The Brock Talk

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Shiek Mohammed Spends $425k for Medaglia d'Oro Sale Topping Filly

Tuesday it was Medaglia d'Oro who took the spotlight at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky select yearling sale with his filly out of the Argentine group 2 winner Ting a Folie (Arg) demanding $425,000.

Again it was John Ferguson, the bloodstock agent for Sheik Mohammed al Mouktoum of the United Arab Emirates signing the ticket. The purchase was a family affair of sorts as Sheik Mohammed's Darley Stud purchased Medaglia d'Oro earlier last month and the filly is a half sister (also out of Ting a Folie) to Bastakiya, a stakes-placed filly that was owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s wife Princess Haya of Jordan. Medaglia d'Oro is the sire of Blackberry Preakness winning filly Rachel Alexandra.

For the second consecutive year Kitty Taylor's Warrendale Sales and David Handley's Whitechurch Farm sold the top seller at this sale. Last year they sold an Exchange Rate filly for $375,000. Hanley pinhooked the Medaglia d'Oro filly for $85,000 out of the 2009 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale.

The expectedly sluggish sale saw good action late in the sale however. Another Medaglia d'Oro filly out of the Gilded Time mare Paridot sold for $370,000 and a colt by Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Speightstown out of the Bates Motel mare Motel Lass sold for $325,000 as part of the last 50 lots.

In all 268 horses sold for $20,823,000 which was down nearly 30% from a year ago when 305 yearlings passed hands. The avearge price of $77,716 was down only 15.% and the buy-back rate declined 2 points to 36.8% The buy-back rate is the measurement of horses that passed through the ring but did not sell because they did not meet their reserve or the consignor had a late change of heart and re-purchased the horse. In each case, the consignor must still pay the commission on the sale to the sale company. The median dropped this year to $55,000 compared to $75,000 last year.

Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning told Bloodhorse.com that they seem to be feeling the brunt of the economy on the lower-end and that horses above the $50,000 price range seem to be holding their value.

Following the sales today on Twitter, it was reported that Kentucky Derby winnng trainer Chip Woolley Jr. was seen eyeing horses behind the sale ring while relaxing on his crutches. While taking a break from training Mine That Bird at Churchill Downs just a few hours from the Lexington, Woolley eventually purchased hip number 349, a Strong Hope colt, for $15,000.

1 comment:

Tucker NM said...

Funny how a stallion's popularity goes up and down.