Inspecting an offering in Fasig-Tipton Kentucky two-day yearling sale.
The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky select yearling auction, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in Lexington, should have more of a European flavor than usual. Terence Collier, the company's director of marketing, said on Sunday that the sale has attracted its largest contingent of European buyers in more than a decade."There are 20 to 25 individuals from Europe here that we don't usually see in July," he reported.Collier traveled to England to promote the sale in June, spending more than a week in that country. Fasig-Tipton decided to make an extra effort to attract European buyers this year because of the recent success of American-bred runners in general and Fasig-Tipton graduates in particular on foreign soil.On July 14, a $100,000 Fasig-Tipton July graduate of 2004, La Chunga, won the Cuisine de France Summer Stakes (Eng-III), and last year, she scored in the Albany Stakes (Eng-III). Another Fasig-Tipton July graduate, Sander Camillo, captured this year's Albany Stakes and won the Chippenham Lodge Stud Cherry Hinton Stakes (Eng-II) by five lengths on July 12. She sold for $160,000 at Fasig-Tipton last July.Other lookers at Fasig-Tipton's Newtown Paddocks facility prior to the this year's auction included representatives of Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation and Irish agent Demi O'Byrne, a member of the powerful Coolmore Stud team.Among the horses attracting a lot of attention prior to the sale were Hip No. 217, a Forestry -- Alizea's Song colt, and Hip No. 353, a Pulpit -- Mayhavebeentheone colt. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, the beautifully balanced Forestry colt is the second foal out of an unraced Unbridled's Song mare that is a full sister to grade I winner and hot young sire Songandaprayer . The strapping Pulpit colt, consigned by Nursery Place, agent, is the first foal out of a 6-year-old unraced Arch mare that is a half-sister to grade III winner Wiseman's Ferry. Other family members include champion Outstandingly and grade I winner Sky Mesa .The sale starts each day at 10 a.m. Monday's session includes the New Sire Showcase that features the offspring of young sires.
