Breeding

Fasig-Tipton sale emblematic of problems with breeding industry

Details: October 2, 2024; By SARA CAVANAGH

TIMONIUM, Md.--The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings sale, held Tuesday in Timonium on Tuesday, Oct. 1, was overall a disaster.

F T Timonium Maryland bred filly by City of LightThe Fasig-Tipton sale was just one indication of what's happening to the breeding industry.

Only the get of a few top Kentucky stallions bring top dollar, and because breeders know that, those stallions are being bred to the largest number of mares.

Practical Joke had the highest number of mare's bred in 2024 with 277 followed by Justify (263), Gunite (256), Golden Pal (209), Elite Power (203), Uncle Mo (202), Gun Runner (200), Pappacap (200), Taiba (200), Vekoma (200).

Gun Runner with 200, is the sire of Gunite, with 256, Taiba with 200 and Pappacap with 200.

The Jockey Club projects a thoroughbred foal crop of 17,300 in 2025, so 863 of those will all be by those four related stallions.

The end result of that is that it will eventually make the gene pool smaller and thoroughbreds will begin to be inbred.

The commercial value of a horse is no longer what it is worth as a race horse but rather what it will bring at a sale before it is old enough to race.

So breeders are going to breed to a stallion whose get will sell well, not necessarily one that can run.

Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale broke all records and sold 12 $1 million yearlings

Details: August 7, 2024; By Staff Writers

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--The Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale set new records across the board for the third year in a row, finishing its second session on Tuesday, Aug. 6 with six yearlings selling for over $1 million.

$2.4 million sales topper Tuesday evening
The two session sale had 12 yearlings sell of over $1 million and established new records for gross, average, and median, and posted the lowest RNA rate since 2015.

“We almost went back-to-back with million dollar horses with the first two horses to go through the ring," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. "And that momentum carried throughout because of the quality of horses.

The first three through the ring sold for $975,000, $1.5 million and $900,000, only to be followed up with a pair that sold for $650,000 and $425,000.

It would be hard to find another sale that began like than.

"The success of the sale is completely dependent on the quality of the horses that our consignors give us the opportunity to sell," said Browning. "We felt very confident that the quality of horses in this catalogue was the best we ever had. I think that the buyers proved us right. Buyers have a tremendous level of confidence when they come to Saratoga. They feel like they will come find some of the best-conformed yearlings in the world. And now we get some of the best pedigrees in the world.”

“It's a rewarding and fulfilling situation where there is a tremendous level of confidence in the marketplace." he said. "And there is a tremendous level of confidence in Saratoga. It's a magical place. It's unbelievable racing. Unbelievable community support. It's a great feeling.

A colt by Not This Time topped the Saratoga Yearling Sale at $3.4 Million

Details: August 6, 2024; By Staff Writers

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Opening night of the Saratoga Selected Yearling Sales on Monday, Aug. 5 had six yearlings sell for over #1 Million, topped by the fifth most expensive colt offered in the history of the Sale, and posted gains over the previous year's first session in gross, average, and median, as well as an RNA rate of just 20.6%.

3.4 Million sales topper 3.4 Million Saratoga Selected Yearlings sales topper (Photo by Fasig-Tipton)
A colt by Not This Time (Hip 72), consigned by Nardell Sales topped the session when sold for $3,400,000 to Donato Lanni, agent for Amr Zedan's Zedan Racing.

The colt is out of Kayce Ace, a stakes placed full sister to multiple G1 winner Colonel John and is a half-brother to multiple G1 placed graded stakes winner Comical and to the dam of stakes winner Sweetlou'sgotaces.

"It was obviously a really strong start to this year's Saratoga Sale," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "There was lots of competition, lots of energy, lots of excitement. Just a tremendous start."

"We won the first half," he said. "AIt was a really strong start to the opening session of the sale. We averaged over $500,000 tonight and the median was $400,000. Our RNA rate at an elite sale at 20% is pretty remarkable. We always aim for zero, but that's certainly encouraging. It was a very, very encouraging start to this sale."

"Since we were over $500,000 tonight, I hope we are over $500,000 for the entire sale because it has a really good ring to it," Browning said. "$502,000 sounds a whole lot better than $498,000, but the key is to deliver as good a result as we can for the men and women who brought quality products to the sale."

