Thoroughbred valuation
Introduction '''Thoroughbred valuation''' is the art of determining the value or potential value of a Thoroughbred horse, particularly of race horses.Prices on Thoroughbreds vary greatly, depending on age, pedigree, conformation, and other market factors. In 2007, Keeneland Sales, a United States-based sales company, sold 9,124 horses at auction, with a total value of $814,401,000, which gives an average price of $89,259.As a whole for the United States in 2007, The Jockey Club auction statistics indicate that the average weanling sold for $44,407, the average yearling sold for $55,300, average sale price for two-year-olds was $61,843, broodmares averaged $70,150, and horses over two and broodmare prospects sold for an average of $53,243.For Europe, the July 2007 Tattersall's Sale sold 593 horses at auction, with a total for the sale of 10,951,300 guineas, for an average of 18,468 guineas. Doncaster Bloodstock Sales, another British sales firm, in 2007 sold 2,248 horses for a total value of 43,033,881 guineas, making an average of 15,110 guineas per horse.Averages, however, can be deceiving. For example, at the 2007 Fall Yearling sale at Keeneland, 3,799 young horses sold for a total of $385,018,600, for an average of $101,347 per horse. However, that average sales price reflected a variation that included at least 19 horses that sold for only $1,000 each and 34 that sold for over $1,000,000 apiece.The value of a Thoroughbred may be influenced by the purse money it wins. In 2007, Thoroughbred racehorses earned a total of $1,217,854,602 in all placings, an average earnings per starter of $16,924.In addition, the track record of a race horse may influence its future value as a breeding animal. Stud fees for stallions that enter breeding can range from $2,500 to $300,000 per mare in the United States, and from £2000 pounds to £75,000 or more in Britain.Between 1974 and 1988, yearlings sired by Northern Dancer led the Keeneland July Selected Yearling Sale by average price 12 times. In the 1983 Keeneland Sales horse auction, one of Northern Dancer's colts, eventually named Snaafi Dancer, became the first yearling to sell for $10 million at auction. In 1984 12 yearlings by Northern Dancer sold for a sale-record average price of $3,446.666.In the 1980s, Northern Dancer's stud fee reached $1 million, an amount four to five times other stallions and a record that still stands in 2009.The highest price paid at auction for a Thoroughbred was set in 2006 at $16,000,000 for a two-year-old colt named The Green Monkey,  who was a descendant of Northern Dancer. Record prices at auction often grab headlines, though they do not necessarily reflect the animal's future success; in the case of The Green Monkey, injuries limited him to only three career starts before being retired to stud in 2008, and he never won a race.
Most expensive Thoroughbred yearlings in history sold at auction For a number of years, in the 1970s and 1980s, horses sired by Northern Dancer (1961–1990) held the top ten price records, with 174 Northern Dancer offspring selling for a total $160 million at the Keeneland Sales over 22 years. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association calls him "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history." At the time of his 1990 death, his descendants had won more than 1,000 stakes races. , twenty-seven of the thirty-three horses on this list were from the Northern Dancer sire line.The most recent common ancestor in the sire line of all thirty-three horses on this list is Phalaris, all via Pharos except two—Meydan City and King's Consul—via Sickle.