It was billed as a ‘Night Of The Stars’ and Sunday’s Fasig-Tipton November Sale in Kentucky became just that, grossing $80,237,000 in total sales during an evening of frenetic bidding that featured no fewer than 22 million-dollar lots.

They were led by the champion Monomoy Girl, fresh off her seventh Grade 1 win in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, who commanded a record $9.5 million bid from B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm.

Overall, it was a night during which Hughes flexed his financial muscle to a momentous degree, eventually coming away with $25,030,000 worth of stock, among them six million-dollar lots.

His determined interest helped fuel an evening during which 142 horses changed hands for a total of $80,237,000, an 18% increase in gross from 2019 and the second highest gross of all-time for the sale. The average rose 6% to $565,049. However, the median dropped by a third to $200,000.

Record price

The $9.5 million paid for Monomoy Girl set a new benchmark for a racing/broodmare prospect sold at public auction.

Bought for $100,000 as a yearling by BSW Bloodstock/Liz Crow on behalf of Michael Dubb, Sol Kumin’s Monomoy Stables, the Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stable, five-year-old Monomoy Girl has gone on to become one of the greats of the modern era as the official winner of 13 of her 15 starts and approximately $4.5 million in earnings. Her seven Grade 1 victories for trainer Brad Cox include the 2018 Kentucky Oaks and two renewals of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The daughter of Tapizar also finished first past the post in the 2018 Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes only to lose the race in the stewards’ room.

With her dominant victory over the likes of Dunbar Road and Swiss Skydiver in Saturday’s loaded Breeders’ Cup Distaff still very fresh in the memory, it was heartening to hear that plans call for Monomoy Girl to rejoin Cox with an eye on a six-year-old campaign.

For consignor ELiTE, her sale capped a remarkable evening that also featured the sales of fellow multiple Grade 1 winners Midnight Bisou for $5 million to Chuck Allen, who was buying out his partners in the mare, and Uni for $4.1 million to Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm. Brant also owns Uni’s dam Unaided, having paid €1.25 million for the mare through Oceanic Bloodstock at Arqana last December.

Spendthrift’s buying spree

Meanwhile, Spendthrift’s high-flying haul also included the purchase of top two-year-old Bast for $4.2 million. Successful in last year’s Grade 1 Starlet, Chandelier and Del Mar Debutante Stakes for trainer Bob Baffert, the daughter of Uncle Mo suffered a career-ending injury this spring and was retired and bred to Justify. She was sold on Sunday by Hill ’n’ Dale Sales Agency on behalf of the Baoma Corporation.

Spendthrift also went to $3 million for Grade 1 winner She’s A Julie from Denali Stud, $2.75 million for Grade 1 winner Get Stormy from Bluewater Sales LLC, $1.8 million for the Grade 1-placed Mother Mother from Gainesway and $1.5 million for Positive Spirit, a Grade 2-winning half-sister to Kentucky Derby hero Always Dreaming from Indian Creek.

Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey indicated that She’s A Julie could visit Spendthrift Farm’s champion sire elect Into Mischief next season. Get Stormy looks likely to return to trainer Mark Casse.

Rushing Fall to Galileo

Multiple Grade 1 winner Rushing Fall is likely to form part of Galileo’s book next year after selling for $5.5 million to Jamie McCalmont on behalf of MV Magnier.

A $320,000 yearling purchase by Mike Ryan for Bob Edwards’s E Five Racing Thoroughbreds, Rushing Fall headed into the ring on Sunday as the winner of six Grade 1 races for Chad Brown, among them three at Keeneland – the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup and two renewals of the Jenny Wiley Stakes. The daughter of More Than Ready was also an unbeaten two-year-old who capped her opening season with victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Strong international activity despite Covid

The ongoing Covid-induced travel restrictions didn’t prevent Japanese interests from making their presence felt.

Leading the way was Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm, whose haul of four million-dollar lots included the $2.2 million mare Miss Besilu, a Grade 1-placed Medaglia d’Oro half-sister to champion Saint Liam in foal to Into Mischief. In all, Yoshida spent $6.3 million on four lots.

Nobutaka Tada also paid $1.6 million for Indelible, a Tiznow half-sister to Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Essential Quality in foal to sire-of-the-moment Nyquist, while Shadai Farm came away with Grade 1 winner Competitionofideas at $1.3 million.

European participation was restricted although Kerri Radcliffe signed at $625,000 for the Grade 1-placed stakes producer Light The City while French agency Meridian International secured Flirt, the dam of Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf hero Fire At Will, for $500,000 in a private transaction outside the ring.

Camas Park’s colt leads the way

Anticipation ran high ahead of the auction debuts of the first crop of Triple Crown hero Justify but ultimately it was Grade 1 winner and $5.6 million earner City Of Light who helped propel the weanling session thanks to a $600,000 colt who sold to Larry Best’s OXO Equine LLC.

The colt was bred by the Irish-based Camas Park Stud out of Breaking Beauty, a winning daughter of Into Mischief purchased by the breeders for $300,000 at Keeneland last November.

As for Justify, six of his first crop went under the hammer, of which two sold inside the ring for $400,000 and $300,000.