The 103rd edition of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale kicks off Aug. 5 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and consignors and sales officials are optimistic about the energy and traffic on the sales grounds going into the boutique auction.
Fasig-Tipton has cataloged 240 yearlings for the exercise that runs Aug. 5-6 in the Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion.
"We've got a tremendous catalog assembled, and we couldn't be any more excited and we look forward to two big days," said Boyd Browning Jr. president and CEO of Fasig-Tipton. "We are thrilled with the level of activity. It's been jam packed since Friday morning. The right people are here and consignors are very pleased with the number of looks they're getting."
The Saratoga Sale is North America's top-ranked yearling sale by percentage of grade 1 winners and graded stakes winners, according to BloodHorse Marketwatch. It is responsible for back-to-back Preakness Stakes (G1) winners—National Treasure in 2023 and Seize the Grey in 2024.
National Treasure sold for $500,000 in 2021 to the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables. The Quality Road colt was consigned by Bridie Harrison. After winning the 2023 Preakness, he has notched wins in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) and the Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) this season.
Seize the Grey sold for $300,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton exercise to Thoroughbred micro-share ownership group MyRacehorse. He was consigned by Mill Ridge Sales. The popular ownership team is poised again to add to their stable and have been active on the sales grounds, giving tours to potential buyers as they go through the steps of what it takes to acquire a successful racehorse.
Other notable graduates include Sierra Leone, winner of the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and runner-up in the Kentucky Derby (G1); Prince of Monaco, winner of the 2023 Del Mar Futurity (G1); and Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) winner Kingsbarns .
Last year's Saratoga sale grossed $75,055,000, with an average of $487,370. Eleven horses sold for a $1 million or more, with an esteemed Curlin colt out of multiple champion Beholder topping the sale at $4 million. He was sold to Donato Lanni, agent for Zedan Racing, and was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.
Taylor Made president and CEO Mark Taylor said the traffic and feel at the barns the last three days has been very good.
"It's one of those things that you can't really describe, but you just feel it. There's a lot of energy," Taylor said. "It seems like people are optimistic and ready to jump in and buy some really nice yearlings. In some years you don't feel that. You feel like, 'Is everybody just kind of sitting on their hands and maybe they're going to wait until September and see what's going on?'"
Taylor was hesitant to predict seven-figure outcomes, but he said the consistency of the catalog bodes well.
"I think Fasig-Tipton does a nice job of selecting these horses, so it's a pretty uniform group of quality physicals, and that helps a lot. They don't all have to have to blue-blooded pedigrees, but the conformations here are very good across the board."
Hips 1-120 sell Aug. 5, with hips 121-240 concluding the sale Aug. 6. The first offering in the auction's second session Aug. 6 will be a share in leading young sire Complexity . He leads all first-crop sires by winners, black-type winners, black-type horses, graded stakes winners, and progeny earnings. The share will be consigned by Airdrie Stud, which stands Complexity.
Complexity's top performers include Mo Plex, winner of the Sanford Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course, and Black Forza, winner of the Richmond Stakes (G2) Aug. 2 at Goodwood Racecourse.
The Saratoga Sale is generally a proven sire sale, but there are plenty of first-year sires of interest, including Charlatan , Maxfield , Yaupon , Essential Quality , Known Agenda , and Tacitus .
"All of our yearlings are by proven sires, except one—Hip 45 (by Maxfield)," said Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall Sales. "He has been very well received, it's nice to have something new."
Hip 45 is a Machmer homebred colt by first-crop yearling sire Maxfield, and the first foal of the Uncle Mo mare Fiscal Literacy, a half to grade 2 winner Dixie City and stakes winner Win The War.
Machmer Hall, based near Paris, Ky., is no stranger to bringing top horses to the prestigious sale. A couple of its notable graduates include two-time Eclipse champion and Hall of Famer Tepin and grade 1 winner Exaulted.
"Overall we have a really solid group," Brogden said. "I feel as positive as I possibly could."
