Equine Sales Company on Tuesday held its 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age sale in Opelousas, Louisiana, and recorded a significant increase in average and median while setting a record high price. All told, 41 of 60 2-year-olds offered sold for $832,300 with an average of $20,300 and median of $13,000.
With a larger catalog last year, 60 of 92 head sold for $918,300. This year’s average jumped 37.1% from last year’s $14,811, and the median increased 13% from last year’s mark of $11,500. Buybacks for this year were 31.6% compared to 32.6% last year.
The record price for a 2-year-old at the sale had been $69,000 from the first year the sale was held in 2014, and that number was easily eclipsed twice with horses from the consignment of Pike Racing, agent. The sale topper was hip 29, a Louisiana-bred daughter of multiple Grade 1 winner Flat Out who worked an eighth-mile in a co-fastest time of :10 1/5 on Sunday. The April foal sold for $110,000 to Keith and Ginger Myers’ Coteau Grove Farms. Hip 45, a Louisiana-bred colt from the first crop of Grade 1 winner Violence, brought a bid of $100,000 from Matt Bowling’s Bowling Bloodstock. The January foal galloped in the breeze show.
“I think we have continued to improve the quality of this sale and that shows in the results this year,” said Foster Bridewell, sales director. “We are very pleased with the results and are looking forward to our consignor select and open yearling/mixed sales later this year.”
All graduates of this sale are eligible for next year’s Equine Sales Derby and Equine Sales Oaks to be run at Evangeline Downs.
For hip-by-hip results, go to www.equinesalesofla.com.