Fasig-Tipton Average Declines; Stockyard Sale Complete

Topped by the $65,000 paid by agent Ramona Good for the Crafty Prospector mare Gamble For Gold, Fasig-Tipton Kentucky concluded its February mixed sale Monday with a 9% decline in average price. The sales company reported 272 horses were sold for a gross of $2,517,200 and an average price of $9,254 during the two-day sale. Last year's one-day auction resulted in 268 horses averaging $10,172, with the gross totaling $2,726,200. The 88 horses that did not sell this year represented 24% of the total through the ring; last year's buyback rate was 21.9%.

Gamble For Gold, a winning 8-year-old produced from the stakes-winning, stakes-producing mare Prim Miss (by Sassafras), was consigned by Heather and Matt Herbener.

On Tuesday, Fasig-Tipton held a special sale at the Paris, Ky., stockyards, offering 53 horses originally signed for by Bernice L. Givens Sykes. Sykes signed tickets for nearly $700,000 for 134 horses at the Keeneland November and Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December mixed sales and then failed to pay for them. Horses purchased by Sykes at the Keeneland November sale will not be offered in the sale. Those horses are for sale privately.

Forty-seven horses were sold by Fasig-Tipton at the stockyard for a gross of $289,000 and an average price of $6,149. Mary Anne Parris consigned all of the horses because they have been in her care since Sykes signed for them. The horses originally were scheduled to be sold during the previous two days at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's February mixed sale, but were sent to Paris because of an outbreak of strangles at the farm where they were boarded. The high price of $34,000 was brought by a Two Punch -- Ballet Buff yearling filly that was purchased by Paul R. Fout, agent.