The $100m sale - Fasig-Tipton November auction soars to record heights

Fasig-Tipton's premier breeding stock sale on Tuesday lived up to its "Night of the Stars" moniker yet again, as the evening proved remarkable in every way. With records shattered and a buying frenzy by Japanese entities and American operations, 26 seven-figure horses sold to 18 different buyers.

From 274 catalogued, Fasig-Tipton reported 149 horses changed hands for gross receipts of $103,699,000, breaking the 2018 record gross of $89,473,000. The $695,966 average also was a record, besting the 2012 average of $692,184, and this year's median rose to $300,000 from $200,000 a year ago. Forty-five horses failed to sell, representing a buy-back rate of 23 per cent.

At the 2020 sale, 142 horses sold out of 288 cataloged, grossing $80,237,000 with an average of $565,049 and a buy-back rate of 32.7%, which represented 69 unsold horses.

The sales grounds were packed and the market, which has been bullish all year, continued to rage. Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning Jr. said he was amazed at the success of the evening. He was quick to credit to the hard work the team behind him put into the night.

"Remarkable evening tonight; we were so fortunate to have such tremendous horses on the grounds. As we went around Sunday morning looking at the physicals, it was almost impossible to believe the quality of horses that were on the grounds," Browning said. "One after another, we would look at them … you'd say, 'She's beautiful,' and then you would look at another one and say, 'She's beautiful,' and then you couldn't see the next horse because there were people in front of you trying to look at them.

"We have been very fortunate that a lot of horses that have sold in this sale have gone on to become significant producers around the world, because of the quality of horses we have had the opportunity to sell."

The star of the evening came when Mandy Pope of Whisper Hill Farm teamed up with Three Chimneys Farm to purchase Magical World (Hip 203) for $5.2 million from Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency. The dam of Grade 1-winner Guarana (hip 182, sold for $4.4 million to Hill 'n' Dale) and stakes winner Magic Dance is in foal to leading sire Into Mischief.

"We're very happy and very happy to have a nice mare in partnership with Three Chimneys," said Pope. "It's going to be stellar. We will keep making great babies and all is good. We're just excited to have her and delighted to have the partnership."

Owner-breeder Mandy Pope was among the busiest buyersCredit: Fasig-Tipton Photo

Situated outside, Pope also was determined to add the Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil to her collection, seeing off other buyers to secure the filly in partnership for $5 million. The daughter of Daredevil will continue to train with Brad Cox and partners Flurry Racing Stable and Qatar Racing will remain in.

"I'm excited about it," said Cox. "[A trip] back to the Breeders' Cup would be the year-end goal with obviously some Grade 1s sprinkled in throughout the year. She's very sound, there is a lot of tread left on the tire, and I'm excited to get her back."

Pope added: "It's great to have the opportunity to be on board with my new partners and to go racing for another year.

"Alex Solis put us all together so I'm looking forward to it and not only to having a lot of fun but winning a lot of money. It will be great. She's such a wonderful racehorse, and she's gorgeous. She reminds me a lot in her physique and the way she carries herself of Havre De Grace."

Champion 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver strode through the ring as confidently as she has in all her races. She attracted competitive bidding that led to a hammer fall at $4.7 million for the 2020 Preakness Stakes winner. Trainer Kenny McPeek was on hand to watch the Eclipse Award winner change hands to Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm.

Shingo Hashimoto, manager of international affairs for the Yoshida family's Northern Farm, said Swiss Skydiver was the pick of the sale.

"Both pedigree-wise and how she looks, and what she had been racing," Hashimoto said when asked about what made Swiss Skydiver an appealing purchase. "It's simply so amazing. She was unbelievable. She was so attractive. We are very, very happy.

"[The Preakness] was a very, very tough race and it was very amazing that a filly beat the colts in a classic. It was a great challenge and she deserved that win."

Hashimoto said Swiss Skydiver will head to Japan with breeding plans still to be decided.

Leading buyer Yoshida secured six horses for total figures of $12.725 million, bringing his total purchases at the premier breeding stock sale since 2010 to over $61.725 million.

Kentucky Oaks star Shedaresthedevil will stay in trainingCredit: Fasig-Tipton Photo

The weekend leading into the sale saw the Japanese rewarded with long-overdue success on Breeders' Cup World Championships weekend, winning two races with Marche Lorraine in the Distaff and Loves Only You in the Filly and Mare Turf.

"Our friends in Japan have become a major component of this sale for two reasons," Browning said. "First of all, the product, which has great appeal to the Japanese—top quality, young fillies and mares coming off the racetrack or young proven producers. We have been entrusted with those horses to sell. They have gotten used to coming here and having great success with them.

"Secondly, we are truly becoming a global market. Breeders' Cup was the World Championships, and it was cool to see the Japanese be represented by significant victories and the Koreans represented by a major victory [with Breeders' Cup Classic winner Knicks Go)."

"For many years, there have been a whole lot of Bluewater halters in Japan," said consignor Meg Levy of Bluewater Sales. "Northern Farm and the Yoshida's and JS Company have been perennial buyers at this sale.

"Particularly from us, so we appreciate all the support, and we're so glad it finally paid off for them to take those risks and ship their horses over here and show the kind of quality they have. In our interactions with the Japanese buyers, they are so detailed and do so much research. I've sold many pregnant horses to Japan, and they call and find out what the horses' history is and what the mare does when she's foaling. Not a lot of people do that."

A weanling filly by Curlin consigned took top honours of the night when sold for $750,000 to West Bloodstock, agent for Robert and Lawana Low. The bay filly offered by Taylor Made Sales Agency is the second foal out of Sippican Harbor, winner of the 2018 Spinaway Stakes.

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