Daughter of Include Tops Day One of Fasig-Tipton Texas

A bay daughter of Include   topped day one of the Fasig-Tipton Texas summer yearling sale Monday at Lone Star Park, bringing a final bid of $140,000 from Central Kentucky horseman Mike Akers of Dapple Bloodstock.

The Louisiana-bred filly, the only Include offspring in the sale, was the only yearling to top the six-figure mark on the day.

On Monday, the first of two days of selling, Fasig-Tipton reported 137 head sold for $1,642,100 to average $11,986. The median was $5,500, with 70 head failing to find new homes. Last year, the sale company sold 170 head to gross $1,914,200. The average was $11,260 and the median $5,000. Eighty-four horses failed to find new homes during the opening session one year ago.

"The opening day went the same way it went last year," said Tim Boyce, Fasig-Tipton Texas director of sales. "I'm pretty happy with the way the market went today. The average and median were up from last year, which kind of tells you where the market is right now."

Terry Gabriel and Tod Wojciechowski's Elysian Bloodstock consigned the top-priced filly, City At Peace, as agent for her breeder, Brent Marti, owner of Majestic Farms near Sulphur, La.

Marti, a pharmacist near West Lake, La., entered the Thoroughbred business in 2001 and owns just three broodmares. "I sold a yearling at Keeneland last September for $110,000 (son of Graeme Hall   consigned by Hidden Brook, agent) and I thought that was something, but whew, this is great."

City At Peace was produced from the Carson City mare City Hideaway, who is the dam of stakes-placed Robbeau (by Valid Expectations) and is from the family of European champion Tobougg and French group winner Otavalo.

Martin said City Hideaway, whom he purchased online for $20,000, died 30 days after giving birth to City At Peace. "She put out outstanding foals every year," Marti said. "But this filly has always been about a hand to a hand-and-a-half bigger than everyone else. She was a freak of nature from the very beginning."

The session-topping filly was purchased as part of a pinhooking partnership between Akers and Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables of Ocala, Fla. "Ciaran and I try to buy about 15 to 20 yearlings to resell the following year," Akers said. "This filly will go home to Ocala and Ciaran will put her under tack and then we will think about selecting a sale for her."

Akers said the $140,000 price tag was "about $40,000 more" than he planned to spend, but City At Peace was the filly he wanted. "I'm a sucker for a good horse. She's a gorgeous filly and had a good physical."

The sale continues Tuesday with the final session beginning at 10 a.m. (CST).