Several late additions to the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale have added considerable interest to the one-day auction at Newtown Paddocks in Lexington Feb. 11. The sale will begin at 10 a.m.
"We're enthused by the quality of the catalog and by the activity on the sales grounds yesterday (Feb. 9) and today (Feb. 10)," said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning. "There are a lot of very nice horses that will be offered, and many of the outstanding buyers you want to see attending a horse sale have been on the grounds and appear to be working diligently, so I'm very encouraged."
Fasig-Tipton has cataloged a total of 337 entries for the sale. A supplemental catalog of 39 horses, which includes 28 selected offerings from Eugene Melnyk's Winding Oaks Farm, will be sold following the regular portion of the auction.
Browning explained that in anticipation of the upcoming breeding season, the Kentucky winter mixed sale has traditionally specialized in providing additional mares that breeders may need for stallion shares and seasons.
"There's a lot of demand for the good-looking broodmare prospects, or even the mares in foal that are nice," said Browning. "We've also sold some nice yearlings in the past and there are some nice yearlings here on the grounds."
Current leading sires represented by yearlings in this year's catalog include Arch, Candy Ride , City Zip, Harlan's Holiday, Into Mischief , Malibu Moon , Speightstown , and Tiznow .
"Obviously we also have a big boost with the Melnyk horses, adding some great groups of mares in foal," Browning said. "So we've got something for everybody this year."
Taylor Made Sales Agency will act as agent and consignor of the Melnyk offerings, which include grade I winner Pool Land (Hip No. 327), in foal to Smart Strike; three-time Canadian champion and graded stakes winner Sealy Hill (Hip. No. 299), in foal to Distorted Humor ; and graded stakes winner Gemswick Park (Hip No. 319), in foal to Tiznow.
Also included are five mares in foal to the Melnyk-raced champion Speightstown ; and three mares in foal to Melnyk's grade I winner Flower Alley, the sire of 2012 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Preakness (gr. I) winner and champion 3-year-old male I'll Have Another . Additional Melnyk offerings are mares in foal to prominent sires Candy Ride , Congrats , Harlan's Holiday, and More Than Ready .
Roxy Gap (Hip No. 314), a three-time graded stakes winner in 2012, headlines Melnyk's racing/broodmare prospects on offer. The daughter of Indian Charlie has lifetime earnings of more than $860,000, and is a 2012 Sovereign Award finalist in the older female, turf female, and female sprinter categories.
Browning pointed out the catalog supplement includes some other stellar broodmare prospects exclusive of the Melynk horses, including Canadian champion female sprinter Atlantic Hurricane (Hip No. 306) and Satyana (Hip No. 297), who hails from the family of champion Bernardini and grade I winner Love and Pride. Both horses will be consigned by Three Chimneys Sales, agent.
Another prominent broodmare prospect consigned by Three Chimneys, graded stakes winner Another Romance (Hip No. 336), has been scratched from the sale.
Taylor Made Sales Agency will offer Dance Thewayyouare and Pride Dancer as Hip Nos. 335 and 337, respectively.
Irish-bred Pride Dancer, a daughter of Fasliyev, took the listed Prix Herod at Longchamp in France as a juvenile, and then later ran third in the Senorita (gr. IIIT) at Hollywood Park.
The pedigree of Dance Thewayyouare, a 4-year-old filly by Mineshaft , moved up considerably when her half sister, Love Theway Youare, took the 2012 Vanity Handicap (gr. I).
"We're looking forward to hopefully some real strong results tomorrow," said Browning. "We've got some horses that should sell well and hopefully they will."