Tapit Colt Tops Fasig Finale

by Amanda Duckworth

The Fasig-Tipton October Fall Yearlings Sale wrapped up its four-day run on Thursday with slight declines across the board despite the money being there for quality offerings.

“It was not dramatically different from 2014,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “The market for a horse below $15,000 in terms of value is extremely difficult. From $15,000 to $50,000, it is sticky but still manageable, and once you get above $50,000 it is pretty dadgum good. It was almost like a three-tiered marketplace.”

Two-hundred fifteen horses sold Thursday for a combined $7,802,600 at an average of $36,291. The median was $15,000, with a 28.3% buyback rate.

Cumulatively, 854 horses grossed $29,369,300, leading to an average of $34,390 and a median of $15,000 during four days of trade. Over three days of selling last year, 837 horses sold for $30,006,200, resulting in an overall average of $35,850 and a median of $18,500.

The cumulative RNA rate for the sale was 30.7%, as 380 of 1234 lots failed to find new homes. Comparatively, last year 219 of 1056 offerings didn’t sell for an overall RNA rate of 20.7%.

“It is a little bit of a reflection of a little bit of softening in the marketplace below $25,000,” said Browning of the buy-back rate. “I don’t think it was the result of the increased numbers; I think it was the result of a slight movement in the marketplace. We sold a very similar number of horses–the average is very similar–and there was a slight decrease in the median. I don’t think there was a dramatic change in the overall marketplace from 2014 to 2015 at this sale.”

The only Tapit on offer brought a final bid of $410,000 Thursday from John Oxley to top both the session and the overall sale. Out of the stakes-winning Smart Strike mare Apple Charlotte, he was consigned by Brookdale Sales on behalf of breeder Jack Swain. His price tag matched that of the 2014 sale topper, a filly who was also by Tapit. Consigned by Woods Edge and bought by Conquest Stables–a client, like Oxley, of trainer Mark Casse–she has since been named Conquest Tapdance.

Two horses shared the title of second-highest priced lot of the session at $250,000. Conquest went to that amount for

hip 1272, an Arch colt offered by Anderson Farms; while agent Steven Young secured hip 1237, a War Front colt consigned by Eaton Sales on behalf of Edward A. Cox Jr.

The Arch colt had been withdrawn from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, while the War Front failed to meet his reserve when bidding stopped at $235,000 last month.

“He was in Book 1, and he was a little backward,” said Frankie O’Connor on behalf of Eaton concerning the War Front colt. “He just progressed a lot in the last few weeks. A big, rangy colt like him, a month is a long time in their life. He did everything right, and he showed very well here the whole week. He is a real classy horse.”

For complete results and catalogue, visit www.fasigtipton.com.

Tapit Colt Hammers for $410K

by Amanda Duckworth

The thought that a good horse will bring a good price anywhere held true yet again, as a dark gray son of Tapit went for $410,000 during Thursday’s session of the four-day Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings Sale. John Oxley signed for hip 1363, who was offered by Brookdale Sales.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a steal, but I think it’s a very fair price for seller and buyer,” said Oxley of his new purchase. “There are a lot of horses, and you have to be very selective if you want what everybody likes to have, which is a stakes horse.”

Out of the stakes-winning and MGSP Smart Strike mare Apple Charlotte, the colt hails from the same family as Oxley’s 2015 GI Stephen Foster H. winner Noble Bird (Birdstone), who is campaigned trained by Mark Casse–the future conditioner of hip 1363.

“We’ll bring him along carefully, and point him for a big 2-year-old season, we hope,” said Oxley. “We’ll begin at Churchill Downs, hopefully, and go from there.”

Brookdale consigned the colt on behalf of his owner, Jack Swain, who bred and campaigned Apple Charlotte.

“He is a really, really good guy and a good client of ours,” Brookdale’s General Manager Freddy Seitz said of Swain, who has been a client for around 15 years. “I’m just really happy we could get that done like that for him. He has dedicated a lot of money and time and patience to this, and I think in the last few years it has finally started to pay off really well for him. That’s why it is so nice to see a horse like this hit for him.”

It has been a banner year for Swain, who has bred five graded stakes winners in 2015 and will be represented as breeder by no less than three horses in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships through Harmonize (Scat Daddy), Land Over Sea (Bellamy Road), and War Story (Northern Afleet).

The colt was originally offered at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, but failed to meet his reserve when bidding stopped at $340,000.

“Sometimes horses benefit from a little bit more time, and I think the extra month from September to October probably helped him a lot,” said Seitz. “He probably gets the most improved award from a month ago as far as some of the horses that came off the farm. He’s always been a real straightforward horse, a great mover, and is by one of the best sires in the world.”

Tennenbaum Finds Success at F-T October

By J.M. Severni

Breeder Alan Tennenbaum had one of his highest-priced sales Wednesday at the Fasig-Tipton October Sale when hip 484, a Pure Prize filly out of a half-sister to Giant Gizmo (Giant’s Causeway), went to Conquest Stables for $100,000. Tennenbaum’s hip 1260, a filly by Hat Trick (Jpn), fetched $32,000 from Spring Apple Farm Thursday. Both fillies were consigned by Darby Dan Farm.

Although Tennenbaum, who is in his fourth year of breeding horses, is relatively new to the bloodstock game, he’s been active in the industry for decades. The former jockey rode on the Ohio and Kentucky circuits during the 70s and 80s and owns a handful of horses–he currently has four in training with conditioner Brian Michael. Tennenbaum claims and buys at a variety of sales and occasionally keeps horses he’s bred to race. He currently has two broodmares that are stabled at Lee Felts’s Elizabeth Station Farm in Paris, Kentucky.

Tennenbaum credits pedigree expert and bloodstock agent Elizabeth Blythe for her help in making his breeding operation a success. Blythe has helped pick out dams and suggested matings, including the breeding of hip 484 and hip 1260. Tennenbaum also praised trainer Brian Michael for his work with the horses he has claimed.

“Brian does very well with his horses and he wins with a very high percentage,” Tennenbaum said.

Tennenbaum claimed Kuhlu, the dam of hip 484, for $15,000 in 2011. He retired her in 2012 and she produced a Henrythenavigator colt in 2013. The colt RNA’d for $22,000 at the 2013 Keeneland November Sale before selling privately for $20,000.

“I paid $25,000 to send Kuhlu to Henrythenavigator and subsequently sold for $20,000,” the breeder said. “You live and learn, I guess. I really didn’t have a whole lot of confidence in the family. I didn’t think [hip 484] would bring half of what she brought.”

Tennenbaum sold Kuhlu for $45,000 in foal to Uncle Mo at last year’s Keeneland November Sale.

The horseman was delighted with not only the filly’s sale, but with who purchased her–trainer Mark Casse signed the ticket on behalf of Conquest Stables.

“Mark Casse is one of the best trainers in the world,” Tennenbaum noted.

Westside Singer (Gone West), the dam of hip 1260, was acquired by Tennenbaum for $16,000 at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton February Sale as a 4-year-old. She graduated at Turfway Park that March, but was unsuccessful in her subsequent starts and was retired at the start of 2013. Hip 1260 is her first foal.

Tennenbaum said he realizes how difficult the bloodstock business is, and that his success at the October sale is all the more satisfying because of it.

“I grew up with horses, my dad bred horses in Ohio since I was nine years old,” he explained. “We got lucky the first couple of years, we had a few stakes horses, but after that it was one disappointment after another, so I know how tough the breeding business is.”