Cover image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton
The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, conducted for the first time after an untimed under-tack preview, produced its highest ever gross, average and median when it concluded Tuesday evening in Timonium.
Over two days, 382 horses sold for US$52,835,500 (AU$74.5 million) for an average of US$138,313 (AU$195,000) and a median of US$70,000 (AU$99,000). Those figures improved on records set just last year when 327 horses sold for US$44,317,500 (AU$62.5 million), an average of US$135,528 (AU$191,000) and a median of US$60,000 (AU$85,000).
“We are absolutely thrilled with the results of the 2026 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale,” said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning, Jr. “We hit the superfecta. The gross is way up, the average is up, the median is up and the RNA rate is down. And that's coming off of a dramatic increase from 2024 to 2025.
"We are absolutely thrilled with the results of the 2026 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale." - Boyd Browning
"The gross sales from this sale have increased 60% from 2024 to 2026. That's a pretty remarkable increase in terms of overall results.”
From a catalogue of 619 head, 457 horses went through the ring with 79 failing to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of 17.2%. It was 24.2% a year ago.
Boyd Browning | Image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton
“More important to us is the acceptance of a change of format and the acceptance of a change in the way of doing business for us,” Browning said. “We made a conscious decision to do the right thing by the horse and the right thing for our customers.
"It was met with mixed reviews, but we believed, and after the experience of the last 10 days, we still believe. We had tremendous support from a lot of consignors and a lot of buyers over the last two weeks And that's very gratifying.”
"We made a conscious decision to do the right thing by the horse and the right thing for our customers." - Boyd Browning
New sale format hits the mark with buyers
The new format gave buyers the chance to broaden their list of potential horses, according to Browning.
“If you don't have a time to kind of create your list from, you spend more time in the barn area and you look at more horses and you broaden that net a little bit,” Browning said. “And it gives a buyer the ability to look at more horses and say, 'I really like that horse' and talk to the consignor. So it increases the communication and it broadens the initial net, which hopefully broadens the transaction.”
Browning said he hopes that the new format will lead to better results for the sales graduates going on to the racetrack.
“I genuinely hope and believe that we are going to see very positive results on the racetrack from this group of sales graduates this year in terms of soundness and in terms of their number of starts,” he said.
"I genuinely hope and believe that we are going to see very positive results on the racetrack from this group of sales graduates." - Boyd Browning
“Time will tell, but I believe it. That's kind of what we said from the outset. We wanted to produce a horse that we thought was more suited to going on to the racetrack.”
Hip 357 - Gun Runner (USA) x Modest Maven filly | Image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton
Bloodstock agent Pedro Lanz, bidding on behalf of KAS Stable made the highest purchase on both days of the auction. He went to US$2.1 million (AU$2.96 million) to acquire the sale-topping son of Flightline (USA) during Monday's opening session and returned Tuesday to take home a daughter of Gun Runner (USA) for US$1.375 million (AU$1.94 million). Both juveniles were consigned by Sequel on behalf of breeder Chester Broman.
The auction had its third million dollar juvenile when Lee Ackerley purchased a colt by Corniche (USA) for US$1 million (AU$1.41 million). The juvenile was consigned by De Meric Sales.
“It's been a very good sale,” Tristan De Meric said of the activity in Timonium this week. “It's been a good market. There were a few that missed the mark, but that's going to be any sale where we have numbers. Not every one of them can jump through all the hoops. But we are very happy with the way the better horses in our consignment were received.”
"We are very happy with the way the better horses in our consignment were received." - Tristan De Meric
Lanz, KAS strike again for US$1.375 million Gun Runner filly
Bloodstock agent Pedro Lanz came back Tuesday to acquire a filly by Gun Runner (hip 357) for $1.375 million for KAS Stables, who also purchased Monday's session topper. Both juveniles were consigned by Sequel on behalf of their breeder, Chester Broman.
“We needed a filly and she was my favourite,” Lanz explained. “I told them, if you want the best filly, in my opinion, she is the one. She's a beautiful filly. She's a May foal and she still has more chance to develop into a bigger and stronger filly. She's out of a beautiful mare by Uncle Mo. So this filly has everything that you could ask for.”
"This filly (hip 357) has everything that you could ask for." - Pedro Lanz
The filly is out of Modest Maven (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}), a mare Broman purchased as a 2-year-old at this same sale in 2016 for US$1 million (AU$1.41 million). While Modest Maven didn't make it to the races, she has produced multiple graded-placed Arctic Arrogance (USA) (Frosted {USA}) and has a yearling filly by Flightline.
While the Flightline colt will be heading west to the barn of trainer John Sadler, the Gun Runner filly will be trained by Brad Cox, Lanz confirmed Tuesday.
In addition to the two seven-figure juveniles, through the Sequel consignment Broman sold five horses at the Midlantic May sale for a gross of US$4.215 million (AU$5.95 million).
“They are amazing breeders,” Lanz said of Broman's breeding program. “They always have the best horses. When you see Sequel Bloodstock consigning these horses, you know it's a serious consignment.”
US$1 million Corniche colt to Ackerley
A son of Corniche (hip 473) became the third juvenile to reach seven figures at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale when Susan Montanye signed the ticket at US$1 million (AU$1.41 million) to acquire the colt on behalf of Lee Ackerley Tuesday. The juvenile will be trained by Steve Asmussen.
