Today was the first serious day for looking through the select yearlings at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale that begins Tuesday, July 13, and concludes the next day.
There were decent numbers of inspectors out on the grounds, some fleeting through for a handful of quick looks before a round on the links, and others slogging through the barns in a more systematic approach.
With more than 400 hips cataloged, there should be a sufficient number of young prospects to supply the demand, and the depth of demand will be the key element to the financial success of the sale. But as yet, nobody knows who will be filling all the slots and how many the expected buyers will take home.
Rob Whiteley of Liberation Farm said the group “seems to be a good representation of the attractive, early-maturing young athletes that the yearling evaluation team at Fasig-Tipton has made a specialty of bringing to market each year.”
Neil Howard of Gainesway Farm noted that “there was steady traffic all day. It was busy in waves, but there were some people already vetting yearlings this afternoon.”
When buyers get serious about a yearling’s prospects, they send the vets in to do their thing. Generally, that is a good thing for sellers.
If there are a reasonable number of buyers who send vets to evaluate prospects, the sales results should be acceptable to breeders. That’s important because the breeders are essential for racing to have a steady supply of top-quality prospects that become champions and major winners like Kentucky Oaks and Delaware Oaks winner Blind Luck, who sold at this sale two years ago … for $11,000.
There are good ones at every price.
bloodstock in the bluegrass 