A California-bred son of Stay Thirsty was sold for $200,000 to top the Oct. 19 Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings Sale that was relocated to Los Alamitos Race Course due to COVID-19 restrictions at the original location.
The sale topper, Hip 79, was purchased by Naseer Fasihuddin from California breeder Terry Lovingier, who consigned the colt through his Lovacres Ranch. The colt, named Finneus, was produced from the multiple stakes-winning Ghostzapper mare My Fiona, a daughter of multiple stakes winner A Vision in Gray.
Monday's auction saw 298 horses cataloged, with 166 reported sold for $3,735,700, an average price of $22,504, and a $10,000 median. The RNA rate was 35.2%.
At last year's inaugural Fasig-Tipton California yearling sale, 137 horses were reported sold for $3,667,800, an average of $26,772, and a median of $13,000, with an RNA rate of 46%.
This year's auction was relocated to Los Alamitos in Orange County from Fairplex Park in Pomona due to COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings at facilities in Los Angeles County, where Fairplex is located.
"The average was down a little bit today, but all in all it was a reasonable marketplace," said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning Jr. "I was slightly disappointed by the participation by some California trainers. I think that due to a lot of the ups and downs, mainly the adversity they've experienced in recent months and years, they may have lost a little bit of their enthusiasm. As a sales company, we don't make the market, we serve the market.
"And in times of need, at some point folks have to rally the troops and say 'we're going to do everything we can and support the market and support the industry,'" Browning continued. "We can either get up and start fighting like hell or we can accept the current situation and I've never been willing to accept the current situation when it wasn't in my favor."
Browning said the sales company appreciated efforts by owner Dr. Ed Allred and the team at Los Alamitos to accommodate the Thoroughbred sale on short notice.
"Without their cooperation and effort and willingness to pitch in and help out the Thoroughbred industry this sale would not have taken place," Browning said. "It took a commitment to try to support the industry. You admire and respect people who rise to the occasion in a time of need without any BS."
Browning acknowledged Fasig-Tipton's efforts in California have been a struggle since it re-entered the market and that getting help from an organization like Los Alamitos has been beneficial.
"It's been a very tumultuous 24 months since we have become involved in this Southern California sales scene, to say the least, and it's nice to see somebody like (Allred) step up and assist," Browning said. "It certainly hasn't been lucrative but we made a commitment to come here and try to support the breeding industry and support the sales industry in California and it's been trying circumstances for us and for everybody in the industry. It's been tough sledding."
Fasihuddin was listed as buyer on another Lovingier-bred Stay Thirsty colt from Lovacres, with Hip 51 going for $110,000. Named Erebus, the colt was produced from grade 2 winner Lost Bus, a half sister to stakes winner Brandothebartender.
Stay Thirsty stands at Lovacres Ranch, where his 2020 fee was $10,000.
Lovingier said he and other consignors appreciated Fasig-Tipton's efforts to hold the auction.
"Fasig-Tipton is a class organization," Lovingier said. "At least we're having a sale and able to get horses into the right spots."
Trainer Gary Mandella, who bought a Not This Time filly (Hip 64) from Adrian Gonzalez' Checkmate Thoroughbreds, complimented Fasig-Tipton and Los Alamitos on putting together the sale venue on short notice.
"I thought they did a good job setting the barns up and giving us some space to work with," Mandella said. "I thought it all went pretty smooth. It was a good group of horses; a nice sprinkling of Kentucky sires along with the California stallions that are doing well. There was something there for everyone."
Purchased on behalf of Tom Nichols for $95,000, the filly bred in California by Lou Neve is out of the winning Mizzen Mast mare Masterful Lass, who has also produced multiple stakes winner Avanti Bello.
"She is very athletic," Mandella said. "She is the kind of filly I like when I go to sales. I was happy she fell into my price range and I'm looking forward to seeing what she can do next year."
