by Jessica Martini and Christina Bossinakis
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – With bids ricocheting from all directions both inside and outside the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion, the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale of Selected Yearlings opened with a strong session topped by a pair of million-dollar babies Monday night in upstate New York.
“I thought it was a tremendous start to the 2023 Saratoga Yearling Sale,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said at the close of business Monday. “The numbers are essentially on par with last year's opening session, which was a remarkable, even historic, evening.”
During Monday's session, 74 yearlings sold for $30,785,000. The average was $416,014 and the median was $350,000.
Those figures were largely equal to the auction's 2022 opening session, which set the table for a record-smashing renewal. During last year's first session, 69 horses grossed $28,930,000 for an average of $419,275 and a median of $350,000.
“We saw a very fair marketplace,” Browning said. “It wasn't insanity, but there was a great diversity of buyers. There was a very, very good mix of buyers tonight and a very good mix of bidders. The love was kind of spread around. We did almost $30 million tonight and that money was spread really across the board amongst a whole lot of horses, which is really good long-term for this marketplace.”
The top 10 lots of Monday's session were purchased by 10 distinct buying entities. Leading the way was a colt by Quality Road who was purchased for $1.1 million by Alex Elliott and Ben McElroy on behalf of Amo Racing. The yearling was consigned by Gainesway on behalf of Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings.
Also bringing seven figures during the session was a filly by Curlin who sold for $1.05 million to David Lanigan as agent for Heider Family Stables. The filly was consigned by Denali Stud.
During last year's first session, four yearlings brought seven figures. The following evening, during a lights-out second session, a further 10 yearlings reached that milestone.
“Any time you start at Saratoga, you always have a little trepidation and a little bit of anxiety,” Browning admitted. “Are we going to be able to sustain the market? Are we going to be able to improve? We came off an unbelievable year in 2022 and had massive increases over 2021. I will sleep better tonight than I did last night knowing there is a viable marketplace. It was a great start, a fantastic start. I'm ecstatic with the first night and I can't wait to start selling tomorrow.”
Amo Aims for Quality
Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing, which has been expanding its foothold in the U.S. sales ring and on its racetracks, topped Monday's session of the Saratoga sale when purchasing a colt by Quality Road (hip 77) for $1.1 million. The yearling was consigned by Gainesway on behalf of his breeder, Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings.
“I think Kia is looking for Derby horses in the States and he has size and scope and he's by the right sire,” bloodstock agent Alex Elliott, who did his bidding inside the pavilion alongside Ben McElroy, said. “He's got a great pedigree. Obviously, a lot of people wanted him for him to bring what he brought.”
The bay colt is out of graded winner I'm a Looker (Henny Hughes) and from the family of Grade I winner Dortmund (Big Brown). Stonestreet purchased the mare as a 5-year-old for $475,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November sale. Her colt by Curlin sold for $525,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.
This year in the U.S., Amo Racing was represented by recent GII Amsterdam S. winner New York Thunder (Nyquist), and the operation went to this year's GI Kentucky Oaks with GII Gulfstream Park Oaks winner Affirmative Lady (Arrogate).
In Europe, Amo Racing's 2-year-old Valiant Force (Malibu Moon) won the G2 Norfolk S. at 150-1 and King of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was second in the G1 Betfred Derby before winning the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot. He was most recently third in the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond S.
All four were purchased by Amo Racing at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
“Amo Racing has been really lucky buying horses out of America recently,” Elliott said. “I think this horse will go back to Ireland to be broken and then he will come back to America. That's the program for Amo. We have to cross our fingers now.” @JessMartiniTDN
Dilworths Find Homebred Success
Scott and Evan Dilworth have enjoyed plenty of success over the years as pinhookers, but the couple had their first million-dollar sale as breeders Monday in Saratoga when David Lanigan purchased a filly by Curlin (hip 87) for $1.05 million on behalf of Heider Family Stables.
