Part Two: Fasig-Tipton Texas December Mixed Sale

Before visiting the Lone Star Park backside to see the horses entered in the Fasig-Tipton Texas December Mixed Sale, I wrote about nine horses in the catalog in “Part One.” I visited each of those horses while at Lone Star, as well as several others, some of which were added to this post.

As we neared Lone Star Park, the grandstand appeared and as it always does, it brought a smile to my face. The last track I was at was the esteemed Churchill Downs, which is a place I consider to be almost magical. Lone Star is quite different than Churchill and definitely does not have the prestige of the Louisville track, but it holds a special place in my heart. I visit Lone Star several times a year and have come to know it almost like the back of my hand.

Hip #12 – General Reunion – Not Sold: Not wanting to disturb the people prepping horses for the sale or the mare, I observed the mare as she stood in her stall. The dark bay mare stood very tall, impressing me with her powerful build. She had a beautiful head, a long neck, and was heavy in foal. However, her reserve was not attained.

Ruby Be Mine
Photo by Mary Cage

Hip #41 – Ruby Be Mine - $35,000: One of the classiest mares I saw at the sale was Ruby Be Mine, which makes sense, considering she was the sale topper. A stakes-placed mare who also set a track record, the chestnut has already produced a multiple stakes winner. With a very refined head and a nearly perfect neck, Ruby Be Mine also was a very well-balanced individual. Her belly was noticeably huge, as she is in foal to the multiple graded stakes-winning Chatain, but she also had a powerful hip and strong, clean legs. It’s no wonder she brought the highest price when Moon Lake Equine Center purchased her.

Hip #53 – Templemartin - $7,500: Diagonal from General Reunion was another Lane’s End Texas-consigned mare on my list, Templemartin. The bay mare didn’t have quite the build of General Reunion or Ruby Be Mine, but she had a long, thin neck and quality muscling. She was very angular despite her round stomach.  She was purchased for $7,500 for Robert McDowell, agent.

Hip #60 – Wild Meggie Meg – Not Sold: This mare was not featured in Part One, nor did she attain her reserve, but she impressed me at the barn. Inside her stall each time I saw her, I am not able to provide a photo, but she was a gorgeous chestnut mare with incredible conformation. She was very elegant, possessing a long, thin neck and impressive muscling. She was also very well-balanced, being very proportional and having a very strong loin.

Hip #85 – Scrimshaw - $6,500: As we headed to the barn the stallion was stabled in, I spotted a white blaze flash behind a sign that indicated that in the stall was hip #85. It was Scrimshaw, the winner of the 2003 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (GII) and the third-place finisher behind Funny Cide in that year’s Preakness Stakes (GI). I eagerly approached the stallion’s stall, appraising the gorgeous dark-colored horse. He turned his head towards me, his ears pricked.

Scrimshaw
Photo by Mary Cage

I allowed Scrimshaw to sniff my hand for a second before I began to stroke his velvety nose. The stallion remained kind and calm as I rubbed his soft nose. I then began to assess his conformation. Though his handsome face and bright eye were hard to look away from, I was impressed by his overall build. He was built remarkably well, possessing imposing muscle tone and a sloping shoulder. His cannon bones were short and strong.

We were later able to view Scrimshaw when he was led out of his stall. The gleaming dark bay/brown strutted before observers before standing still to allow those watching him notice just how well-built he was. The stallion, who earned $461,842 and has produced offspring that have earned a total over $3,000,000, was sold for $6,500 to Shirley Browne, R & S Racing.

Hip #97 - $4,500: Every time I visit horses in a sale, I can’t help but fall in love with a few horses. This time around, I fell in love with three: Scrimshaw, Wild Meggie Meg, and this colt. By Leroidesanimaux, the sign outside this colt’s stall pointed out that he had been born the week of the Kentucky Derby, which was won by Animal Kingdom, who is also by Leroidesanimaux. The colt himself looked nothing like Animal Kingdom. Rather, he looked like Zenyatta, possessing a jagged stripe and two hind socks.

Hip #97
Photo by Mary Cage

Of course, horse racing is a business, but it would not have so many fans if it weren’t for horse lovers. And, yes, I’m most definitely a horse lover. This colt captivated me with his personality, playing games with me. Each time I moved my hand, he moved his head and would occasionally paw at the ground. He approached the stall door each time I stopped by his stall, his velvety little nose nudging toward me.

Not only was I fascinated by this colt’s personality, but he also impressed me with his conformation, though I was only able to see him in his stall. Since he was a May foal, he was not very large, but I could tell that once he filled out, he would be quite muscular. He was very balanced, having a strong, short topline in comparison to a long underline. He was purchased by Heidi K. Bailey for $4,500.

Hip #98 - $7,500: Unfortunately, I did not get a good look at this well-bred filly. Each time I saw her, she was asleep in the straw. She sold for $7,500 to Moon Lake Equine Center, becoming the third highest-priced weanling to sell.

Hip #100
Photo by Mary Cage

Hip #100 – Not Sold: This colt obviously has some growing up to do, but since he is a January colt, he is quite tall. He looks as if he will become a robust horse, as he had well-defined forearm and gaskin muscles. His reserve was not attained.

Hip #105
Photo by Mary Cage

Hip #105 - $2,000: This weanling colt was clearly happy to get out of the barn, as when he was in his stall, he was pacing and whinnying constantly. However, he was well behaved for his handler, which allowed me to study his conformation. His eyes were set wide apart and he had a long, thin neck, both of which are good features. I’d like to see him a bit more balanced, but he is, of course, still young. He has a deep heart girth and a rounded hip, both of which hint at power. A characteristic I did not particularly care for is that he was over at the knees and his cannon bones were slightly too long for my liking. However, as I mentioned, he is just a weanling and has plenty of growing up to do. He was purchased by Kelly Mitchek for $2,000.

Hip #110 - $3,500: I never got a decent picture of this well-bred filly, whose dam is a three-quarters sister to Wilko. However, I was able to observe her in her stall and noted that she was very proportional and had impressive muscling. I also got a glance at her dam, who was a very muscular, balanced individual that sold for $1,400. This filly brought more than her dam, selling for $3,500 to Inside Move, Inc.

Hip #131 – Dixieland Baby - $9,500: I never saw this stakes-placed filly out of her stall, but was able to get a good look at her, though not a good photo, while she was stalled.  She had short cannon bones and was a well-balanced filly. She ended up selling for $9,500 to Inside Move, Inc. as the last horse to go through the sales ring.

Compared to the same sale in 2010, there were 21 fewer horses sold. Unlike last year, when many more horses were sold than not sold, 55 were sold while 57 were not sold this year. The sale showed some improvements, as the average up $502 and the median was up $900. It is clear that the horses in Texas do not bring prices as high as those in Kentucky, but the fact that this sale featured rises in average and median is encouraging.

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