Colt by Nyquist topped the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling sale

Details: October 4, 2023; By Staff Writers

TIMONIUM, Md.--A colt by Nyquist (Hip 160) topped the second session and the sale, selling for $205,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings sale on Tuesday evening, Oct. 3 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.

Fasig Tipton Timonium 23 The sales topper at the Fasig-Tipton Yearling sale inTimonium The colt by Nyquist sold for $205,000 to Thorostock LLC & Seth Morris Thoroughbreds from the consignment of Becky Davis Inc., agent.

Out of the winning Not For Love mare How My Heart Works, the dark bay or brown colt is a half-brother to graded stakes placed Monday Morning QB, winner of last year’s Maryland Million Classic, and a full sibling to Asawer, second runner up in this year’s G3 U.A.E. Oaks and was bred in Maryland by Bowman & Higgins Stable.

Over the course of two days, 289 yearlings sold for $7,078,000, good for an average of $24,491.

The median was $12,000, and the RNA (reserve not attained) rate was 21.4%.

"Could it have been a better sale, yes," said Marshall Silverman of New Freedom, Pa., who sold a number of yearlings as agent, including the second highest price colt in the opening session. "But the way things are going it was not too bad."

"It wasn't as crowded as usual, but a lot of the right people were there," he said."A lot of people want only Kentucky sired horses."

Siverman said the Timonium being sandwiched between the Keeneland sale of thousands of yearling and the Keeneland sale of 12,000 horses meant that some buyers didn't bother to go to Maryland.

$925,000 Twirling Candy Colt Sets Mark Tuesday at Keeneland September Yearling Sale

Details: September 21, 2023; By Staff Writers

LEXINGTON, Ky.--Pin Oak Stud on Tuesday abought the most expensive horse sold during the eighth session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale since 1999 when it paid $925,000 for a colt by Twirling Candy on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

Keeneland sale scenic Keeneland sale Consigned by Paramount Sales, agent, the colt is out of the winning First Defense mare Hiking and from the family of English highweight Logician, Group 1 winner Cityscape and Grade/Group 2 winners Didina (GB), Bated Breath and Equilateral.

Paramount was the day’s leading consignor with sales of $2,529,000 for 26 horses.

“He was a beautiful colt,” Pat Costello of Paramount said. “Everyone on the grounds was on him. We loved him from Day 1. We’re thrilled for the buyer (Pin Oak Stud) and I’m delighted for the breeder (Lady Bamford), a lovely lady. He was a special colt.”

Pin Oak Stud spent $1.03 million for two horses to lead buyers.

Keeneland Sales had a $900,000 sale on Sunday and a $700,000 sale Monday

Details: September 20, 2023; By Staff Writers

LEXINGTON, Ky.--Steady trade during Monday, Sept. 18's seventh session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale was headlined by a colt by Good Magic from the family of G1 winner and sire Pioneerof the Nile that sold for $700,000 to Donato Lanni, agent for SF/Starlight/Madaket.

Keeneland September sale ringAt $700,000, the colt is the highest-priced yearling to sell in the seventh session since 2015.

A total of 306 yearlings sold through the ring during the session for $24,681,500, for an average of $80,658 and a median of $65,000.

The total is 10.39% below the $27,544,000 from the corresponding session in 2022 when 314 horses sold.

The average dipped 8.05% from $87,720 in 2022, and the median is 3.70% under last year’s $67,500.

Cumulatively, Keeneland has sold 1,505 yearlings for $344,546,500, 3.07% lower than the $355,453,500 for 1,556 horses sold during the same period last year.

The average of $228,935 is slightly above $228,441 from 2022, and the median of $150,000 is 6.25% below last year’s $160,000.

The session topper, who is out of the Bernardini mare Beauty Buzz, was consigned by Gainesway, agent. Gainesway led all consignors Monday with sales of $3,715,000 for 30 yearlings.

$875,000 Authentic yearling topped Keeneland Sales, Saturday session

Details: September 17, 2023; By Staff Writers

LEXINGTON,Ky.--Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale resumed Saturday after a one-day hiatus with the first session of the two-day Book 3, which recorded nearly $47 million in sales and was led by the purchase of a colt from the first crop of Horse of the Year Authentic for $875,000 by Donato Lanni, agent for SF/Starlight/Madaket.

