Giant’s Causeway colt brings
$310,000 at Fasig-Tipton
A Giant’s Causeway colt commanded $310,000 to lead the way at Tuesday’s
second session of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale at Newtown
Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. A full brother to Irish stakes-placed Trinity
College, Hip No. 710 was purchased by Marion G. Montanari from the consignment
of Summerfield (Francis & Barbara Vanlangendonck), agent.
The chestnut is out of City College (Carson City), who placed third in the
1996 Schuylerville S. (G2). She is herself a half-sister to Irish stakes victor
and Group 2-placed Ancient Times (Nijinsky II), and she hails from the family of
French Group 1 star Imperial Beauty (Imperial Ballet [Ire]) and Grade 2 queen
Midnight Line (Kris S.). Further back, this is the female line of champion Bold
Forbes (Irish Castle), winner of the 1976 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont S.
(G1), and a host of Grade 1 winners, including Saratoga Six (Alydar) and Lakeway
(Seattle Slew).
A Dixie Union colt was the next most expensive, selling for $260,000 to
Elwaleed Mousa. Cataloged as Hip 541, the dark bay was consigned by Middlebrook
Farm, agent. The yearling is the second foal from the winning Kris S. mare
Acanthus. His second dam is stakes victress and Grade 2-placed Alyssum (Storm
Cat), a half-sister to Japanese champion Yamanin Paradise (Danzig); Grade 3
queen Destiny Dance (Nijinsky II), herself the dam of Grade 1 winner Balletto (UAE)
(Timber Country); and stakes scorer Aurora (Danzig), herself the dam of Grade
1-winning sire Arch (Kris S.) and recent Valley View S. (G3) heroine Acoma
(Empire Maker). The colt’s third dam is Althea (Alydar), the champion
two-year-old filly of 1983.
On Tuesday, 205 horses were sold for $3,147,200, a 40.7 percent drop from the
second session last year, when $5,308,900 was realized by 269 yearlings. The
average declined 22.2 percent, from $19,736 to $15,352, while the median plunged
40 percent, from $10,000 to $6,000. In 2007, however, the sale comprised only
two sessions.
Through the first two days of this year’s three-day auction, 387 horses have
changed hands for a total of $5,320,300, resulting in an average of $13,748 and
a $6,000 median. Those cumulative numbers represent across-the-board declines of
49.8 percent for gross receipts, 26.6 percent for the average and 40 percent for
the median compared to one year ago, when 566 yearlings grossed $10,595,700,
posting an $18,720 average and a $10,000 median.
The sale concludes Wednesday, beginning at 10 a.m. (EDT). For more
information, visit fasigtipton.com.