The seven-figure yearling is the first foal out of Lady T N T (Justin Phillip). Purchased for $335,000 at the 2018 OBS March sale, the mare won the 2019 GIII Charles Town Oaks in the Dilworths' colors.
“She's classy, classy,” Scott Dilworth said of the yearling. “Her momma is a beautiful mare and had a super amount of speed. Hopefully this filly will carry that speed on, being by Curlin. When I bred her for the first time, I said, 'Well, we are going to the best.' And there is nothing better than a Curlin filly.”
Among the Dilworths' home runs in the pinhooking arena was subsequent graded winner and recent GI Haskell S. third-place finisher Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo). The couple purchased the colt for $250,000 at the Keeneland September sale before topping the 2022 OBS April sale when selling him for $2.3 million to Amr Zedan.
“Yes, this is definitely my top sale from a breeding standpoint,” Dilworth said. “I've only got about five or six mares. And we primarily sell [the foals].”
The yearling was consigned by the Bandoroff family's Denali Stud and after watching him sell out back, Conrad Bandoroff came over to congratulate Dilworth and to remind the breeder he owed him a dinner.
“We had an over/under bet,” Dilworth said with a big smile. “I lost the bet. But with pleasure.”
Lady T N T was bred to Munnings this year. @JessMartiniTDN
Back to the Well
It's a good bet when an attractive yearling by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin steps into the ring, that fireworks are likely to ensue. And that is just what happened Monday evening in Fasig-Tipton's Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs moments after hip 87 entered the ring. When the dust had finally settled, it was David Lanigan, bidding from the back ring on behalf of Scott and Cindy Heider, that stood atop the chestnut's list of admirers with a $1.05 million final bid.
Consigned by Denali Stud, the Jan. 12 filly is the first foal out of Grade III winner Lady T N T (Justin Phillip), a half-sister to GSW and GISP Sweet Hope (Lemon Drop Kid).
“We had a top with her–It is good to have her,” said Lanigan. “The [Heiders] have some horses [in Ireland] with Joseph O'Brien and they have some other fillies here, too. So we just wanted to have some more horses to race on the dirt.
“Hopefully, this one can do something special. Most of the stable is grass horses, so we're trying to get some more dirt fillies in it.”
According to Lanigan, the filly will be sent to Keith Asmussen's Texas-based training center for pre-training before joining trainer Steve Asmussen.
“Steve and I both really liked this filly,” added Lanigan. “Both of us agreed we should give her a good go. Hopefully, we will buy one or two more in September.”
It would seem that the Heiders have a very good chance to develop a productive team of dirt runners with Asmussen at the fore of their U.S. contingent. Asmussen, who stood nearby during the bidding for the filly, was understandably pleased with the purchase.
“She's an absolutely beautiful daughter of Curlin,” said Asmussen. “You couldn't ask for any more than that. I am extremely fortunate to get the opportunity with her.”
The Hall of Famer had reason to be excited about getting another high-class daughter of Curlin, whom he led to victories in the GI Preakness S. and GI Breeders' Cup Classic en route to Horse of the Year honors. Highlighting his roster of fillies by the standout stallion is Clairiere, a four-time Grade I winner, including wins in this season's Ogden Phipps S. and Apple Blossom H.
“We've had some exceptional fillies by Curlin, and she looks like one of the really good ones.”
The Hill 'n' Dale stallion was also represented by Hip 110, also consigned by Denali Stud, who realized $825,000 from Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners during the initial session.
“Of all of our accomplishments, that is as special as it gets,” explained Asmussen when asked about all the success at stud that former trainees Curlin and fellow Horse of the Year Gun Runner have been enjoying. “Because growing up in it, I realize when we're far gone they are still going to leave their mark in horse racing. Curlin and Gun Runner will be at the top of the breed for generations.”–@CBossTDN
Constitution Filly Proves Worth the Wait
The first session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale was winding down and the rain was picking up outside the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion when bloodstock agent Mick Wallace, bidding through the raindrops out back, acquired a filly by Constitution (hip 118) for $900,000 on behalf of Brook Smith's Rocket Ship Racing and Kuldeep Singh Rajput's Gandharvi Racing.
