The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale bucked the generally negative trends in 2009, posting increases in gross, average price, and median price while many other auctions were suffering major setbacks.
That’s one of the reasons why this year's edition of the sale, which will be held Oct. 25-27 in Lexington, is bigger, according to Bayne Welker, Fasig-Tipton’s vice president of sales. The number of horses in the catalog, 1,168, is up 20.2% from last year’s total of 972.
The auction also has quality as well as quantity.
“Across the board, the quality is as good as it has ever been,” Welker said. “We’ve got some nice -- even top end -- horses and there is going to be something for the choosey and particular buyer. There are some very good pedigrees in the start of the Irving Cowan dispersal that Taylor Made (Sales Agency) has and the physicals match. There also are some other horses by good sires in the sale that have nice physicals. For buyers who are just trying to find horses with good physicals, they will see more good physicals than in years past. It’s not going to be just what was shucked off at the end of the year.”
The Cowan dispersal yearlings include Favorite Gal, a Hard Spun filly out of champion Hollywood Wildcat (by Kris S.). The chestnut yearling is a half sister to grade I winner War Chant and English group II winner Ivan Denisovich.
Also in the auction’s catalog are yearlings by such top sires as Dynaformer, Malibu Moon, Medaglia d'Oro , and Smart Strike.
“During our inspections for the July and Saratoga (select) sales, we made a conscious effort with horses that just missed or needed more time to encourage their owners to participate (enter them) in the fall sale,” Welker said.
Another factor in the larger number of horses, he added, was increased concern among consignors about offering horses at the end of the Keeneland September yearling sale because of distractions caused by the start of the World Equestrian Games in Lexington.
Two Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winners – Big Brown (2008) and Mine That Bird (2009) – are graduates of the Kentucky fall yearling sale.
Each of this year’s sessions will begin at 10 a.m. (EDT).