The first of the two-day Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale concluded Feb. 5 with solid results. Gross sales increased 43.5% to $7,925,500 and the median jumped 52.4% to $16,000 over the previous year’s corresponding session. Agent Steve Young went to $500,000 for the opening session’s top seller, the grade 1-placed broodmare prospect Home Cooking .
“(Today was) a very encouraging start to the 2024 Kentucky Winter Mix Sale. There was lots of activity throughout the day from start to finish, at all levels of horses, and at all price ranges,” Fasig-Tipton president and CEO Boyd Browning Jr. said. “All types of horses sold very well. The place was crowded from start to finish, and there was lots of activity at every level, which was encouraging.”
Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa for her racing connections, Home Cooking was purchased for Ramona Bass to go to her recently retired grade 1-winning sire Annapolis . The 4-year-old Honor Code filly ran second best in the Debutante Stakes (G1) at 2 for trainer Bob Baffert and the partners of Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, often called the Three Amigos.
Young was the session’s leading buyer with his single purchase.
A Constitution colt, consigned by Four Star Sales as Hip 242, took top honors as the highest-priced short yearling, which Discovery Bay bought for $300,000. Bred in Kentucky by Cypress Creek Equine, the colt out of Special Thanks is a half sibling to grade 3-placed winner Eve of War and comes from the deep family of multiple grade 3 winner Bedanken .
Jes Sikura signed the sales slip for Discovery Bay and indicated the chestnut late May foal will return to the sales ring later this year.
Four Star Sales sold nine of its 10-horse draft for a turnover of $997,000 and an average of $110,778 to be the leading consignor on Day 1.
“I think we’ve all had a little fear and trepidation about where the middle market was going and if there would be a market for horses perceived as less expensive, and I thought the trade was good there today,” Browning commented. “We’ve seen a lot of competition at the upper levels and that repeated today.”
Fasig-Tipton reports selling 196 of 237 offered, which produced a buy-back rate of 17.3%. The average rose by 33.2% to $40,436.
The top 10 horses sold Monday realized $160,000 or more and were purchased by 10 individual parties.
The top five short yearlings were by Constitution (Hip 242—$300,000), Justify (Hip 224—$290,000), Good Magic (Hip 141—$270,000), Maxfield (Hip 293—$240,000), and More Than Ready (Hip 233—$190,000).
Boyd Browning Jr. at the sale
“It is a very encouraging start; you can’t compare the February sale from year to year, and tomorrow will be completely unfair compared to last year,” Browning said. “We have an unusual catalog and group of offerings with the Lothenbach dispersal. There will certainly be fireworks from the yearlings and mares here tomorrow.”
Beginning at 10 a.m. ET Hips 301-536 will head through the sales pavilion, including the Lothenbach dispersal of yearlings, broodmares, and broodmare prospects. There are 34 horses withdrawn from Tuesday’s final session.
Vinery Sales co-owner Matt Bowling noted the market Monday was fair and the foot traffic for the mares in the dispersal as off the charts.
“We have been overrun with people calling from overseas and people coming to look at the mares on the grounds,” Bowling said. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the turnout of buyers; the majority of the buyers we expected to see have shown up. The mares have stayed out of their stalls to get shown, so we will see what happens tomorrow.”