Keeneland 875000 Keeneland Sales, $875,000 coltby AuthenticThe session topper, who was consigned by Eaton Sales, agent, is out of the multiple graded stakes-placed Street Sense mare Sweetgrass.

He is from the family of champion Althea.

Donato Lanni, agent for SF/Starlight/Madaket, was the session’s leading buyer by purchasing three yearlings for $1,735,000.

St. Elias, Talla Racing and Spendthrift Farm paid $775,000 for a colt from the first crop of G1 winner Vekoma.

Consigned by Legacy Bloodstock, agent for Spendthrift Farm, he is out of stakes winner Summer of Fun, a daughter of Include who was third in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

The colt is from the family of G1 winner Louis Cyphre (Ire) and Grade/Group 2 winners Psychobabble (Ire) and Mekong Melody (Ire).

Two $ million colts sold at Keeneland's Thursday sale

Details: September 16, 2023; By Staff Writers

LEXINGTON,, Ky.--The 80th Keeneland September Yearling Sale week one ended Thursday ,, Sept. 14 with a session highlighted by steady trade among a number of major buyers and the sale of colts by Curlin for $1.1 million and by Not This Time for $1.05 million.

Keeneland generic The 30 million-dollar horses equals the number sold last year and is the highest for the September Sale since 2007.

For an undisclosed buyer, Lauren Carlisle, agent, paid $1.1 million for a colt by Curlin out of G2 winner Miss Sunset, by Into Mischief.

Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, consigned the colt, who is from the family of Grade 2 winner Prayer for Relief.

“He looks really fast and hopefully he proves that,” Carlisle said. “He has a really good walk and looks very athletic. We’re looking for a nice two-turn colt, and hopefully he can be that horse. I was worried that the price would be that high; I did not want it to be, but that is how it is right now.”

West Point Thoroughbreds and Talla, LEB, agent, spent $1.05 million for a colt by Not This Time from the family of G2 winner Cowtown Cat and Grade/Group 3 winners Crafty But Sweet and So Perfect.

St George Sales, agent, consigned the colt, who is out of winner Foreign Affair, by Exchange Rate.

“I thought he was just a dude,” West Point’s Terry Finley said. “He walked around the back ring like he owned it. He had that presence about him. When I looked at him, he was like ‘Hey, I’m the man.’

Keeneland Sales had 28 yearlings sell for $1 million or more in first three days

Details: September 15, 2023; By Staff Writers

LEXINGTON, Ky.--A total of 28 yearlings have sold for $1 million or more during the first three days of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale which included Book 1 and the first day of Book 2.

Keeneland sale of a colt by McKinzie“We have to be very pleased with the way the day turned out,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said on Wednesay. “Being on par with last year’s record sale figures – gross, average and median. Early in the day it was a little slower but it picked up and charged on very strongly right to the end.

“The market was very healthy,” Lacy said. “Buyers are finding it very competitive; there are a lot of quality horses out there. It’s challenging on both sides of the coin in a good way. The strength of the domestic buying bench was very evident. International buyers were active at a lower price level, but I think they will be very active for a while. It bodes well for tomorrow.”

“The strength at the top is very obvious,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said. “There were 39 horses today that brought $500,000 or more compared to 29 horses last year, so that’s a significant increase. And you can see, we’re half a million ahead of our gross after three days this year compared to our record sale last year. RNAs are just a touch higher than what we would want and we’re cognizant of that, but the activity is all there. Median and average are just a couple percent higher than they were last year, so it’s an extremely good sale.”

First night of Saratoga Yearling Selected Sale comparable to record breaking 2022 sale

Details: August 9, 2023; By Staff Writers

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--The opening night of the Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale, Monday, Aug. 7, featured spirited bidding from numerous different buyers and ended with numbers on par with last year’s record-breaking renewal.

Quality Road colt sells for 1.1 million (Photo by Fasig Tipton)This was the 102nd renewal of the Saratoga Sale at the Humprey S. Finney Pavilion.and two yearlings sold for over $1 million.

Elliott/McElroy, agent for Amo Racing, paid $1,100,000 to buy the session topper, a colt by Quality Road (Hip 77) from the consignment of Gainesway, agent for Stonestreet, which bred and raised the colt.

By the sire of this year’s Preakness S. (G1) winning Saratoga Sale graduate National Treasure, Hip 77 is out of the graded stakes winning Henny Hughes mare I’m a Looker.