+ Thoroughbreds yearlings which sold for more than $7.5 million (inflation adjusted), according to ''The Blood-Horse'' Horse Foaled Sire Dam Breeder Year sold Nominal price Real price (in  US$) Buyer '''Seattle Dancer'''  1984  Nijinsky  My Charmer W. L. Jones, W. S. Farish III, W. S. Kilroy  1985 $13.1 million  $ million Niarchos, J. Magnier, Sangster, O'Brien, Schwartz '''Meydan City'''  2005  Kingmambo  Crown of Crimson  Jayeff B Stable  2006  $11.7 million  $ million Sheikh Mohammed '''Snaafi Dancer'''  1982  Northern Dancer  My Bupers  Donald T. Johnson  1983  $10.2 million  $ million  Aston Upthorpe Stud '''Jalil'''  2004  Storm Cat  Tranquility Lake  Pamela & Martin Wygod  2005  $9.7 million  $ million  Godolphin Racing '''Plavius'''  2005  Danzig  Sharp Minister  Monticule Farms  2006  $9.2 million  $ million  Godolphin Racing '''Al Naamah'''  2012  Galileo  Alluring Park  Lodge Park Stud  2013  $8.4 million  $ million  Al Shaqab '''Imperial Falcon'''  1983  Northern Dancer  Ballade  E. P. Taylor  1984  $8.25 million  $ million  Robert Sangster '''Act of Diplomacy'''  2005  Storm Cat  Awesome Humor  Taylor Made Farm  2006  $8.2 million  $ million   John Ferguson '''Mr. Sekiguchi'''  2003  Storm Cat  Welcome Surprise  William S. Farish III, William S. Kilroy  2004  $8 million  $ million  Fusao Sekiguchi '''Take Control'''  2007  A.P. Indy  Azeri  Allen E. Paulson Living Trust  2008  $7.7 million  $ million  (reserve not attained, buy back) '''Ajdal'''  1984  Northern Dancer  Native Partner  Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.  1985  $7.5 million  $ million  (reserve not attained, buy back) '''Jareer'''  1983  Northern Dancer  Fabuleux Jane  Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.  1984  $7.1 million  $ million  Sheikh Mohammed '''Laa Etaab'''  1984  Nijinsky  Crimson Saint  Tom Gentry  1985  $7 million  $ million  Gainsborough Stud '''Tasmanian Tiger'''  1999  Storm Cat  Hum Along  Lane's End Farm  2000  $6.8 million  $ million  Demi O'Byrne '''Amjaad'''  1983  Seattle Slew  Desiree  Spendthrift Farm  1984  $6.5 million  $ million  Sheikh Mohammed '''Van Nistelrooy'''  2000  Storm Cat  Halory  Stonerside Stable  2001  $6.4 million  $ million  Demi O'Byrne '''Objectivity'''  2004  Storm Cat  Secret Status  Lane's End Farm  2005  $6.3 million  $ million  John Ferguson '''Alajwad'''  2000  Storm Cat  La Affirmed  Eaton Sales  2001  $5.5 million  $ million  John Ferguson '''Obligato'''  1983  Northern Dancer  Truly Bound  Windfields Farm  1984  $5.4 million  $ million  BBA (Ireland) '''Abshurr'''  1997  Nureyev  Go Solo  Camas Park Stud  1998  $5.4 million  $ million  Godolphin Racing '''Nysaean'''  1999  Sadler's Wells  Irish Arms  Haras d'Etreham  2000  $5.4 million  $ million  Peter Doyle '''King's Consul'''  1999  Kingmambo  Battle Creek Girl  Lane's End Farm  2000  $5.3 million  $ million  John Ferguson '''Diaghilev'''  1999  Sadler's Wells  Darara  Watership Down Stud  2000  $5.2 million  $ million  Demi O'Byrne '''Wassl Touch'''  1983  Northern Dancer  Queen Sucree  North Ridge Farm  1984  $5.1 million  $ million  Sheikh Mohammed '''Elnawaagi'''  1983  Roberto  Gurkhas Band  Keswick Stables  1984  $4.0 million  $ million  Sheikh Mohammed '''Warrshan'''  1986  Northern Dancer  Secret Asset  Hermitage Farm  1987  $3.7 million  $ million  Sheikh Mohammed '''Northern State'''  1985  Northern Dancer  South Ocean  Windfields Farm  1986  $3.6 million  $ million  Sheikh Mohammed '''Ballydoyle'''  1980  Northern Dancer  South Ocean  E. P. Taylor  1981  $3.5 million  $ million  Robert Sangster '''Royal Academy'''  1987  Nijinsky  Crimson Saint  Tom Gentry  1988  $3.5 million  $ million  Vincent O'Brien '''Shareef Dancer'''  1980  Northern Dancer  Sweet Alliance  E. P. Taylor  1981  $3.3 million  $ million  Sheikh Mohammed '''Dancing Groom'''  1985  Nijinsky  Blush With Pride  Darrell Brown  1986  $3.2 million  $ million  BBA (Ireland) '''Immortal Dancer'''  1982  Spectacular Bid  Farouche  Newstead Farm Trust  1983  $3.0 million  $ million  Aston Upthorpe Stud '''Fulmar'''  1980  Northern Dancer  Bernie Bird  E. P. Taylor  1981  $2.95 million  $ million  BBA (England)+ Thoroughbreds yearling fillies which sold for more than $7.5 million (inflation adjusted), according to ''The Blood-Horse'' Horse Foaled Sire Dam Breeder Year sold Nominal price Real price (in  US$) Buyer '''Altruiste'''  1999  Diesis  Allegretta  Haras d'Etreham  2000  $8.2 million  $ million  Suprina '''America's Joy'''  2018  American Pharoah  Leslie's Lady  Clarkland Farm  2019  $8.2 million  $ million  Whisper Hill Farm '''Alchaasibiyeh'''  1983  Seattle Slew  Fine Prospect  Spendthrift Farm  1984  $3.75 million  $ million  Sheikh Mohammed
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