colt was consigned by Gestut Karlshof. Named See The White, he also is a half brother to 2013 Grosser Preis von Bayern (Ger-I) winner Seismos.
His dam is the winning Dashing Blade mare Sasuela. The family includes a trio of elite German runners by Monsun: classic winners and sires Schiaparelli and Samum, and 2002 German Oaks winner and graded-stakes producer Salve Regina.
A while later Schaertlin-Coffey went to €300,000 ($396,264) for Darley to secure a Monsun colt offered by Gestut Brummerhof.
Named Kataro, the dark bay colt is out of the Machiavellian mare Katy Carr, a half sister to English group winner Predappio. The family includes Irish group III winner Bonus, Irish group-placed stakes winner Georgebernardshaw, and Third Set, who owns group placings in England and the United Arab Emirates
Fred and Sarah Seitz of Brookdale Farm in Versailles, Ky., made their first trip to the BBAG sale and came away with two horses, including a German-bred Montjeu filly named La Boheme for €260,000 ($343,594). The bay filly is out of the Rainbow Quest mare La Reine Noir, a half sister to French group I winner Lady Marian.
"She may stay in Europe," Fred Seitz told Racing Post. "She's for a partnership, so we'll wait and see. We also breed, so that's always in the back of our mind when buying fillies."
Racing Post reported that a BBAG official indicated this year's sale was possibly the strongest in many years.
"The figures in 2007 were slightly higher, but we had 100 more horses," BBAG assistant manager Klaus Eulenberger said. "We have been very strong in every sector."
