Well-Related Cinnamon Spice Tops Strong Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale

The 2017 Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale closed on a high note on Tuesday, yielding gains in gross and average over the 2016 renewal.

“We were pleasantly surprised at the level of activity [and] the mood,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “I think that the buyers found it generally tougher to buy than they thought there were going to and I think the sellers may have found a little more activity in the marketplace than they anticipated coming into the sale. I thought overall it was a very positive two days, very encouraging.”

Cinnamon Spice, a winning half-sister to Grade 1 winner Violence, topped the sale when purchased for $700,000 early in the second session by  Oussama Aboughazale’s International Equities Holding from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Fox Hill Farm (video). Consigned as Hip 345, Cinnamon Spice’s price tag was good for a 112% increase over last year’s sale topper.

Francis Relihan, bidding on behalf of Aboughazale, told The Blood-Horse, “She cost more than we expected, but the quality always rises to the top. We knew we would have a challenge to get her.”

On the other side of the sale, Mark Taylor of Taylor Made praised the result. “It exceeded our expectations,” he told The Blood-Horse.

Browning commented on the sale topper, “She captured everybody’s attention. As soon as anyone saw her, they wanted to own her. She’s a beautiful filly. The sales history on a broodmare comes in and she was bought by Fox Hill Farm, Tom McGreevy agent, you know that she’s going to be good looking, you that she’s going to have been treated right, you know that she’s going to have every opportunity. People have confidence doing business with them, and it showed again today.”

Hip 492, a colt by successful young sire Uncle Mo leapt to the top of the short yearlings when sold for $172,000 to Artic Bloodstock (video). The colt was consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent. The price represented a 72% increase over the top short yearling sold in 2016.

Over the course of two days, 351 hips sold for a gross of $9,501,800, up 15% from $8,260,600 for 341 hips sold last year. The $27,071 average represented an increase of 11.7% from $24,225 in 2016. The median was $9,000 and the RNA rate was 25.5%. Twenty-three hips sold for $100,000 or more, up from 14 in 2016.

Full results are available online.