Smith and Rajput were all smiles after celebrating their first partnership together on the filly, who was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm.
“You have to find the right partners and we are fast partners,” Brook said while nodding at Rajput. “When you see a beautifully bred filly–and granted this is the sale where the prices are going to go up–but if you pay a 10 or 20% premium because it's the first major sale of the season, but you get the right filly or colt, then it's the right thing to do.”
Rajput, who made his first trip to the Saratoga sale just two years ago, added, “Gandharvi is all about bringing partners together and having fun racing. And I think it's a match made in heaven. We agreed on the same filly. It's all about partnerships and we are looking forward to it.”
Hip 118 is out of stakes-placed Nina Fever (Borrego) and is a half-sister to Grade I winner Nickname (Scat Daddy). She was bred by Newstead Corp. The mare was purchased by Blandford Bloodstock, with the filly in utero, for $500,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November sale.
Courtlandt Farm purchased the yearling's half-sister by Into Mischief for $1.35 million at last year's Keeneland September sale.
Smith admitted he was already looking ahead to breeding the filly once her days at the track are over.
“If you're going to be in this industry for a long time, you have to decide whether or not you are going to have broodmares,” he said. “It's a tough trigger to pull, but you have to do it. And this is the type of filly that would obviously be an incredible broodmare even if she runs mediocre. But we think she is going to run good. She's beautiful. And we thank all the connections and our partners who helped us make the selection. They know a lot more than we do.”
Asked if the partners expected to make any more purchases at the boutique sale, Smith said, “There is another night, so we will find out.” @JessMartiniTDN
SF/Starlight/Madaket Back in Action
The stallion-making partnership of SF Racing/Starlight Racing and Madaket, which has helped reshape the yearling sales market with major purchases of two-turn colts in recent years, was back in action Monday in Saratoga, purchasing a pair of yearlings.
Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni and SF's Tom Ryan, bidding at the top of the stairs inside the pavilion, went to $875,000 to acquire a colt from the first crop of champion Authentic (hip 56). The yearling was consigned by Four Star Sales, as agent for his breeder, Spendthrift Farm, which stands his Kentucky Derby-winning sire.
“His yearlings are going to be very good to Spendthrift Farm,” Ryan said of Authentic. “He's a horse that is after bringing a lot of joy to a lot of people, considering the MyRacehorse connection, and Into Mischief being such a good-looking sire. I think Authentic has a good chance to step into big shoes. The quality of stock that he is putting on the ground is a good example of what can happen with a horse of his quality.”
Spendthrift had already enjoyed success in the sales ring with Authentic's first crop of yearlings. The farm topped the Fasig-Tipton July sale with a filly by the sire who sold for $475,000 to Alex and Joann Lieblong.
The Saratoga colt is out of graded-placed Golden Domer (Quality Road), a mare Spendthrift purchased for $340,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale. Her Bolt d'Oro colt sold for $275,000 at last year's Saratoga sale.
Earlier in Monday's session, the SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership purchased a colt by Quality Road (hip 49) for $650,000 from the Bedouin Bloodstock consignment. Out of Frolic's Dream (Smoke Glacken), the yearling was bred by SF Bloodstock.
Two years ago, SF/Starlight/Madaket purchased another son of Quality Road for $500,000 at the Saratoga sale. Named National Treasure, the bay colt went on to win this year's GI Preakness S. The group purchased a son of Speightstown for $950,000 last year in Saratoga. Prince of Monaco was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following his eight-length debut victory at Los Alamitos in July and is expected to make his graded stakes debut in the Aug. 13 GIII Best Pal S. at Del Mar.
“The sale has been very good to us,” Ryan said. “We walked away from here with a Classic winner [in 2021]. We are excited about Prince of Monaco–he was the only horse that we bought here last year. We bought two horses here tonight. So we are very happy. If this is all we can buy, we are happy. If we can get some more, we will be happy. If they can jump through the hoops, we will try our best.”