The bay colt is from the immediate family of Eclipse Champion Lakeville Miss and G1 winners Dortmund and Mogambo.

“It was a tremendous start to the 2023 Saratoga yearling sale,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “The numbers are essentially on par with last year’s opening session, which was a remarkable, even historic evening.”

“There was a great diversity of buyers,a very, very good mix of buyers tonight and a very good mix of bidders,” Browning said. "They
bid $30 million tonight and that money was really spread across the board among a whole lot of horses. That’s really good for this marketplace, for breeding stock sales and so forth."

Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic sale posted an increase in average sale price

Details: December 11, 2022; By Staff Writers

TIMONIUM, Md.--Thoroughbred sales both in this country and abroad have enjoyed a spectacular year in 2022, with all but one sale in this country setting record after record, and yet another, the Midlantic December Mixed & Horses of Racing Age sale on Dec. 6, also posted an increase in average over last year’s edition.

Fasig Dec. sale Fasig-Tiptpn Dec. sale topperNot only did the average increase, but the $260,000 sale topper was the second most expensive offering since the sale began offering a horses of racing age supplement in 2018.

Radical Right (Hip 281), second in the City of Laurel Stakes at Laurel on Nov. 26, topped the sale when sold for $260,000 to Tom Kagele from the consignment of Northview Stallion Station (David Wade), agent.

Supplemented to the Horses of Racing Age portion of the catalogue after his first stakes placing, Radical Right is a 3-year-old son of First Samurai out of the Sky Mesa mare Emily with a lifetime record of three wins, six seconds, and three thirds from 15 starts and earnings of $179,100.

Heldish (Hip 243), a multiple stakes placed winner this year at 2, sold for $160,000 to trainer Michael Maker from the consignment of GreenMount Farm, agent.

By Great Notion, Maryland’s leading sire since 2017, out of the winning Street Sense mare Everything Magic, the 2-year-old colt finished second in the Maryland Million Stakes at Laurel on Oct. 22 and third in the James F. Lewis III Stakes a tLaurel on Nov.12 with a career record of one win, three seconds, and two thirds, and he has never been off the board in five total starts and earnings of $92,900 to date.

Maryland-bred Heldish was purchased for $40,000 from the consignment of Becky Davis, agent, at last year’s Midlantic Fall Yearlings sale.

Fasig-Tipton Breeding Stock sale grossed $100 million

Details: November 17, 2022; By Staff Writers

LEXINGTON, Ky.--Fasig-Tipton's single session selected breeding stock auction on Sunday, Nov. 6, for the second consecutive year, grossed more than $100,000,000.

Hip289Gamine11 22FTK Hip 289, GamineThirty-one horses sold for $1,000,000 or more over the course of the single session, including 10 which sold for $2,000,000 or more.

Eclipse Champion Gamine (Hip 289), offered carrying her first foal by Quality Road, topped the sale when sold for $7,000,000 to Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier from the consignment of Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa, agent.

A 5-year-old daughter of three-time Leading Sire Into Mischief, Gamine set records on and off the track.

In May of 2019, Gamine set a then-record for most expensive 2-year-old Thoroughbred sold at public auction in the state of Maryland when sold for $1,800,000 at the Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training sale.

Eighteen months later, she blazed a new track record in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, covering 7 furlongs in 1:20.20 to defeat older fillies and mares by 6 ¼ lengths as she pleased.

A nine-time winner in 11 career starts, Gamine scored seven times in graded stakes company, including in addition to her Breeders’ Cup victory: an 18 ¾-length victory in the G1 Acorn Stakes in her stakes debut at 3; a 7-length win in the G1 Test Stakes; and victories in the G1 Derby City Distaff Stakes and G1 Ballerina Handicap last year at 4.

She earned $1,771,500 on the track for owner Michael Lund Petersen and was named Eclipse Champion Female Sprinter at 3 in 2020.

Fasig-Tipton's October Yearlings sale set new records

Details: November 15, 2022; By Staff Writers

LEXINGTON, Ky.--Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky October Yearlings sale concluded Thursday, Oct. 27 with new sale records for gross, average and median.

Fasig Oct. sale Filly by Gun RunnerEvery sale but one in 2022 has established new records, and that sale in Timonium was plagued by terrible weather and the loss of buyers from Florida due to a hurricane.

