Record opening day of Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale sees $900,000 Curlin colt come out on top

A Curlin colt topped a record first session of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale on Monday when selling to Legion Bloodstock for $900,000.

The chestnut is the first foal out of the 2021 Canadian champion two-year-old filly Munnyfor Ro and he was bred by Alpha Delta Stables and consigned by Mill Ridge Sales. Notably, the colt was the third-highest-priced horse in the history of the sale, with two others selling at $925,000 in 1999 and 2021 respectively. 

Kristian Villante of Legion Bloodstock told Bloodhorse: "[He was bought] for a group of our clients, led by Andrew Hudson of Hoolie Racing. I was looking for a couple nice colts for them throughout the year, and he kind of fit the bill — proven sire, champion female family.

"He's a beautiful horse. He just looked the way he's supposed to. We've looked at him for three days now, and every day we fell in love with him. We bought another Curlin for them in September [at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale]."

Price Bell Jr. of Mill Ridge Sales added: "He had a wonderful swagger, he moved very effortlessly. He was well balanced, and looked like a nice racehorse. He was well developed. Earlier this summer, we made the call that we were going to point to this sale, instead of [Keeneland] September. The extra month helps. I think horses really thrive in Kentucky in September and early October. He came to bloom."

The highest-priced filly of the session was a daughter of the exciting Vekoma, who sold for to Love's Equine for $425,000.

Bred by Eric Antonio Delvalle, and out of the stakes producer mare Nest Egg, the filly had gone through the sales ring twice before —as a weanling at the 2024 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale when she brought $220,000 from BT Stables, and at this year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale where she went unsold at $325,000.

Billy Love of Love's Equine, who signed on behalf of Linton Thoroughbreds, said: "He's [Vekoma] on fire. With Spendthrift announcing his stud fee to $100,000 [in 2026], everyone's trying to jump on when they can. She was the classiest and fastest-looking one in the sale, so we had to go for it."

266 horses changed hands for turnover of $16,864,500—a single session record, up 20 per cent from last year's opening day total of $14,030,000 from 279 sold. The average price was $63,400, a 26 per cent increase from $50,287, with a median of $30,000, up 50 per cent from $20,000. 

"It was a great start to the 2025 October Yearling Sale," said Fasig-Tipton president and CEO Boyd Browning Jr. "All the statistical categories showed pretty significant increases. We saw the continuation of the trends that we've seen from July, carried through August, carried through September, and they're carrying through in October.

"There's a really tremendous demand, at more levels than we've seen in recent years. Not only was it good at the top, but there was a lot of activity from, really, $20,000 on up." 

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