By California Thoroughbred
Fasig-Tipton, whose history in California dates back to the time Humphrey S. Finney and the company conducted the first Louis B. Mayer dispersal in 1947, is partnering with Santa Anita on sales in California. First up will be a June 5 auction of 2-year-olds in training, followed by a Sept. 25 yearling sale, both to be held in Santa Anita’s picturesque walking ring.
Boyd Browning, president and chief executive officer of Fasig-Tipton, recently talked to California Thoroughbred about the company’s California plans, including the fulltime hire of trainer Mike Machowsky as its California
representative.
Question: How did the partnership between Fasig-Tipton and Santa Anita come about after the discontinuation of
Barretts?
Answer: Fasig-Tipton has had a long relationship and history of doing Thoroughbred auctions in California. As a
national sales company, we’ve always watched with interest the California marketplace. It’s a vital portion of our
racing and Thoroughbred industry. It’s one of the lynchpins in North American racing and the sales world. I’ve been a believer in the California marketplace for a long time, and coupled with that I’ve always thought that Santa Anita was the right location, particularly for the 2-year-old in training sale, for long-term success. This summer, after numerous discussions with Tim Ritvo and The Stronach Group, we were able to structure something that made sense from everybody’s perspective. I think we’ve got a location that can be a win-win for everybody.
Q: What role do you see California-breds playing in these sales?
A: Cal-breds will be a vital part of both the 2-year-old and yearling sales. It is critical, both short term and long term,
that we are able to sell the best Cal-breds available—especially in the yearling sale. Around the world, the market is strongest for the perceived “quality” offerings, and the California market is no different. The support of California breeders is essential to building a successful marketplace. We’re going to need strong participation and support from the California-based owners and trainers. We’ve announced that Mike Machowsky is going to be our California representative, and I think Mike will be a valuable addition to the team. He knows the buyers and the sellers
and has been very active with the breeders.
Q: What role do you see Florida consignors playing?
A: It is incumbent upon us to demonstrate the opportunity for horses to come from other locations, primarily Florida, to be a fantastic success by selling in California, as it has always been. The 2-year-old consignors from Florida have been a big part of the California 2-year-old in training scene for the last 25 years. We’re going to need some trust and confidence from the Florida-based 2-year-old consignors to come to California and bring quality
products. But critically important to us is also going to be the traditional California consignors. We’re not relying on any one segment to come to the sales. We need as many quality horses as we can have the opportunity to sell, and certainly there are folks that do a great job that are California consignors.
Q: What was behind the decision to have only one yearling sale?
A: Given the size of the marketplace, I think it’s imperative to have one yearling sale, presenting the California crop
to the buyers. We’re going to let you sort through them and figure out which ones are appropriate. I think it’s very important to establish Santa Anita as the base and the home for yearling sales. I think the consolidation of the yearling sales should strengthen the upper end of the marketplace and hopefully the middle and lower portion of the marketplace. Those horses will be cataloged alphabetically in a one-day sale. The buyers will be able to identify
which horses are the highest quality. We’re not going to label them as such.
Q: What else will Fasig-Tipton bring to this venture?
A: We’re trying to serve the marketplace and do things that make sense. We have made and will continue to make a serious commitment to do things right in California. I think we’ve added a strong person to start off with in Mike Machowsky. The only way we know how to do things at Fasig-Tipton is first class. We’re committed to doing this. I think if you look at our track record, when we make a business decision to do something, we’re going to embrace
it and try to make it successful.