Following the Breeders’ Cup we got to watch the Fasig-Tipton Keeneland sale and once again we saw hope and optimism lead to over paying way more than a dollar for the dream.
Armed with the well-documented knowledge that many or even most great race mares do not make great producers, deep pockets dug down at the Fasig-Tipton sale to keep those dreams alive. Songbird brought a whopping $9.5 million, and Tepin brought a quite respectable $8 million. Amanda Pope and her Whisper Hill Farm bought Songbird. This is nothing new for Pope and Whisper Hill as from 2009- 2017 they bought 96 horses at auction for $77,619,500. That’s about $808,000 per horse.
From that investment Pope has bred just 4 stakes winners, Tizway, Bearpath, Term of Art, and Southern Honey. I’m no CPA but that balance sheet can’t look good. There are a lot better ways to go, and breed. Coolmore bought Tepin, and they seem to have a better handle on breeding stakes winners. Their list is long but they too are heavily invested.
Lady Eli was withdrawn from the Fasig-Tipton sale due to the injuries she suffered in the Breeders’ Cup. She’d have brought a pretty penny herself. With connections from the US, Japan, and Ireland going in the deep end of the pool, the high prices had an international flavor.
Miss Temple City goes for $2.5 million
Cathryn Sophia checks in at $2.3 million
