The prevailing trend in the American Thoroughbred marketplace recently has been positive and the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale generated more upbeat news as all key business figures increased from a year ago.
“Where there was quality, it (the sale) exceeded expectations,” said Bayne Welker, Fasig-Tipton’s vice president of sales. “On the lower level, some horses that would have been hard to move a year ago or two years ago are now seeing trade. Confidence in the market is creeping back upward. We’re very pleased.”
The Feb. 6 auction’s final results included a gross of $4,601,800 for the 270 lots that were sold. The average price was $17,044 and the median price was $6,000. Compared to 2011, the number sold and gross rose 47.5% and 63.1%, respectively. The average and median grew 10.5% and 5.3%, respectively.
The buy-back rate was 22%, down from 22.8% last year.
“We did have some interest from outside the domestic market (that included an Australian shopper) and that helped,” Welker said. “It’s always encouraging for a sale like this to be able to get any foreign participation.”
Fancy Prancer commanded the auction’s most expensive price of $200,000. Brad Kelley’s Kentucky-based Bluegrass Hall operation purchased the 13-year-old dark bay or brown broodmare from Paramount Sales, agent. Eddie Kane, who signed the sale ticket for Bluegrass Hall, declined to discuss the purchase.
“That was fantastic, wasn’t it?” said Pat Costello of Paramount Sales, which consigned Fancy Prancer for Stan Ryan of Canada. “She was a lovely mare and, as you saw, her daughter (Littlemiss Allison) brought $150,000 here (when sold by Paramount to Robert Vukovich). You can breed her (Fancy Prancer) to anything and get a racehorse, obviously.”
Fancy Prancer, a daughter of Bertrando, captured the Prairie Gold Lassie Stakes in 2001 and two added-money events in Canada in 2002. She is the dam of four stakes winners: Dakota Sue (by Pollard's Vision ), Littlemiss Allison (by Jump Start ), Robo Willie (by Jump Start), and Miss Sassy Sue (by Ecton Park).
“It (the price) was a little more than we were expecting; we’re very happy,” Costello said.
Fancy Prancer, who is in foal to Bluegrass Cat , is out of the winning Miswaki mare Oh No It’s You and is a half sister to the stakes winner Al You (by Alydeed).
“There is a solid trade here for horses and quality is selling well,” said consignor James Keogh of Grovendale. “There is a positive feeling out there, which is always nice. The fear factor might have dissipated for a little while.”
Keogh, as agent, sold Misty Daylight for the auction’s second-highest price of $185,000. Bluegrass Hall acquired the mare privately after she had been bought back for $195,000 during her trip through the sale ring. Keogh said Kane told him that he lost his cell phone connection to Kelley late during the bidding so stopped.
A 7-year-old winning daughter of Seeking Daylight, Misty Daylight is in foal to Lope de Vega. She produced a filly by Astronomer Royal in 2010 and a colt by the same sire in 2011.
Misty Daylight is out of the Lyphard mare Misty Dancer, who failed to win in three career races, and is a half sister to the stakes winner Quiet Dance (by Quiet American). Quiet Dance produced 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam (by Saint Ballado), grade II winner Quiet Giant (by Giant's Causeway ), grade III winner Congressionalhonor (by Forestry), and added-money winner Dance Quietly (by A.P. Indy).