Sky Mesa filly tops first Fasig-Tipton session

Hip 32 led the way at Fasig-Tipton on Tuesday  (Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com)

John Ferguson went to $1,150,000 to acquire Hip No. 32 on Tuesday, a chestnut

filly by Sky Mesa, at the first session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected

Yearlings sale held at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, New

York. Consigned by Gainesway, agent, the Kentucky-bred youngster is out of the

multiple stakes-winning Darling My Darling (Deputy Minister), who finished

second in the Frizette S. (G1) and Matron S. (G1) in 1999. The March 19 filly's second dam is 1994 Ballerina

H. (G1) heroine Roamin Rachel (Mining), who produced Japanese Horse of the Year Zenno Rob Roy

(Sunday Silence).

The session's only other seven-digit purchase passed through the sales ring a

few hips later when Shadwell Estate Company spent $1 million on a

chestnut colt by Distorted Humor. Consigned by Lane's End, agent, as Hip 35, the

February 17 foal is out of the unraced Demi Souer (Storm Bird), making the

Virginia-bred a half-brother to 2002 Withers S. (G3)

victor Fast Decision (Gulch) and the multiple stakes-placed filly City Sister (Carson

City). Demi Souer is out of Sister Dot (Secretariat), dam of champion and noted

sire Dehere.

For the session, 60 yearlings were sold for $18,790,000, an increase of 13.7

percent from last year when 51 youngsters were purchased for $16,525,000. The

average priced decreased slightly, from $324,020 in 2005 to $313,167 this year.

Median improved 2 percent, from $250,000 to $255,000.

The second and final select session begins Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. (EST). For more

information, visit www.fasigtipton.com.