Records fall at New York-bred yearling sale

By Timothy Littau and Tom Law

The Saratoga auction season closed with a flourish Monday as a full brother to a flashy Del Mar debut maiden winner commanded a record bid for a colt to highlight the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale marked with across-the-board gains.

Fasig-Tipton reported sales on 188 of the 233 yearlings offered over the two sessions for a record total of $20,175,000, an increase of 8.7 percent from last year’s total and previous record of $18,566,500 for 203 sold.

Average price for the sale – $107,314 – was second best in history and an increase of 17.3 percent from last year’s $91,461. The record average for the New York-bred sale was set in 2018, $107,512. Median was also second best in history and up 5.7 percent to $74,000. The sale’s buyback rate also dropped from 21.3 percent to 19.3 percent.

The positive results follow similar blockbuster gains at last week’s Saratoga sale of selected yearlings last week.

“We just had a wonderful week starting last Monday evening and the last 166 hours have been really heartening, encouraging, satisfying and just reflective of the quality horses that people have given us the opportunity to sell,” said Fasig-Tipton President and Chief Executive Officer Boyd Browning Jr. “It’s reflective of the interest and enthusiasm, particularly in the racing product and particularly in New York.

“It begins and ends with our inspection process. The grounds for both sales were stocked with really high quality, physical individuals. They’ve done a fabulous job identifying the horses that fit into the sales and it’s done hand in hand with the consignors and owners of the horses.”

Monday’s session proved particularly strong, with 124 of the 149 yearlings through the ring sold for $13,2745,000, an average price of $107,056 and median of $72,500.

“A lot of people got outbid last night, so they came back today, with, if not fire in their belly, then with money in their pocket and it certainly helped create a demand,” Browning said.

Tom McCrocklin, agent for Champion Equine, outlasted fellow bloodstock agent Jacob West for the session- and sale-topper, going to $700,000 to purchase Hip 573[3] late Monday afternoon.

Bred by Kathleen Schweizer, the colt by Arrogate out of the graded stakes-winning Bellamy Road mare Georgie’s Angel received a significant catalog update Saturday when his full brother blitzed a 2-year-old maiden special weight at Del Mar. Cave Rock, a Kentucky-bred who sold for $550,000 at last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale, won his debut by 6 lengths for trainer Bob Baffert and owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman.

“I was kind of hoping (Cave Rock) wouldn’t run as well as he did because it made him a little more expensive, obviously,” McCrocklin said.

McCrocklin said the sale-topper would go to Ocala, where a decision will be made whether he’ll be pointed to a 2-year-old in training sale or kept to race.

“Obviously, a lot depends on the brother,” McCrocklin said. “That’s a big update, his full brother, very impressive first time out, runs a 101 Beyer. But we didn’t buy the brother, we bought this horse so we have to make this work.

“I thought he would bring ($600,000 to $700,000). We were in the ballpark. It’s been a very strong market. July, the select sale, this sale.”

Hip 573 was consigned by Eaton Sales, agent for Longford Farm. He’s the sixth foal out of 2011 Schuylerville Stakes winner Georgie’s Angel, who is also the dam of winners Take Charge Angel, Frosted Angel and Rue de l’Ange.

“We thought 300 to 400 coming in but that was before a pretty significant update,” Eaton Sales’ Reiley McDonald said. “When his full brother won the other day, we knew that just added to his luster. I didn’t know if it would add three to four hundred to his value, but I knew it would add a lot.

“Then the horse has shown here like a superstar. Normally they start off fresh and get tired. This horse started off ok and got better every day. That really helped him because he was doing final shows here today and was moving beautifully and nicely.”

Longford Farm purchased Georgie’s Angel, carrying the New York-bred sale topper in utero, for $75,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Georgie’s Angel is also the dam of an Improbable filly foaled in New York April 21. She was bred back to Connect.

The third highest-priced colt also sold during Monday’s session when LML Inc. went to $375,000 to purchase Hip 529[5], a son of Nyquist from the family of Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed.

Bred by Wildwood Farm and consigned by Indian Creek, agent, the colt is out of the unraced Speightstown mare Court Dress. A half-sister to Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed, Grade 3 winner Witty and the dam of Grade 1 winner American Patriot, Court Dress is the dam of four winners led by the stakes-placed duo of Runnin’ Ray and Estilo Femenino. Hip 529’s full sister, the 2-year-old New York-bred La Conquistadora, sold for $135,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale.

The third most expensive filly of the sale also sold Monday. Donaldson Bloodstock, agent, purchased Hip 439[6], a daughter of Ghostzapper out of the New York-bred champion-producing mare Thin Disguise, for $340,000.

Bred by Spruce Lane, Stepwise, Robbins, Copper Beech, Lynn, Manlius, Thorne and consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, the filly is out of the winning Yes It’s True mare who produced Grade 3 winner Holiday Disguise and multiple stakes winner Midnight Disguise. Holiday Disguise was named champion New York-bred older dirt female and New York-bred female sprinter in 2018 and Midnight Disguise was named champion New York-bred 3-year-old filly in 2018.

Thin Disguise, a half-sister to 2007 New York-bred Horse of the Year Naughty New Yorker, is also the dam of four other winners including the Grade 1-placed Forest Caraway.

Hip 333[7], a filly by Central Banker and half-sister to stakes winner Jemography, sold for $140,000 Sunday night and stayed atop the list of top-selling yearlings by a New York-based stallion.

Saratoga Race purchased the filly out of the winning Menifee mare Liza Lu. She’s the dam of $395,375-earner Jemography, winner of last year’s George W. Barker Stakes at Finger Lakes and placed in two other stakes; and stakes-placed winners Big Time Lady and Good Intent.

The filly was bred by Spruce Lane, Mashnee, McMahon of Saratoga, Robbins, Copper Beach and others, foaled at McMahon of Saratoga and consigned by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, agent. Central Banker, who topped New York’s general sire list in 2021, stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/08/15/records-fall-at-new-york-bred-yearling-sale/

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