The 2020 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale concluded on Friday evening (October 9) with the fifth and final session at the Fasig-Tipton’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky.
Six yearlings, including five sired by world champion Downbytheseaside, sold for six figures on the final day. Sea Lionness (Hip # 836) topped the group with a price tag of $200,000. Consigned by agent Spring Haven Farm, the filly out of the Western Ideal mare Lionnesss Hanover was purchased by Gregory Luther of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. She is half-sister to two-time Ohio Sire Stakes champion Queen Of The Pride ($789,149 - 1:50) and multiple Grand Circuit stakes winner Roaring To Go ($434,321 - 1:50.4).
Bythemissal (Hip # 794) was the second highest priced yearling from the session, selling for $135,000. Josh Green, acting as agent for Eric Good, was the buyer of the Downbytheseaside colt from the Preferred Equine consignment. He is the first foal out of the Western Terror mare Dismissal.
Coastal Front (Hip # 730), another son of Downbytheseaside, rounded out the top three selling for $115,000. Hailing from Shes A Great Lady bloodlines, the Winbak Farm-bred colt out of the Western Ideal mare Shes Poison was bought by Don Robinson, agent. He is a half-brother to Poisonous ($286,827 - 1:49.4) and Arsenic ($269,691 - 1:51.1).
A total of 168 yearlings were sold during Friday's session for a combined $4,943,000. The average price was $29,423.
Kadena (Hip #89) was the overall sale topper on opening night this past Monday when she sold for $725,000. The price set a record for any yearling filly sold at auction, surpassing the $625,000 tag for pacer Laugh A Day in 1983 and $600,000 for trotter Ineffable in 2019. The daughter of Walner is just the second foal out of world champion Mission Brief ($1,657,399 - 1:50.2). Consigned by Hunterton Farm, Kadena was purchased by agent Marcus Melander for Courant Inc. of New Egypt, New Jersey.
Over the course of the entire five-day auction, 816 yearlings were sold for a total of $41,552,000, resulting in an average price of $50,922. In comparison, the record-setting 2019 sale featured 762 yearlings that grossed $46,480,000 and averaged $60,997.
Trotting colts generated $13,784,000 in sales, with the division, which included 234 yearlings, also posting the highest average price at $58,906.
Muscle Hill was the leading stallion in the categories of gross sales ($6,493,000) and average price ($132,510). Walner's progeny grossed $4,852,000 and his sire, Chapter Seven's yearlings sold for a total of $3,297,000. The top pacing stallion was Captaintreacherous, whose 29 offspring grossed $2,853,000 and averaged $98,379.
Preferred Equine was the top consignor with gross sales of more than $8.15 million followed by Hunterton Sales Agency with nearly $6.1 million in sales and Kentuckiana Farms with almost $6 million.
The top buyer over the course of the five-day auction was Nancy Takter, agent, shelling out nearly $1.63 million for 14 yearlings. Ake Svanstedt acquired 12 yearlings for more than $1.48 million and Andy Miller Stable rounded out the top three buyers with total sales topping $1.3 million for five purchases.
Buyers hoping to take home the future stars of the sport were able to place bids by phone as well as online through the proven live-bidding platform Proxibid.
IMPORTANT LINKS
• Sortable Sale Roster
• Yearling Sale Catalogue (PDF)
• Outs List
• Sale Results
• Online Bidding (via Proxibid)
• Sale Streaming Video