My Miss Tapit, Alter Moon Raise the Bar at July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale

The July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale closed Monday evening in Lexington, KY with the highest gross in the sale’s history.

My Miss Tapit (Hip 485), a stakes winner by three-time leading sire Tapit topped the sale when hammered down for $700,000 halfway through the session (video). The four-year-old filly was purchased by Breeze Easy from the consignment of ELiTE, agent. A stakes winner last year and third in the Princess Rooney S. (G2) on June 30, My Miss Tapit was previously campaigned by owner Mathis Stable and trainer Todd Pletcher. She has four wins and a third from six career starts with earnings of $132,555 to date. The sale topper eclipsed last year’s top price, when Grade 2 winner Distinta sold for $600,000.

“We had another successful horses of racing age exercise today,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “We had lots of horses that had lots of appeal domestically, and a few internationally. It really helps when you have consignments from racing operations such as Stonestreet, WinStar, the Phippses/Claiborne. We saw ELiTE’s introduction to the marketplace last year, which certainly added a jolt of energy and I think raised the bar in the horses of racing age sales arena. Taylor Made [has] always done a good job attracting top products, and other folks are beginning to see the virtues and reality and the strength of the marketplace.”

Phipps-bred Fire Away (Hip 443) was the top-selling male on the day, bringing $450,000 from Joseph Brocklebank, agent for Form Bloodstock (video). The six-year-old graded stakes winning War Front horse was consigned by Claiborne Farm, agent, making their first foray into the horses of racing age market a successful one. Claiborne also offered multiple graded stakes placed winner Revved Up (Hip 504), a five-year-old Candy Ride (ARG) horse out of champion Storm Flag Flying, who was purchased by Empire Thoroughbreds, agent for Kingsport Farm for $350,000. Both Fire Away and Revved Up are from the immediate family of champion Personal Ensign, Grade 1 winner My Flag, and Storm Flag Flying.

The top sophomore sold was Alter Moon (Hip 574), an impressive five-length stakes winner last time out at Gulfstream Park, a narrow runner up on the day when fetching a winning bid of $675,000 from Steven W. Young, agent (video). The three-year-old daughter of Alternation has a record of three wins and two seconds in seven career starts, with earnings to date of $128,255. She was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

Lady Lucy (Hip 465) was the top juvenile sold, bring $200,000 from Tom McCrocklin, agent. Offered by ELiTE, Lady Lucy broke her maiden in June on her second attempt and has earnings of $32,010 to date.

“I thought horses sold very fairly,” added Browning. “I think overall, consignors and buyers are happy with the level of commerce that took place.”

Overall, 100 horses sold for a total of $9,318,000, a 15.3% increase over $8,083,000 paid for 84 horses in 2017. The average was $93,180, while the median was $50,000. The RNA rate was 16.0%. Full results are available online.