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Mare in foal to Justify tops first day of Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale 

The first Fasig-Tipton Sale of 2023, the Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale, began its two day run in Lexington on Monday with a stakes winning daughter of Munnings (Speightstown) the most expensive lot sold when bought for $340,000 by Family Friends. 

Munny Spunt was offered in foal to Justify (Scat Daddy) by Hunter Valley Farm and the nine-year-old mare, who was Grade 3 placed, is out of a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Blues Street (Street Cry). 

A total of six lots sold for $200,000 or more on Monday with Bubala (Candy Ride) the second most expensive lot when bought by Bill and Corinne Heilgbrodt for $250,000. 

Sold in foal to Not This Time (Giant's Causeway), Bubala is out of the unplaced Storm Cat (Storm Bird) mare Cat Fight who is herself a daughter of the multiple Grade 1 winner Wandesta (Nashwan). 

During the opening session, 182 horses sold for $5,524,300, down from $6,598,800 a year ago when 198 lots sold. The average was $30,353, compared to $33,327 recorded during the opening session at last year's sale, and the median $10,500, down from $14,500 recorded during the first session in 2022. The RNA rate was 20.5%.

"It was a solid session today," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. 

"I thought there was fair trade. There was lots of activity, especially on the short yearlings. The mares in foal and broodmare prospects that you would kind of turn down the page as you went through the catalogue sold well.

"We've seen a continuation of the marketplace we saw throughout 2022," concluded Browning. "It's healthy. It's not exuberant. It's rational."

The second and final session of the sale will be held on Tuesday.