By Jessica Martini
TIMONIUM, Md – Prior to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale, consignor Bill Reightler said “The Maryland-breds are the story of this sale.” His words proved prescient Tuesday in Timonium when a colt by Curlin, bred in Maryland, sold for a sale-topping $450,000 to Chuck Zacney from the consignment of Becky Davis. It was the second-highest price in sales history and it is believed to be the most expensive Maryland-bred yearling.
“It was so thrilling to have a Maryland sale be topped by a lovely Maryland-bred,” said Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sales Director Paget Bennett. “Everybody has been so supportive of this Maryland sale and the Maryland-breds and it was Becky Davis's goal to bring a Maryland-bred here to top the sale and she accomplished that with flying colors. The Maryland-breds have become so popular and Maryland racing is what everyone is aiming for. Maryland is taking off. With the quality of Marylands, they can run anywhere now.”
The colt, who sold Tuesday as hip 323, was originally catalogued for the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, but connections decided to wait and sell the yearling in his homestate. The decision was a boon for the Timonium sale, according to Bennett.
“It's a huge drawing card, having that sire power,” Bennett said. “It's something to draw people into the sale.”
Figures were up for the auction, which attracted a diverse buying bench of pinhookers and end-users. In all, 268 horses sold for $6,436,600. The average rose 25.9% to $24,017 and the median remained constant at $10,000. The buy-back rate was 17%. A year ago, 274 yearlings grossed $5,228,800 and the average was $19,083. The 2015 buy-back rate was 25.3%.
Last year, only five horses sold for six figures, including the top-priced $200,000 yearling. That number jumped to 11 this year, with two over $200,000.
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