Taste of NY: Empire State breeding program gets chance to shine at Saratoga Sale

By Nolan Clancy

The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred Yearlings sale kicks off with hips 301-400 Sunday evening at 7, showcasing yearlings by stallions with track records of success and newcomer potential alike. 

If Monday and Tuesday night’s record-setting Saratoga Select Yearling sale is any indication of the state of the industry, breeders and consignors will be in luck.

“I think the sales average is going to be as strong or better than the previous year, which every year seems to be getting a little better,” said John McMahon of McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds. “The Saratoga sale was such a strong segment of the industry, it’s hard not to believe it’s going to trickle down into this sale also.”

John, the son of farm founders Joe and Anne McMahon, heads up the on-site sales operation in Fasig-Tipton’s Barn 7C. Founded in 1971, the birthplace of the late Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide has sent horses to the sale for decades. McMahon of Saratoga stands Central Banker, the leading New York sire by earnings and total winners in 2021 and 2022.

“I don’t think you’ll find a consignment that has produced more winners from this particular spot over the course of the last few years,” McMahon said. “I mean, you can’t compare yourself against the Taylor Made’s or the real giants within the industry, but for a group and a consignment which focuses strictly on this sale, I think the name helps a lot.”

A record 364 yearlings are entered in the sale, which will continue at noon Monday for the better part of the afternoon and evening. For the first time in Fasig-Tipton Saratoga history, they constructed a temporary “Barn 11” at the corner of George Street and East Avenue to accommodate extra horses. 

“The quality of the horses in the New York-bred sale has improved exponentially over the last decade,” said Boyd Browning, president and chief executive officer of Fasig-Tipton. “When we started the New York-bred sale basically it was viewed as a closed shop. There were New York-bred trainers, there were New York-bred breeders and there really wasn’t a wide net. Now it’s a wide net. Every trainer that has stalls at Saratoga not only has New York-breds, they want to have New York-breds.”

Part of this development in New York-bred prominence is due to the success of a few state-based stallions. 

Central Banker, a 13-year-old by Speightstown, is the stalwart of the group. He’s produced seven crops of yearlings and numerous standouts on the NYRA circuit and beyond. He’ll be represented by five colts and six fillies across Sunday and Monday.

Bankit, a 7-year-old gelding by Central Banker out of Sister In Arms has earned $1,421,405 and finished third in Friday’s Evan Shipman Handicap for Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing and trainer Steve Asmussen. He’s a graduate of the 2017 Saratoga Preferred New York-bred sale where he sold for $85,000.

In the money in six graded stakes, Solomini also stands at McMahon, and is poised to break out as a top-tier New York stallion. He sends his second crop of yearlings to this sale, and his sire Curlin should be enough to turn heads. 

“I’m really looking forward to the couple Solominis we’ve got going through, specifically 609 and 571 are very nice horses,” McMahon said. Hip 609 is out of Flash Act, dam of six foals to race. Hip 571 is out of Dancing Onthemoon, dam of two foals of racing age and already the mother of a stakes winner. 

Outside of New York, a few upstart stallions send early crops to Fasig-Tipton.

2019 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso is a relative newcomer to the stallion market, with a first crop making their debuts on the track this year. The Wine Steward, a colt out of Call To Service is 2-for-2, including a win in the Bashford Manor Stakes at Ellis Park in July for Mike Maker. He sold at this sale last year for $70,000. Vino Rosso sends 13 yearlings to the sale. 

The sale also features the first crop of yearlings from 2020 New York-bred Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male and Belmont and Travers Stakes winner Tiz The Law. He sends six yearlings to the sales grounds with six different consignors, including McMahon.

“I think they should be very well received,” McMahon said. 

Honest Mischief stands at Sequel Stallions in New York and leads the way of all stallions by quantity, sending 16 yearlings to the sale. He’s been New York’s most popular stallion by mares bred in 2021 and 2022. 

Another main reason for the growth of the sale is the continued development of NYRA’s state-bred racing program. 

“Saratoga is the highlight of the summer racing season and we’re thrilled the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling sale, once again, features a fantastic and comprehensive catalog,” said Najja Thompson, executive director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc.

“We’ve been working to provide enhanced incentives for owners and breeders in the New York-bred program and it’s encouraging to see a record number of 384 New York-breds cataloged this year.”

Browning said the program’s success gets fed by several factors.

“What shows you the cooperative spirit between NYRA and the breeders certainly benefits everybody,” Browning said. “The stronger the New York-bred program is, the more it can produce horses that are going to be a significant part of the racecard, everybody wins. There are no losers.”

For breeders in New York, the sale marks the culmination of countless days of hard work getting yearlings ready to hit the ring. 

Madeline Tilletson bred two yearlings at this year’s sale, Hip 539 consigned by Paramount Sales and Hip 655 consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale. She has four broodmares based at Hickory Hill Farm near Glens Falls.

Hip 655 is the first foal out of Joluca, a winner on turf and dirt by Blame for Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard. Sheppard also bred the mare.

“We campaigned her during the pandemic when neither Jonathan nor I could be in a winners circle, or in my case be on a track. Lot of attachment to her,” Tilletson said. “We know people seem to like Kitten’s Joy, but this sale will prove whether that’s true or not.”

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/08/12/taste-of-ny-empire-state-breeding-program-gets-chance-to-shine-at-saratoga-sale/

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