Fasig-Tipton Saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - A week of record-setting results continued in Saratoga when the two-day Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale concluded Monday with its highest gross in history. An action-packed Monday session was highlighted by a yearling by Arrogate--a full brother to recent 'TDN Rising Star' Cave Rock--who became the auction's highest-ever priced colt when selling for $700,000 to the bid of bloodstock agent Tom McCrocklin, on behalf of Michael Sucher's Champion Equine. At the close of business Monday, 188 yearlings had grossed $20,175,000--eclipsing the auction's previous record of $18,566,500...

The opinion-heavy but heretofore science-light debate over whether or not certain stallions covering record numbers of mares per year will weaken the Thoroughbred breed gained a lot of clarity in late June when the University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center released the findings from part one of its genetic diversity study. Tuesday, UK professor Ernie Bailey, PhD, joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland as the Green Group Guest of the Week to explain the major takeaways from the Gluck Center's research, what it means for the breeding...

by Jessica Martini and Christie DeBernardis SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - During an electrifying session of bidding Tuesday, the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearlings Sale produced 10 seven-figure yearlings--topped by a $2.3-million son of Gun Runner--and crashed records for gross, average and median. "Rarely do you find me speechless," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said Tuesday night. "We are blown away by the results. The energy, the excitement, it just feels so good from an industry perspective. The statistics are phenomenal. We averaged over $500,000 tonight and had 10 horses over seven figures....

Hip 126, a full-sister to MGSW and 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin)--who shared the top spot at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale--outdid her big brother in the ring Tuesday when fetching $2 million from West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing and 3C Stable. West Point and Woodford, along with the breeder of both horses Bobby Flay, campaign the Shug McGaughey-trained First Captain, who was last seen finishing second in the July 9 GII Suburban S. after annexing the GIII Pimlico Special in May. Consigned by Stone Farm, hip 126 is...

Ageless Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, fresh off a victory in Sunday's GII Adirondack S., made the first big splash during Tuesday's second session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, going to $1.35 million to acquire a Medaglia d'Oro colt on behalf of John Bellinger. Consigned by Four Star Sales as hip 114, the dark bay is out of GSW Walk Close (Tapit), making him a full to 2019 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Anneau d'Oro. He was bred as an apparent foal share by Lochlow Farm and Godolphin.

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale opened with a lively session of trade punctuated by four seven-figure yearlings Monday evening in upstate New York. A colt by Uncle Mo, consigned by Lane's End as agent for his breeder, Summer Wind Farm, attracted the session's highest bid when selling for $1.5 million to the partnership of West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing. In all, 69 yearlings sold at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion Monday for a total of $28,930,000. The average...

The Coolmore contingent has to be happy with the hot start Triple Crown winner Justify has had with his first 2-year-olds, and the operation continued to support its young stallion Monday in Saratoga when landing hip 78 for $1.1 million. Michael Wallace was credited as agent for Coolmore's M.V. Magnier. The colt, consigned by Warrendale Sales, Agent IV, was bred in Pennsylvania by Blackstone Farm. He is half to stakes winner Ledecka (Tiznow).

An Uncle Mo colt already named Stop the Press made news Monday evening when garnering a winning bid of $1.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale from West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing. Consigned by Lane's End, agent as hip 68 on behalf of Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Equine, the Mar. 25 foal is a grandson of MGSW India (Hennessy), making his Tapit dam a half to Japanese MGISW Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}). He hails from the family of highest-level winners Rahy's Attorney, To Honor and Serve, Angela Renee, et...

One of the first people at Saratoga to meet Fasig-Tipton's representative from Japan, Mariko Seki, was Taylor Made's Duncan Taylor, who wasted no time in promoting Hip 174 from their consignment. "Let those Japanese owners know that his 2-year-old half-brother, Psy Breaker (Uncle Mo), won very impressively in Japan on Aug. 6." Seki opened the Japanese Racing Association website and showed Taylor a video replay of Psy Breaker breaking his maiden. "Come and see his half-brother by Audible in Barn 10," said Taylor. Seki is making her first visit to...

1st-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-6, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:45.06, fm, 2 1/4 lengths. BATTLE OF NORMANDY (c, 2, City of Light--Adorable Miss {MSW, $162,590}, by Kitten's Joy), a $500,000 FTSAUG yearling, was drawn widest of all in post seven in the Whitney day opener and chased in an outside fifth rounding the clubhouse turn in this grassy debut run. The 3-1 shot stayed out in the clear in third down the backstretch, began to make his move while three-wide on the far turn and came charging down the stretch to forge...

The 2022 class of first-crop yearling sires features a diverse batch of Kentucky-based young stallions including a pair of Breeders' Cup champions, two sons of reigning top sire Into Mischief, five graded stakes winners at two and five Grade I winners on turf. Throughout the course of the yearling sales season, we will feature a series of freshman sires as their first crop points toward the sales ring. Check out past editions of our series here.   Omaha Beach (War Front--Charming, by Seeking the Gold) set the bar high for this...

The 2022 class of first-crop yearling sires features a diverse batch of Kentucky-based young stallions including a pair of Breeders' Cup champions, two sons of reigning top sire Into Mischief, five graded stakes winners at two and five Grade I winners on turf. Throughout the course of the yearling sales season, we will feature a series of freshman sires as their first crop points toward the sales ring. Check out the first few editions of our series here. WinStar Farm's Liam O'Rourke vividly recalls the day that breeders got their...