Cheekaboo, Into Mischief Filly Lead the Way During First Session of Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale
Though the day went from unseasonably warm and sunny to pouring rain, the action was consistent in the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Lexington, KY on Monday. Accomplished racemares, promising broodmares, established sires, and newcomers proved equitably popular on the day, representing a healthy mix among the sale’s top prices and helping to establish across the board increases over the first session of this sale last year.
“The market was solid today,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “There was, for the most part, a marketplace for every horse that walked through there. All in all, this was a successful day.”
Broodmare prospect Cheekaboo topped the first session when sold early for $300,000 to K R Japan (video). The six-year-old Unusual Heat mare was offered as Hip 57 by Small Batch Sales, agent for Ciaglia Racing. Cheekaboo earned over $370,000 in 24 starts for owners Burns Racing, Ciaglia Racing, and Sharon Alesia and trainer Peter Eurton, winning the 2016 editions of the Honeymoon S. (G2) (video) and Campanile S.
“I thought [the diversity of the buying bench] was very good,” continued Browning. “We sold the sales topper to a group from Japan. We had Australian representatives here that bought a few horses. Some folks from [South America] were active in the marketplace, and certainly [there was] American participation. It was a broad and diverse group of buyers today.”
The top-priced broodmare on the day was multiple stakes winner Five Star Momma, offered as Hip 123 by James B. Keogh (Grovendale), agent (video). Silverton Hill paid $175,000 for the 10-year-old multiple graded stakes placed daughter of Five Star Day. The mare’s first foal was placed last year at two, and she is represented by a two-year-old Tiznow filly and a Star Guitar yearling colt.
Kitty Panda, a nine-year-old Sky Mesa mare in foal to Blame, topped the in-foal broodmares on Monday, selling to Fred Hertrich for $160,000. She was offered as Hip 199 by Winter Quarter Farm, agent. The stakes placed mare’s three-year-old Into Mischief filly Countable broke her maiden in timely fashion for her dam, winning a Maiden Special Weight at Aqueduct on January 11 in only her second start.
Another daughter of Into Mischief proved popular Monday, when a yearling daughter of the Mizzen Mast mare Kashami sold for $200,000 to Irish Meadow Stable to lead the session’s short yearlings (video). Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services, agent offered the February foal as Hip 191. The strapping gray or roan filly hails from the family of millionaire Willcox Inn and Grade 1 winners Cetewayo and Dynaforce.
Also popular was Hip 111, a first crop daughter of record-setting Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Frosted, purchased by McMahon & Hill Bloodstock, agent for $160,000. Offered by Stuart Morris, agent, the dark bay or brown filly is from the family of champion and influential sire FORTY NINER.
A mixed pair shared the top price for yearling colt during the session, with sons of proven sire Tiznow and first crop sire Exaggerator sold for $120,000 each.
First through the ring was Hip 72, a colt by Horse of the Year Tiznow, who commanded the price from J K Bloodstock. The gray or roan colt from the family of Grade 1 winner and multiple graded stakes winner producer Lovlier Linda was offered by Ballysax Bloodstock, agent. Hip 130, a colt from the first crop of Preakness S. (G1) winner Exaggerator, and a half-brother to graded stakes winning juvenile Theory, was purchased by Dundrum Farm from the consignment of Bluewater Sales, agent.
Overall, 146 horses changed hands for a total of $4,677,200, up 13.1% from the first session in 2018, when 181 horses sold for $4,134,200. The average increased 40.3% to $32,036 from $22,841 during last year’s first session, while the median rose 80.0% to $18,000 from $10,000. Thirteen horses sold for $100,000 or more during today’s session, up from nine at that threshold during last year’s first session.
Results are available online.
The Kentucky Winter Mixed sale resumes with its second and final session tomorrow at 10 AM.
