$200,000 Medaglia d'Oro colt tops strong Fasig-Tipton opener

$200,000 Medaglia d'Oro colt tops strong Fasig-Tipton

opener

A bay colt by Medaglia d'Oro brought the top price of $200,000 at Monday's

opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearlings Sale, which

witnessed massive gains across the board. Consigned by Denali Stud (Craig & Holly Bandoroff), agent, Hip No. 16 was purchased by Debbie Easter as agent for P.

Deutsch.

At the conclusion of Monday's sale, Fasig-Tipton reported that 220 yearlings

grossed $4,741,900, a 50.5 percent jump from the $3,151,000 raked in by 232

horses at last year's kickoff. The average shot up 58.7 percent, from $13,582 to

$21,554, while the median skyrocketed 140 percent, from $5,000 to $12,000.

The session topper, a June 4 foal who first sold for $175,000 as a newly-turned yearling at Keeneland January, is related to the current stakes-placed Dark Cove (Medaglia

d'Oro). The Kentucky-bred colt is out of the unraced Coronado's Quest mare

Especially Me, who is a half-sister to Dark Cove's dam Crystal Cove (Kris S.) as

well as to Grade 3 winner Better Now (Thunder Gulch).

The yearling's second dam, Grade 2-placed stakes victress Scenic Point

(Unbridled), is herself a half-sister to five stakes performers, including

multiple Grade 3 hero River Squall (Summer Squall). Australian Group 2 winner

Churchill Downs (Danehill), third in the Group 1 Golden Slipper and Group 1

Ascot Vale in 2006, is also in the family.

Frank Stronach's Adena Springs went to $120,000 for a colt from the first

crop of once-beaten champion and dual classic winner Big Brown. Cataloged as Hip

78, the May 16 foal was offered by Hunter Valley Farm, agent.

The Kentucky-bred bay is a half-brother to Uncle Denny (In Excess), winner of

the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby in 2005, and to the stakes-placed Infinite

Faith (Dixieland Band). They were produced by the winning His Majesty mare Gift

to the World, who is a half-sister to Grade 2 victor Gourami (King's Bishop) and

multiple stakes heroine Deputy Sue (Silver Deputy).

Adena Springs also snapped up the third-best seller, a $110,000 colt from the

first crop of champion sprinter Midnight Lute. The half-brother to current

multiple Grade 3 winner May Day Rose (Rockport Harbor) was consigned by Hill 'n'

Dale Sales Agency, agent, as Hip 283.

The February 24 Kentucky-bred is out of the unraced May Day Bluff (Pine

Bluff), who is also responsible for multiple stakes victress May Day Vow (Broken

Vow). May Day Bluff is in turn a half-sister to multiple Grade 3 queen Roza

Robata (Fire Maker), the dam of Japanese stakes scorer Flying Apple (Rahy). The

bay youngster's third dam is May Day Eighty (Hoist the Flag), winner of the

Grade 1 Delaware Handicap in 1983.

The three-day sale continues Tuesday at 10 a.m. (EDT). For the complete

catalog, continuously updated results and live video of the auction, log onto

fasigtipton.com.