DEL MAR, Calif. (Aug. 25, 2017) – The Barretts select yearling sale, set for Tuesday afternoon, is being conducted during the Del Mar summer race meeting for the third time.
The sale was held on a Saturday evening in 2015, and moved to Tuesday last year, giving the event its own position during race week.
The 2016 sale showed modest increases in gross and average prices compared to 2015, but a decline in median price. The sale will never be a marathon event – stall restrictions limit the event to about 80 head – but there is hope among sale executives that the quality of yearlings has improved.
“Last year, we were a step up not only because of the change in the day but the local breeders have supplied us with exciting prospects,” Barretts general manager Kim Lloyd said.
Lloyd said the yearlings in Tuesday’s sale were selected in the spring.
“We’ll see how they developed over the summer,” Lloyd said. “We’ve heard good reports. It’s a big difference, too. Hopefully, they’ve progressed.”