A stunning colt by Vinery Stud sire Big Brown topped the Fasig-Tipton Florida 2YO Sale on Monday at $1.30 million.

The Big Brown – Cool Ghoul (Silver Ghost) colt was the talk of the sale after a dazzling 200m work-out in 10.10 seconds.  He was knocked down to Coolmore representative Demi O’Byrne.  ”He’s a very good looking horse and breezed very well,” O’Byrne said.  “He’s got a lovely action.”

Big Brown’s Florida triumph is the highpoint in a string of outstanding results for his stock in sale-rings across North America.  “Big Brown has an enormous profile being a Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner,” Vinery’s general manager Peter Orton said.  “But you have to back it up with the types and being such a big, strong athletic horse, he is stamping his stock in the way that appeals to buyers.

”We see it as a great endorsement that his weanlings, yearlings and two-year-olds are selling so well in America and we would expect him to be very popular here.  He served a very good book of mares in his first season in Australia.

‘”As well as that, he won on debut on turf as a two-year-old by almost a dozen lengths and took out a $500,000 Group 2 the only other time he raced on the grass.”

Vendor Ciaran Dunne was understandably in good spirits following the sale.  “He’s as good as anything to go through our hands,” Dunne claimed.  “Hopefully, he goes on and it’s the same for someone else.”

Bred in Pennsylvania, the Big Brown colt was pin-hooked for $220,000 at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale.  His dam Cool Ghoul has thrown three winners from as many starters including the stakes performers Dagnabit and Bad Boy Rising.

Trade at the Florida auction reached $19.21 million at an average of $320,250 which was up 34% from last year.  The clearance rate rose 11 points to 72%.

The Big Brown colt was one of three yearlings to top seven figures at the Sale.  The others were a $1.20 million Distorted Humor – Secret Thyme colt and a $1 million Tapit – Liberty Flag colt.  David Loder signed the sale ticket for the Distorted Humor colt on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed.  Overall, Darley topped the sale with four buys for $3.67 million.