Violence colt rules the roost on second day

The second session of the Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale produced a standout lot with a Violence colt selling to John C Oxley for $500,000, the highest price for the auction since 2013.

The price paid by Oxley for the colt sired by the Hill 'n' Dale resident – who currently ranks second on the freshman sires' list – highlighted a session in which 237 head grossed $8.4 million. The average price of $35,506 represented a 24 per cent gain over the $28,537 figure for the comparable session a year ago. The median rose 20 per cent from $10,000 to $12,000.

With 363 cataloged for the Tuesday session, the 77 head that did not sell represented 25 per cent of the total through the ring.

Ghostzapper filly leads the way at solid October Sale opener

Boyd Browning, president of Fasig-Tipton, said there was a more vibrant feel to the marketplace than during Monday's opener, but the results still reflected the trend in which there is steep demand for the quality offerings.

"It seemed to have a little bit more energy throughout the session today, probably a result of better horses," he said. "I don't think there are really any surprises in the marketplace. A really nice horse walks through there, every bid spotter is busy because there are that many people really desirous of that horse. The same trends are continuing in the last yearling sale of the year that we saw in the first yearling sale of the year.

"It's still not easy to sell a horse with flaws, whether it be pedigree, whether it be conformation, or whether it be vetting," he added. "When you line them up and meet all the requirements you are going to exceed expectations as far as the sales price you receive or achieve."

Contrasting emotions

Mark Taylor, whose family's Taylor Made Sales Agency sold the session-topping Violence colt, said the market was fickle, noting that a horse sold for $500,000 can be followed by one that brings $5,000.

"It's like this crazy schizophrenic ride through the day," he said. "People are high-fiving it and then other people are handing out handkerchiefs and crying. It's the good, the bad, and the ugly all right here together."

Pointing to the rain-saturated outdoor walking ring at Fasig-Tipton, Taylor continued: "Some people just want to go roll in that mud pit that's out there because they can't get their horses sold.

"That's the reality of the market. It's expensive to train horses and it's expensive to maintain horses. Some of them at the lower levels, it's just harder to get them sold."

The sale continues until tomorrow, with daily sessions beginning at 10am local time.

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