by Pete Denk

A Harlan’s Holiday colt sold for $300,000 and a Tapit filly sold for $182,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale on Tuesday in Timonium, Maryland.

The two-session sale ended with 387 horses reported as sold, from 531 offered, for total sales of $5,616,450, a 31.6% decline from last year, when three sessions saw 483 horses reported as sold for $8,211,600.

The decline in horses offered failed to keep the average and median out of the red as sellers let go of horses at prices far below what it costs to breed and prepare them for their upcoming race careers.

Average declined 14.6% to $14,513, the lowest average at the Eastern fall yearling sale since 1996. Median dropped 38.9% to $5,500, the lowest since 1993. The buy-back rate improved to 27.1%, compared with 35.9% a year ago.

“There’s some relationship between the improvement in the RNA rate and the reduction in the median price,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning Jr. said.

“These results reflect the economic reality of the horse business, particularly on a regional basis right now. It’s very difficult.”

Ocala-based pinhooker Nick de Meric, agent, bought the sale-topping Harlan’s Holiday colt from Paramount Sales, agent. Gerry Dilger’s Dromoland Farm pinhooked the colt for $150,000 out of the 2008 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Dilger bought the colt under the name Filbert Farm.

“When I saw him in November, I thought he was a nice, well-balanced foal, a good-moving horse, and I just liked the way he stood up,” Dilger said. “[$300,000] was a good price for the horse. He’s a nice colt. He deserved it and Fasig-Tipton and Paramount did a great job.”

The first foal out of the unraced Yankee Victor mare Keep It Going, the bay colt was bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones.

Pinhooker Cary Frommer, agent, bought the $182,000 Tapit filly out of Purloin, by Forest Wildcat, from Sally Thomas, agent. Bloodstock agent Barry Berkelhammer helped Frommer select the filly.

“Of course, we thought she was the best horse in the sale, as everybody does who gets their horse bought,” Berkelhammer said. “She is a lovely filly. We didn’t think we’d have to pay that much, but she was a standout in the sale.”

Six horses reached the six-figure plateau on Tuesday—compared with just one on Monday. Ten horses sold for six figures last year.

Fasig-Tipton reported 190 horses as sold, from 264 offered, on Tuesday for $3,071,850. Average was $16,168, and median $5,000.

Pete Denk is sales editor of Thoroughbred Times