Five first-crop yearling sires were quick out of the gate for the North American yearling sales season that launched July 12 with Fasig-Tipton's July Sale of select yearlings.
Spendthrift Farm's Omaha Beach , his sire class's leader by entering-year stud fee ($45,000) and first-crop weanling average ($142,692), held his position with his first yearlings offered at auction. The son of War Front was represented by five sold of six offered that averaged $236,000. The average produced an overall return more than five times his stud fee at conception.
An Omaha Beach filly out of grade 3 winner Gas Station Sushi (Into Mischief ) was her sire's top seller and the sale's third-highest-priced horse, bringing $410,000 from agents Alex Solis II and Jason Litt. The filly was sold by Woodford Thoroughbreds on behalf of Spendthrift, which bred her. Omaha Beach's other four to sell all brought prices of $160,000 or more.
Four other stallions were rewarded with six-figure averages at The July Sale: WinStar Farm's Audible at $136,667, Spendthrift's Vino Rosso at $135,455; Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa's World of Trouble at $118,500; and, Spendthrift's Mitole at $108,400.
Vino Rosso and Mitole both had top sellers bring $250,000. A Vino Rosso colt out of the Unbridled's Song mare Melody Girl was purchased by trainer Kenny McPeek, while a Mitole filly out of the Yes It's True daughter Lunarlady went to Chenowith Run Stables. Four Star Sales consigned the Vino Rosso colt on behalf of Westbury Stables, and Woodford Thoroughbreds consigned the Mitole filly.
Vino Rosso also was represented by two other yearlings that sold for $200,000.
Audible had two yearlings sell for $200,000 or more, topped by a $220,000 colt out of the Verrazano mare I'm Guilty. Stoneriggs Farm bred and consigned the colt that was bought by Bradley Thoroughbreds.
Among the top five first-crop sires by average, World of Trouble's yearlings produced the highest ratio of average price to stud fee at 7.9. The son of Kantharos and winner of grade 1 stakes on turf and dirt entered stud at $15,000 and stood this year for $7,500. He was represented by two sold from four offered with his top seller a $170,000 filly out of the Posse mare Hiding. The filly was consigned by Four Star Sales and bought by Bradley Weisbord and Liz Crow.
Ashford Stud's Uncle Mo had the highest overall average at $268,750 among sires represented by two or more sold and without having a yearling among the three highest-priced sellers. Glassman Racing bought the sire's top yearling, a colt out of the Sky Mesa mare Super Saks for $400,000.
Five other sires, aside from Omaha Beach, were represented by averages of $200,000 or more. The other were Spendthrift's multiple leading sire Into Mischief ($265,000), Juddmonte Farms' late Arrogate ($225,000), Spendthrift's current leading freshman sire Bolt d'Oro ($215,000), Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa's Ghostzapper ($210,000), and Ashford's freshman sire Mendelssohn ($200,000).
The July Sale overall sold 189 horses for an average of $115,151 and a median of $90,000.
| Leading First-Crop Sires at Fasig-Tipton July Sale | ||||||
| The following sires were represented by two or more sold. The 2020 stud fee is the fee at conception for the yearlings offered. XSF is the "times stud fee" ratio of stud fee to average yearling price. | ||||||
| Sire | Offered | Sold | Average | Median | '20 Fee | XSF |
| Omaha Beach | 6 | 5 | $236,000 | $195,000 | $45,000 | 5.24 |
| Audible | 10 | 9 | $136,667 | $135,000 | $25,000 | 5.47 |
| Vino Rosso | 13 | 11 | $135,455 | $125,000 | $30,000 | 4.52 |
| World of Trouble | 4 | 2 | $118,500 | $118,500 | $15,000 | 7.90 |
| Mitole | 10 | 5 | $108,400 | $82,000 | $25,000 | 4.34 |
| Copper Bullet | 4 | 3 | $96,000 | $80,000 | Private | |
| Flameaway | 6 | 5 | $85,400 | $70,000 | $7,500 | 11.39 |
| Catalina Cruiser | 5 | 5 | $77,000 | $75,000 | $20,000 | 3.85 |
| Maximus Mischief | 12 | 10 | $70,000 | $57,500 | $7,500 | 9.33 |
| Enticed | 4 | 3 | $60,000 | $40,000 | $10,000 | 6.00 |
| St Patrick's Day | 2 | 2 | $55,000 | $55,000 | $5,000 | 11.00 |
| Catholic Boy | 3 | 3 | $40,333 | $36,000 | $25,000 | 1.61 |
| Leading Sires at Fasig-Tipton July Sale | ||||
| (min. 2 sold) | ||||
| Sire | Offered | Sold | Average | Median |
| Uncle Mo | 5 | 4 | $268,750 | $237,500 |
| Into Mischief | 3 | 3 | $265,000 | $260,000 |
| ¶Omaha Beach | 6 | 5 | $236,000 | $195,000 |
| Arrogate | 2 | 2 | $225,000 | $225,000 |
| Bolt d'Oro | 4 | 4 | $215,000 | $220,000 |
| Ghostzapper | 2 | 2 | $210,000 | $210,000 |
| Mendelssohn | 4 | 2 | $200,000 | $200,000 |
| Candy Ride (ARG) | 2 | 2 | $195,000 | $195,000 |
| Munnings | 4 | 4 | $187,500 | $175,000 |
| Hard Spun | 3 | 2 | $175,000 | $175,000 |
| Not This Time | 3 | 3 | $150,000 | $150,000 |
| Street Sense | 5 | 4 | $147,500 | $145,000 |
¶ denotes first-crop yearling sire
