Other Thursday highlights were the $400,000 sales of both Hip No. 365, an Is It True filly, and Hip No. 465, a Phone Trick filly. Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt's Winstar Farm signed the ticket to take home the Is It True filly, a full sister to Yes It's True. The filly was consigned by Lakland LLC, as agent.The bay Phone Trick filly is out of the Sunny's Halo mare Heavenly Note and was purchased by Eugene Melnyk. She was consigned by Beth Bayer for owner Juvenal Diaz.
Day two of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky selected yearlings sale in Lexington, Ky. began with an Unbridled colt, Hip No. 297, shattering Wednesday's top price. As the sale concluded, final numbers were positive with the exception of the number of horses that did not meet their reserve prices. Richard Mulhall, representing Cimarron Stable, went to $525,000 to acquire the Unbridled colt produced from the Alleged mare, Tom's a La Mode. Eaton Sales, as agent, consigned the colt on behalf of Rich Meadow Farm. Mulhall said Cimarron Stable is a new group of owners consisting mostly of European and Mid-East interests, all of which are friends of The Thoroughbred Corp's Prince Ahmed Salman. The colt will be sent to either Florida or California and will be trained by Bob Baffert. The sale closed with numbers up from last year, including the number of horses that failed to attain their reserve (RNA's). Gross sales of $26,146,500 marks an increase of 18% from last year's sale. The average price for the 336 horses sold was $77,817, up 4% from last year's average of $75,037. The number sold represented a 13.5% increase from the 296 lots sold last year. In all, 181 horses--35%--failed to attain their reserve, up from 65 (18%) a year ago. Fasig-Tipton's Walt Robertson was a little troubled by the number of RNA's but thought the overall market was good. "This year we didn't have anyone bottom-feeding," Robertson said. "But you lead (in) a horse that did everything right--you did well. It has never been better here since time began." Robertson continued that Fasig-Tipton plans to refine this sale for next year offering fewer horses in number, but a more select group overall.
