Fasig-Tipton donated all commissions generated by the sale to the NTRA Charities-New York Heroes Fund.
Piazza Di Spagna, winner of the Inside Information Stakes on grass at Monmouth Park in July, sold for $70,000 to top the Fasig-Tipton horses of racing age sale at Belmont Park on Tuesday. Bred in Chile, the 5-year-old daughter of Great Regent was purchased by Eb Novak's New Farm from trainer Rene Araya, who raced the mare in partnership with Todd Liebman and Robert Van Ostrand.A winner of 10 of her 34 career starts, Piazza Di Spagna has earned $166,549. In her most recent outing, she finished sixth, beaten by 9 1/4 lengths, in a mile allowance race on grass at Belmont. Piazza Di Spagna's dam, Charing Cross (by Tantoul), was a multiple group III winner in Chile.Fasig-Tipton reported that 95 horses were sold for a gross of $1,038,400 and an average price of $10,931. The median was $8,000. All of the figures represented increases from a year ago when the 74 head sold brought a gross of $471,600, an average of $6,373, and a median of $4,500. This year's buy-back rate was 11.2%, with 12 of the 107 horses offered failing to find new homes. Last year's buy-back rate was 14.0%.
