A colt by Curlin , consigned as Hip 268, topped a record first session of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale Oct. 20 in Lexington. The colt brought $900,000 from Legion Bloodstock, agent.
The chestnut colt is the first foal out of the multiple graded stakes-placed and 2021 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Munnyfor Ro. Hip 268 was bred in Kentucky by Alpha Delta Stables and consigned by Mill Ridge Sales, agent. He is the third-highest-priced horse in the history of the sale, with two others edging him out at $925,000 in 1999 and 2021.
"(He was bought) for a group of our clients, led by Andrew Hudson of Hoolie Racing," said Kristian Villante of Legion Bloodstock. "I was looking for a couple nice colts for them throughout the year, and he kind of fit the bill—proven sire, champion female family.
"He's a beautiful horse. He just looked the way he's supposed to. We've looked at him for three days now, and every day we fell in love with him. We bought another Curlin for them in September (at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale)."
Villante said the colt will head to Travis Durr's training center and most likely go to the barn of trainer Whit Beckman next year.
Price Bell Jr. of Mill Ridge Sales has experience with talented progeny of Curlin bred by Alpha Delta Stables. Last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) runner-up Raging Sea was bred by Alpha Delta and consigned as a yearling by Mill Ridge. The 5-year-old daughter of Curlin has earned more than $2.2 million in her illustrious career, including a win in this year's La Troienne Stakes (G1).
"We've been very fortunate to raise a lot of good horses for the breeders (Alpha Delta)," Bell said. "It's been a great privilege to work with them. It was an exceptional result for great breeders.
"He had a wonderful swagger, he moved very effortlessly. He was well balanced, and looked like a nice racehorse. He was well developed. Earlier this summer, we made the call that we were going to point to this sale, instead of (Keeneland) September. The extra month helps. I think horses really thrive in Kentucky in September and early October. He came to bloom."
The highest-priced filly of the session was Hip 296, a daughter of 2024 leading freshman sire Vekoma who sold for $425,000 to Love's Equine, agent for Linton Thoroughbreds.
She was bred in Kentucky by Eric Antonio Delvalle, and is out of the stakes-producing Eskendereya mare Nest Egg. The filly had gone through the sales ring twice before Monday's session—as a weanling at the 2024 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale when she brought $220,000 from BT Stables, and at last month's Keeneland September Yearling Sale where she failed to meet her reserve, attracting a final bid of $325,000.
"She was beautiful, the best-looking Vekoma, in my opinion, in the sale," said Billy Love of Love's Equine, who signed on behalf of Linton Thoroughbreds. "I bought her for Linton Thoroughbreds, it's going to be her (Brittany Linton) first racehorse."
"He's on fire," Love said about Vekoma. "With Spendthrift announcing his stud fee to $100,000 (in 2026), everyone's trying to jump on when they can. She was the classiest and fastest-looking one in the sale, so we had to go for it."
Love said the filly will head to Paul Sharp's training center near Ocala. Fla., for her early training, and will decide on a trainer next spring.
Day 1 Stats
The yearling market continued to show its strength through opening day of the last major yearling sale in North America. A total of 266 horses changed hands for gross receipts of $16,864,500—a single session record, up 20% from last year's Day 1 gross of $14,030,000 from 279 sold. The average price was $63,400, up 26% from $50,287, with a median of $30,000, up 50% from $20,000. Eighty-seven horses failed to meet their reserve, resulting in an RNA rate of of 25%.
"It was a great start to the 2025 October Yearling Sale," said Fasig-Tipton president and CEO Boyd Browning Jr. "All the statistical categories showed pretty significant increases. We saw the continuation of the trends that we've seen from July, carried through August, carried through September, and they're carrying through in October.
"There's a really tremendous demand, at more levels than we've seen in recent years. Not only was it good at the top, but there was a lot of activity from, really, $20,000 on up."
Legion Bloodstock led buyers with their single purchase of Hip 268. Taylor Made Sales Agency led the consignors selling 23 from their draft for a total of $1,383,500.
"I don't ever get too bold at making proclamations or declarations how the next three days are going to go," Browning said. "The catalog is set up alphabetically, we don't ever know which day is going to be the best day, but certainly a great start and looking forward to the next three days."
At the end of the session, Fasig-Tipton paid tribute to the loss of two great showmen—Arsenio Lujan and Steve Mitchell. Mitchell's family from his home country of the Bahamas were in attendance to hear about the legacy Mitchell left behind on the sales grounds.
"I don't know anywhere else in the world where you have the combination of people and the characters and the human beings that we had the pleasure of doing business with," Browning said. "It's pretty cool tonight to see people come together to celebrate the life of somebody they cared about. He (Mitchell) was a beloved member of the sales world. It was sadness and joy to see their family, I know I talked to them for a few minutes, and they'll sleep better tonight knowing that he had a circle of friends and family in the United States."
