Better Than Honour, dam of Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and Rags to Riches, set a world record for the sale of a broodmare at public auction, when she sold for $14 million at the Fasig-Tipton Select Mixed Sale on November 2 in Lexington, KY. Consignment of the unbred mare, who won an Eclipse Award as Broodmare of the Year in 2007, was precipitated by dispersal of the joint holdings of John Sikura’s Hill ‘n Dale Farms and Michael Moreno’s Southern Equine Stables. Southern Equine Stables was the purchaser of Better Than Honour.

In addition to the world broodmare record, Better Than Honour’s price represents the second-highest amount for a Thoroughbred at public auction. The $16 million paid for The Green Monkey at the 2006 Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale of 2-year-olds in training is the all-time record. Playful Act held the previous broodmare record of $10.5 million, set at the 2007 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Twelve-year-old Better Than Honour, by Deputy Minister, is the only mare in history to produce two winners of the Belmont Stakes – Jazil won in 2003 and champion Rags to Riches, the first filly in 102 years to win the event, in 2004. Fasig-Tipton reported sales of 91 horses for a gross of $70,279,000 and an average of $772,297. Fifty-nine horses were not sold. In comparison, 107 sold in 2007 for $52,036,000.

“I think this sale shows that there continues to be a demand for quality offerings,” said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning. “We had a very, very good catalog, and the statistics reflect the quality.”

GI stakes winning Stardom Bound was the second-highest priced lot of the sale. The 2-year-old filly gray filly, earner of $1.42 million, brought $5.7 million from IEAH Stables, which also owns part interest in 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Big Brown. Stardom Bound’s former trainer, Chris Paasch, purchased the Tapit daughter eight months ago for $375,000 at the Ocala Sale of 2-year-olds in training.