Heading into the yearling sales this fall, Ryan said the team's approach would remain the same.
“We are just trying to buy very fast horses for as little as possible,” he said. “We have a great team. I can't thank Donato Lanni and Bob Baffert, all our team, from our veterinarians to the people who break these horses. It's an amazing team. These things don't happen without a great team.”
As for a targeted number of yearlings to buy this year, Ryan said, “Not particularly, the number has fluctuated over the years. We are definitely up into the double digits.” @JessMartiniTDN
Lukas Firing at Fasig-Tipton on Day 1
It just wouldn't feel like Saratoga in the summer without D. Wayne Lukas haltering one of the top-priced yearlings during Fasig-Tipton's Select Yearling sale. Late in the session, the Hall of Fame trainer, sitting beside BC Stables' Brian Coehlo at the back of the pavilion, broke out the big guns to land hip 106, a colt by Into Mischief for $850,000.
“We bought [a horse with] a lot of conformation,” said Lukas. “Not only do we have a hot sire with Into Mischief, but he also has very good balance.”
Consigned by Mulholland Springs, the Apr. 12 foal is out of the Malibu Moon mare Meal Ticket.
When asked if the price was expected, he added, “He is the first foal out of a young mare so we thought he might bring a little less than that, but people find them.”
Earlier in the session, Lukas extended to $650,000 for hip 47, a colt by City of Light. Also secured for BC Stables, the colt is the first foal out of Fly Time (Mr Speaker), a half-sister to Preakness winner Rombauer (Twirling Candy).
Lukas, who made famous his 10-point rating system when selecting yearlings at the sales, didn't miss a beat when asked what he thought of his pair of day 1 purchases.
“Both were rated 8s,” he affirmed. “They were both right up there.
“The horses that are attractive and have a little bit of pedigree are selling very well. People are getting much more sophisticated on what they buy and reject. The days are gone when you could just bring one, that if it doesn't look good, it would still sell well. Now you have to have both conformation and pedigree. People are definitely getting better at that they're doing.”
BC Stables came into this year's Saratoga sale buoyed by a timely score when Just Steel (Justify) out-dueled favored Be You (Curlin) on the Whitney Day undercard last Saturday. The colt was purchased for $500,000 at Keeneland last September.
“When we bought him, we thought he was just a beautiful colt,” he recalled. “And Justify probably wasn't as hot as he is right now. We got a little ahead of the curve there.”
Never one to shirk away from facing the big kids on the field, he added, “We're looking at the [Sept. 4 GI] Hopeful S. with him.” Lukas would be looking for his ninth win in Saratoga's closing weekend feature for juvenile colts should the horse make it into the starting gate. “I think he fits very well and would have a good shot to win.”–@CBossTDN
Robert and Lawana Low, sitting alongside bloodstock advisor Jacob West in the front row of the pavilion, acquired a colt by Justify (hip 103) for $850,000 from the Bluewater Sales consignment Monday night in Saratoga. The colt, out of Marketplace (Stormy Atlantic), is a half-brother to stakes winner Dreamer's Disease (Laoban).
“We looked at 35 on Jacob's short list and he was our pick,” Robert Low said after signing the ticket on the youngster. “So we got the one we wanted. We will send him to J. J. Pletcher in Ocala and find out if he can run. We hope he can.”
The couple has long targeted two-turn colts at the auctions and Robert Low admitted competition was fierce in that part of the market.
“I think there is a lot of competition here,” he said. “I think the sale has been strong. Maybe there have been some disappointments and some RNA's, but overall, I think it's really good.” He added with a smile, “I mean. Good for the sellers.”
The yearling was bred by Cypress Creek Equine. Bluewater Sales purchased the dam for $87,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November sale. @JessMartiniTDN
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Sorrento Stakes, presented by @KeenelandSales.
BOOM! Hip 87, a filly by 
?