“Steve Asmussen was here and he watched the breeze and picked this horse out for Mr Ackerley,” Montanye said. “He went back to the track today and called and asked if I would bid on the horse on behalf of them.”
Hip 473 - Corniche x Secret Union colt | Image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton
The bay colt is out of stakes-placed Secret Union (USA) (Dixie Union {USA}). He was consigned to Tuesday's sale by De Meric Sales, which purchased him for US$270,000 (AU$381,000) at last year's Keeneland September sale. He had originally been expected to sell at the OBS March sale.
“He has always trained really, really well, but he didn't have his best day in the breeze show at OBS,” consignor Tristan De Meric said. “He stayed on his left lead and worked in 10.5s. He had a bit of attention at the sale, but we thought he deserved another shot. He's a May foal and we thought this was an obvious place to bring him. I am thrilled with the way he was received and the way he has blossomed in the last 60 days.”
"I am thrilled with the way he (hip 473) was received and the way he has blossomed in the last 60 days." - Tristan De Meric
The De Merics bought into Corniche as a yearling before selling him for US$1.5 million (AU$2.12 million) at the 2021 OBS April sale.
“We are very proud of the way Corniche has started off his stallion career,” De Meric said. “We sought out a few Corniches to buy last year. Many of them made the list. They all moved very well and they have really handled the training.”
Tristan De Meric | Image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton
Clay stays busy in Timonium
Bloodstock agent Case Clay found plenty to like at the two-day Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale, walking away with 12 horses for a total of US$5,545,000 (AU$7.82 million).
“It's been a great sale,” Clay said as he was heading out the door Tuesday to catch a flight home. “I do love the new format. There were a lot of nice horses here and some good pedigrees here as well.”
"It's been a great sale, I do love the new format." - Case Clay
Clay said he liked the challenge of the new format of untimed works at the auction's under-tack preview.
“It's not necessarily one preference over the other, but it does change the process a little bit because you're judging it more on the athleticism of the horse going on the dirt,” he said. “I like the other 2-year-old sales as well, but it was more enjoyable to sift through the horses and find what we think might be athletic type horses.”
Case Clay | Image courtesy of Keeneland
A majority of the juveniles were purchased on behalf of Wathnan Racing, including Clay's two highest-priced acquisitions. Late in Tuesday's session, Clay purchased a colt by Jackie's Warrior (USA) (hip 581) for US$750,000 (AU$1.06 million) from the Camelot Acres Racing and Sales consignment.
“I just loved this colt,” Clay said. “He was a beautiful colt. There are some very nice-looking Jackie's Warrior around and we tried on others. We are happy to get this one.”
Two hips later, Clay struck for an Into Mischief (USA) colt (hip 583) from Lucan Bloodstock for the same price. The juvenile was from a seller Clay knows well. He was purchased by Grandview Equine for US$275,000 (AU$388,000) as a weanling at the Keeneland November sale.
“I let Wathnan know the horse was owned by Grandview, a partnership run by my father,” Clay said with a smile.
“So everybody knew what was going on. From the very beginning we've done it that way. In fact, I was the underbidder on a colt in Saratoga that Grandview was also bidding on and I had no idea. I was staying in my parents' basement and we had no idea we were both bidding on the same horse until the end.”
Hip 583 - Into Mischief x Verdana Bold colt | Image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton
Fennell, Garcia score with Speaker's Corner colt
Consignor Luis Garcia gave all the credit for picking out a colt by Speaker's Corner (USA) for US$50,000 (AU$70,500) at last year's Fasig-Tipton February sale to Gina Fennell. Returned to the sales ring in Timonium Tuesday with Garcia's LG consignment, the juvenile (hip 331) rewarded the decision when selling for US$425,000 (AU$599,600) to the bid of trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.
“Gina went to that sale for herself,” Garcia said after watching the colt sell. “I have to give her the credit. I don't go to that sale because I'm always at the farm training horses at that time of year.”
Fennell did keep Garcia in the loop before buying the colt.
“She liked his body and she said he looked fast,” Garcia recalled. “She sent me a photo and I liked him, too.”
"She (Fennell) liked his (hip 331) body and she said he looked fast." - Luis Garcia
Garcia added, “I trained him. He's not a big horse, but I can see he is going to grow.”
Speaker's Corner, who stands at Darley for US$10,000 (AU$14,100), has been well-received in the sales ring this spring. His eight juveniles to bring six figures at the OBS Spring sale were led by colts who sold for US$875,000 (AU$1.23 million) and US$500,000 (AU$705,000). The stallion had a colt sell for US$650,000 (AU$917,000) during Monday's first session of the Midlantic May sale.
Hip 331 - Speaker's Corner x Marvelous Spot colt | Image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton
“I saw one yesterday that looked really good and I've seen a couple at the sales and I like the way they look,” Garcia said of the stallion's first 2-year-olds.
Garcia agreed Tuesday's result exceeded expectations.
“I just wanted to get it done, so I didn't put a high reserve on him,” Garcia said. “I knew he was going to bring a little bit of money, but to be honest, I thought it would be $200,000 or $300,000.”
