A total of 337 horses–an increase of some 44% over 2022–are set to go under the hammer during Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale which kicks off at 10 a.m. ET at the Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion in upstate New York.
“We are looking forward to it very much,” said Fasig-Tipton President and CEO Boyd Browning, Jr. “We have a great catalog of weanlings, some very interesting mares as well and there has been plenty of action on the grounds so far. We all benefit from the great New York-bred program, the best state-bred program around.”
Browning, Jr. anticipates that the market will toss up few surprises.
“I think it's going to be the same story we've seen for quite a while,” he said. “The ones that are viewed as quality and 'desirable', there will be lots of competition for them and they'll be harder to buy than buyers would expect them to be. The ones that don't have as great of commercial appeal or have a little age on them or don't vet will be harder to sell. So expect continued polarization in the marketplace, but I think that we all recognize that is the market and don't really see any reason it will be any different this week or next week at the [Fasig-Tipton Kentucky] yearling sale. We kind of have an idea where the market is.”
Weanlings comprise over 72% of the catalog, 244 entries to be exact, giving end-users and resellers alike the opportunity to invest in quality New York-bred bloodstock. Buyers will have a compelling group of sires from which to choose, including the New York-based Central Banker, Fog of War, Galilean, Honest Mischief, Slumber (GB), Solomini and War Dancer. With increasing frequency, New York breeders send their mares away from the Empire state to be bred, and sires domiciled outside New York with weanlings on offer include Army Mule, Beau Liam, Bolt d'Oro, Cairo Prince, Classic Empire, Dialed In, Game Winner, Hard Spun, Independence Hall, Known Agenda, Liam's Map, Maximus Mischief, Medaglia d'Oro, Mitole, Tacitus, New York-bred Tiz the Law, Vekoma and Yaupon.
Held for the first time in 2012, the Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale has grown in popularity over the years, moving in tandem with the increasing strength of the New York-bred program.
“From a commercial perspective, the foals became more viable, people wanted to have an outlet in New York to sell their New York-breds and we always try to be responsive to the market,” Browning said about the sale as a concept. “We don't create the market, but we try to serve the market and it was evident there was a need and an opportunity to do business here.
“I think when you think of Fasig-Tipton, it's synonymous with one word–Saratoga. We've been selling horses there for over 100 years, it's a huge part of what we do and who we are. Our premier yearling sale is held in New York every year and the New York-bred program is a good complement to our activity. We're fortunate to do a lot of business here.”
The first horse through the ring during last year's Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale crossed the six-figure threshold, one of nine $100,000-plus transactions during the single-session auction. A trio of weanlings shared top honors in 2022: fillies by Malibu Moon and Not This Time and a colt by Vekoma each sold for $150,000, which helped bolster the overall statistics. The average of $32,392 represented a 44.3% increase over 2021, while the median price doubled to $20,000.
The Saratoga Fall Mixed sale begins tomorrow at 10 AM! #FasigNY
View catalogue, updates, and morehttps://t.co/7Fd4u7aYJJ pic.twitter.com/lSjotrhGhB
— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) October 16, 2023
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