Pedigree Query

Anybody planning to go to the F-T Texas sale on Aug 29-30 at Lone Star? I hate going because it's always so darned hot, but I've got two selling this year. These are my first homebreds to go to auction. Both look good and I hope they vet well. Looking forward to getting some sales income and reducing the boarding bills.

FOR SALE--Both accredited TX-bred yearlings and nominated to Texas Stallion Stakes and Breeders Cup. Check them out in the database.

Music Fest, April 1st filly by Festival of Light out of Spanish Guitar

Sawmill Road, March 29th colt by Hollycombe out of Hop to It

I am not sure if I am going to be there. I may ask my trainer to attend. I may wait until the fall to purchase some yearlings. Since I shop at the bottom of the sales, I found the bottom at the Maryland/KY fall yearling sale to be better than the bottom at the Texas August sale.

Good luck selling your two horses. I remember talking to Ken at Valor Farms about Festival of Light a couple of years ago...

I'm just curious...since you've entered them in an auction that's several weeks away...don't you know how they're going to vet?

Henthorn - I'm planning on being there though I don't have an auction baby of my own to fret over like you. I have never stayed for the sale since they moved it to Lone Star but like going and looking at what's out there by the different sires, etc. Know you will be busy with two in but perhaps we can cross paths? I'd enjoy meeting you in person and having the opportunity to introduce myself.

It WILL be miserable hot - the last time I attended it was enough to do in my heat loving friend from Bombay, India after just two or three barns. That's when I realized how obsessed I've become.....here she was with her nut brown skin and passion for the heat, with broad brimmed straw hat and dark glasses, hanging back in whatever shade she could find while I am trotting about going from barn to barn, my Scandinavian-American, sunscreen protected pale face w/ freckles from summers of my mispent youth trying to guage yearlings that would mostly prefer to lay out in their shavings like dead fish on a beach or stand quite damp with sweat, their noses mashed in a fan's screen.

I felt like the wicked witch in that yellow brick road story......"I"m MELTING!".......

About half way through the third barn I took pity on both of us and we left for some very nicely chilled Gin & tonics over a dinner of salads, then drove back to Houston even later when the sun had gone down and it cooled down to the low 90s. (I swear that in Texas in August you can hear the land SIGH when that sun goes below the tree line on the horizon and again when it goes below the horizon itsself! ) My one suggestion: Make sure your babies have LOTS OF FANS on them in their stalls. I noticed that the Thoroughbred Express contingent in '03 had about 4 fans on each of their offerings and did quite well at the sale that year - though I'm not sure all those sales were "real". However, what I observed was that their yearlings were up and about for viewers, appearing alert and more keen than many of the rest when potential buyers came by. I also think they bathed their one very dark/black colt several times a day or at least "misted" him with water every so often as the pre-sale inspections wore on to keep him "fresh" as possible.

Hope to see you there. Q6 Ranch will be consigning them for me. They just asked about the vet checks last week and I haven't discussed the results yet. They stand the stallion Hollycombe, and have said in the past my boy was one of the best they'd seen early on. Don't know how he compares as they've grown. And there are several Festival of Lights in the sale through other consignors.

henthorn - I'll PM you with my plans and a contact cell # closer to the event as to when I'll be there and where I'll stay....maybe we could meet for breakfast....or....something cool with ice in it after Saturday's viewing period. Sunday, I'm going to combine this auction visit with making an 'expedition' up to Sanger Oklahoma to see FRENCH SEVENTYFIVE in person - a big thrill for this "Ambiorix chaser" <grin>

I look forward to meeting you. BTW your Festival Of Light out of Spanish Guitar stands out from among the other FOSs on catalog page/pedigree alone.... Hopefully while I'm fulfilling my dreams of meeting this stallion who's quite possibally the last of his kind.....at least in this hemisphere.......you'll be getting good prices for your yearlings.

Henthorn,

Just wondering, how is the temperment with your Festival Of Light? We have a yearling colt by him. He has a bit of an attitude which does not suprise me at all. Fantastic looking creature though.

Hi, Elvis. I would characterize her as assertive, friendly, and smart. Her mom is very good-natured, but aloof. I guess the daughter got some good traits from both, without the evil that dad had. He was a graded stakes-winning miler, and mom was a sprinter-miler with a great work ethic, so I'm anticipating a fun future for this filly. If this girl doesn't bring much at the sale, selling so late on the second day, I'll keep her for racing myself; she'll likely be precocious, as her mom was.

The colt sells regardless of price, and I expect him to be a late-bloomer; I need to reduce my board bills.

I go every year. Sorry, not to buy. Just to look at the babies of stallions I'm interested in. I actually worked the sale b4 it moved to Lone Star. I'll look for "yall"......

Henthorn,

Good luck with your yearlings at the sale . I will not make it this year. I am going to wait for the Fasig fall KY and Maryland yearling sales.

henthorn - I just PM'd you. jellac

Numbers look very depressing at this point, through about Hip 165. A few doing okay, but most are RNA.

It does not look like a strong sale, avg and median are way down from last year. I guess the beat goes on for yearling sales this year.

Henthorn, I thought your hip #237 would have bought you more than 1K. Maybe your fesitival of light yearling will bring you want you want...

8/29/05 THRU 8/30/05

HEAD NOT
DATE SOLD AMOUNT AVERAGE SOLD MEDIAN

8/29/05 170 1,914,200 11,260 84 5,000

well, that did not transfer well.

84 not sold out of 170 head is not good at all. Some good looking horses that will run well sold at bargain prices.