Big Brown, the 2008 champion 3-year-old male and dual Classic winner, took a major step up as a commercial sire by defying trends at the one day Fasig Tipton July Yearling Sale in Lexington, Kentucky.
The sale saw five yearlings by the Kentucky Derby winner offered to buyers with four sold, for an average of $130,000, well above the sale average of $69,840.
Among stallions with three or more sold at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July select yearling sale, Big Brown topped the freshman list by average and ranked number two among all stallions. Veteran sire Harlan’s Holiday, (WinStar Farm) was the only sire to better Big Brown’s results edging him out with an average of $131,000 among stallions with three or more sold.
Big Brown saved his best for the end. The last yearling to sell was one of his daughters, the first foal from former crack juvenile Irish Smoke whose wins include the Grade One Spinaway Stakes.
The $220,000 price tag was the second highest price for a filly on the day, bettered only by a filly by current leading sire Tapit.
Two of Big Brown’s other yearlings also brought six-figure prices. A colt out of the graded stakes-placed Twining mare Twining Star consigned by Hidden Brook, agent, was sold to Richard Rigney for $120,000 and another colt, this one out of the Empire Maker mare Majestic Empress, went to Whisper Hill Farm for $100,000. The latter was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent.
“The sale was reduced from two sessions last year to one this year and given the Sale Averages dropped 7%, Big Brown’s returns were a standout,” says Vinery’s Adam White.
“The July sale was always going to be an important marker for the stallion and from what we have seen, buyers are still as keen on his first crop now as they were when his weanlings topped the first season sire averages at sales earlier in the year.”
Big Brown (Boundary-Mien, by Nureyev) was voted champion 3-year-old male by virtue of winning the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and the Preakness Stakes (gr. I). He stands at Robert N. Clay’s Three Chimney’s Farm near Midway, Ky. His fee this year was $40,000.
