A Kafwain colt brought $20,000 to top the Northern California yearling sale, which was held Aug. 17 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. CTBA (California Thoroughbred Breeders Association) Sales conducted the auction.
Kjell Qvale purchased the bay colt, which is out of the winning Great Above mare Way Up, who finished second in the Kenneth L. Graf Memorial Handicap at Rockingham Park and the Highland Happening Stakes at Suffolk Downs in 1997, and was third in the White Star Line Stakes at Delaware Park in 1998. The yearling is a half brother to the winner Wavy Lass (by Helmsman), who finished third in the 2007 Sun Devil Stakes at Turf Paradise.
BTO consigned the colt.
The sale’s results included a gross of $357,400 for the 82 horses that sold. The average price was $4,359 and the median price was $3,000. Compared to 2009 when 110 yearlings were sold, the gross fell 36.9%. The average declined 15.3% while the median dropped 7.7%.
The buy-back rate rose from 29.5% last year to 39.3% this year.