A filly by leading second-crop sire Gun Runner (Hip 1364) topped the final session and sale when sold for $700,000 to Wesley Ward from the consignment of Claiborne Farm, agent.

The chestnut filly is the second foal out of the Speightstown mare No More Parties, an unraced full sister to Grade 1 winner Force the Pass.

The filly hails from the immediate family of Grade 1 winners Perfect Drift and Wonder Wheel and was bred in Kentucky by Colts Neck Stables.

She was the third most expensive filly ever sold at the Kentucky October Yearlings sale.

“Another remarkable sale concluded tonight,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “We were optimistic coming in because we knew the consignors and sellers had supported us with better quality horses than in the past. It’s thrilling to set records for gross, average and median, particularly considering the 2021 sale had such a dramatic increase from prior years as well.”

Cold, rainy weather hurt the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling sale

Details: October 6, 2022; By Staff Writers

TIMONIUM,Md,--Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic Fall Yearlings sale, Oct, 3,4, was down from previous years, with the average dropping from $29,578 to $26,597, and the median dropping from $20,000 to $15,000, while 79 of the 386 yearlings not sold this year as opposed to 75 of 381 not sold last year.

Fasig Tipton sales toppers The sale certainly suffered from the rain from hurricane Ian that reached Maryland and Pennsylvania on Friday and hung on for five days.

"The weather didn't help us any," said Marshall Silverman, who sold a large number of yearlings as agent.

Rain began the Friday before the sale,and it poured Saturday and Sunday, while also being unseasonably cold, meaning it was very difficult for people to assess the yearlings before the sale.

It also poured on both days of the sale, meaning a lot of people didn't go to the sale.

"There were a lot of people who are usually at these sales who weren't here," said Silverman. "Plus, with the hurricane in Florida, people couldn't get flights."

"The good horses by Kentucky sires sold well," said Silverman. "The horses by a good sire out of a young mare with some pedigree sold well."

Fasig-Tipton's New York bred sale breaks all records, may bode well for Timonium

Details: August 16, 2022; By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Fasig-Tipton's New York Bred Yearling Sale broke all records on Aug.15, with its sales gross of $20,175,000 eclipsing by nine percent the previous high.

Fasig Tipton N.Y. bred Fasig-Tipton N.Y. bred sales topperThe record breaking New York sale followed a week after the record breaking Selected Yearling sale.

“Saratoga is a magical place,” said Boyd Browning, Fasig-Tipton president and CEO, reflecting on both the Saratoga Sale and New York Bred Yearlings. “It restores and invigorates the hope, the enthusiasm, and the love that we all have for the game.”

Pennsylvania and Maryland breeders are hoping the excitement generated by the two Saratoga sales will carry over to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling sale, Oct. 3,4 in Timonium, Md.

"Certainly, there’s market confidence and momentum that’s been created throughout the July and Saratoga sales, and it bodes well, I think, for the overall marketplace this year," said Browning.”

Saratoga Sale's huge first day, with four selling for a $1 million or more

Details: August 9, 2022; By SARA CAVANAGH

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Fasig-Tipton's opening session of its Selected Yearlings Sale on Aug. 8 broke all records, including selling four yearlings for over $1 million.

68 Uncle Mo article Sales topper Uncle Mo colt (Photo by Fasig-Tipton)One of those was a Pa-bred, bred by Blackstone Farm, hip number 78 by Justify out of Slews Golden Rule, by Landfuhr, consigned by Warrendale Sales and bought by M.V. Magnier for $1.1 Million.

Roy and Gretchen Jackson's Lael Farm of Unionville, Pa., bought two fillies, hip 71, by Vino Russo out of Shaken, by Uncle Mo, for $550,000, and hip 86, by Flatter out of Splash Hit, by Flower Alley for $375,000.

David Wade, agent, had two bred by Northview Stallion Station of Chesapeake City, Md., go through the ring Monday evening, with hip 31, a filly by Mendelssohn out of Munny Spunt, by Munnings, bred in Kentucky, selling or $425,00 to Ken McPeek, agent fo Walking L. Thor, while hip 90, a colt by Bernardini was not sold, having not met his reserve of $135,000.

"You know what, I don’t do that very often, but I felt good. I felt good yesterday," said Boyd Browning, Fasig-Tipton President and Chief Executive Officer. "I feel good tonight and I think I’m going to feel good tomorrow night at this same time."