SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Records were toppled as 35 yearlings sold for over $1 million at the 105th Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale, Fasig-Tipton's flagship auction that ended its two night run on Tuesday , Aug. 11.
It seems totally crazy - 35 yearling selling for over $1 million with four selling for over $4 million.
How many of those will even make it to the racetrack, much less win and even much less win enough to go on to be a top stallion at stud, which is the only place where a horse can return that kind of investment.
Joe and Sean Clancy's Saratoga Special summed it up perfectly - "Crazy seemed somewhat apropos.....but plenty of other adjectives would fit the bill, too, like wild, ridiculous, zany and even daft. Sensible and normal need not apply."
Three yearlings from the Delaware Valley sold for more sane prices, with two fillies from Virginia, one by American Pharoah and the other by Epicenter, selling for $250,000 and $175,000 respectively.
A Maryland-bred, bred by Cynthia and Charles McGinnes' Thornmar Farm, by Vekoma,out of Coconut Cake, sold for $335,000.
"We were delighted with the sale because we bred every one of his four dams," said Cynthia McGinnes. "He is the great-great grandson of Muffies Muffin, the first broodmare we had. He is the result of 50 years of our breeding."
How many breeders can claim that distinction, breeding four generations of top race horses.
THE SALE broke records for gross, average, and median established just last year.
Led by a pair that sold for $4.2 million and $4 million,a total of 35 yearlings were sold for seven figures over the course of two nights, also breaking the record established last year, when 25 horses hit that marker.
“Genuinely believe it was the greatest horse sale I've ever seen in my life,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said. “I joined Fasig-Tipton in 1988. We've had some wonderful moments, and some not so wonderful moments, and last night and tonight were simply incredible. It shows you what happens when you are able to assemble a magnificent group of horses on the grounds, and that's really where it starts and really where it finishes, because the finest judges that rate yearlings in the world, came on the grounds … and they clearly decided that this was an exceptional group of horses, which validated the thoughts and the beliefs that our consignors and our customers had, and our inspection team had, and that's a very, very, very fulfilling and a rewarding experience, really for every member of our staff and for every customer that we've got.”
Browning often speaks of the magic and the atmosphere in Saratoga Springs, a vibrant racing town, but said “there really isn’t any pixie dust” to the record results, giving credit to those who support Fasig-Tipton at every level.
“Pretty special place, but it's a special place because of the men and women at work at Fasig-Tipton,” Browning said. “The men and women who support Fasig-Tipton as buyers and sellers, the men and women who have worked at Fasig-Tipton and participated in our sales that came before us, and hopefully we're laying a foundation for a culture and a company and an organization that will continue to aspire to great heights for both ourselves and for our industry.”
An Into Mischief colt (hip 136) who is a full brother to multiple graded stakes winner Barnes sold for $4,200,000 to Flying Dutchmen about an hour into Tuesday's session to lead the sale.
The Flying Dutchmen team bought 11 totaling $21,625,000, including Tuesday’s top two lots, and four of the evening’s top five prices.
A Gun Runner colt (hip 200), sold for $4 million, also to Flying Dutchmen.
Late in the evening, a colt by Not This Time (hip 227) matched the $3,000,000 price tag to tie for the third-highest price of the night, going to the partnership of Winchell Thoroughbreds, White Birch, and M.V. Magnier of the Coolmore group.
Flying Dutchmen paid $2,800,000 for another Into Mischief colt (hip 140).
Spendthrift bought another Into Mischief colt in support of its own stallion, as Delta Squad Racing, Whisper Hill Farm, and Spendthrift partnered at $2,600,000 on a bay colt (hip 121).
Other top yearlings were by Gun Runner and Into Mischief.
A chestnut Gun Runner colt (hip 207) was purchased for $2,300,000 by RMT Racing.
Spendthrift partnered with Go Go Greys Stable for an Into Mischief filly (hip 217), consigned by Bedouin Bloodstock, as agent for breeder LNJ Foxwoods.
A chestnut Gun Runner colt (hip 194) was purchased for $1,750,000 by Caitlin Dunne, acting as agent for Asagi Stables.
Spendthrift and Delta Squad partnered for a $1,700,000 colt by Not This Time (hip 129).
Stonestreet also bred the next colt on Tuesday’s leaderboard, a chestnut son of Triple Crown winner Justify (hip 212), purchased by Speedway Stables for $1,550,000.
Next on the hit list for Into Mischief was a filly (hip 124) purchased for $1,500,000 by Erdenheim Farm Thoroughbreds from the consignment of Buckland Sales, as agent for breeder Calumet Farm.
Matching that $1,500,000 price was a Gun Runner colt (hip 216), purchased by Legion/Gracie, agent, from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales Agency.
A Constitution colt (hip 119) who was just the fourth horse through the ring was purchased for $1,450,000 by Flying Dutchmen to help set the tone for the evening.
A colt from the second crop of Life Is Good (hip 201) sold for $1,200,000 to Justin Casse, with Taylor Made Sales Agency also acting as agent.
A pair of Gun Runner fillies each brought $1,100,000, with Boyd Racing, with Brittany Linton as agent, bought a chestnut filly (hip 128), and Legion Bloodstock buyingr a bay filly (hip 184).
Another three yearlings joined the leaderboard at $1,000,000 exactly:
--A chestnut colt from the second crop of unbeaten Horse of the Year Flightline, himself a graduate of The Saratoga Sale, brought $1,000,000 when purchased by Deuce Greathouse, agent 30A.
--Historic Claiborne Farm brought a consignment to The Saratoga Sale for the first time since 1975, and was led by a Constitution colt (hip 186) purchased by the partnership of St. Elias, West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing, and Belladonna Racing.
--A Tapit colt (hip 205) purchased by Resolute Bloodstock is out of the Argentinian Grade 3 winner Giant Remex, a Giant’s Causeway mare who had produced Argentinian stakes winner Renio Joy.
During the Tuesday session, 71 yearlings sold for $63,410,000, with an average of $893,099 and median of $550,000.
Over the two nights, 152 yearlings sold for gross receipts of $118,215,000, a sale record surpassing the mark set last year, when 161 yearlings sold for $100,845,000, the first time in this storied sale's history to reach nine figures.
The average was $777,730, up 24.2% over the highwater mark set last year of $626,366. The median rose 16.6% for another record, to $525,000 from last year's $450,000.
The Leading Consignor by gross was Taylor Made Sales Agency, which sold 29 yearlings for a total of $22,705,000.
The overall buyback rate was 18.3 percent.
“It was a vibrant atmosphere,” Browning said. “It was a kind of a celebration of all the things that that that everybody does right. I hope in 2028 and 2029, we’ve got to use a catalog cover that's twice the size of this one to put all the pictures of the great graduates. Because I'm telling you, mark my words on Aug. 11, 2026, you're going to look up two years from now, three years from now, and see some of the best horses in the world are graduates of this horse sale."
