Early Voting Filly Brings $525,000 at F-T NY-Bred Sale

Before the start of Fasig-Tipton's New York Bred Yearling Sale Aug. 10, consignors and breeders were optimistic that momentum from the record-setting Select Sale last week would carry over to this two-day sale. It didn't take long for that optimism to be borne out. The 26th horse to go through the ring during the first session—Hip 329, brought $500,000 from Repole Stable, followed two hips later by the session-topper—Hip 331 for $525,000. "It was an outstanding opening session," said Boyd Browning, president and CEO of Fasig-Tipton. "It's the result of having an improving quality of horses on the sales grounds, both in terms of pedigrees and physical conformation. The night started strong and ended very strong." Hip 331 was purchased by Jones/Everett, agent for Sabby and Gargan Racing. The bay filly is from the first crop of Early Voting, whose four yearlings through the ring sold for an average of $220,000. "I thought she was the best filly in the sale," said Hal Mintz of Sabby Racing. "We didn't really want to get into a bidding war, but that's what happens right now. The market's really hot, and when people see a really nice filly, you can get a little bit out of control." Bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Tuscany Bloodstock, the filly was purchased as a weanling at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale for $150,000 by Jonathan Thorne's Mandalay Stables. She is out of the Ghostzapper mare Owl Moon, who has produced four winners, including stakes-placed Blue Strike. "She's just a really classy, beautiful horse," said Thorne, whose Thorndale Farm consigned the filly. "A lot of people on the sales grounds loved her. I thought this sale would be strong for the good ones, and she's one of the really good ones, so I thought that the price wasn't out of the realm of possibility. She's worth it." Pinhookers had a stellar night, and Hunter Valley Farm consigned two of the biggest pinhooks of the evening. Hip 329, a filly by Practical Joke, sold to Atlantic Bloodstock for $62,500 during last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale. Jacob West, who signed the ticket on behalf of Repole Stable, wasn't surprised that she brought eight times her weanling sale price. "I think it's a balance of a lot of things," he said. "Supply and demand. The new tax bill with accelerated depreciation. New York-breds running for open-company purses." West was referring to the New York Racing Association's plan to boost New York-bred purses in overnight races for 2-year-olds to match the same open-company races. In 2027, the purse parity will extend to all New York-bred overnight races. The biggest pinhooking home run of the night also came from the Hunter Valley Farm consignment. Hip 346, a filly by Tiz the Law sold at the Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale last year for $1,000, a price that had buyer Blaise Benjamin of High Stakes Stable worried that he'd brought the wrong horse. "It was just one of those things," he said. "We were in the right place at the right time. It was myself and Charlie Hines, who works at Coolmore, and we were prepared to give quite a bit more." Buyer Scanlon Training and Sales were the ones who had to give quite a bit more, going to $170,000 for the daughter of Coolmore stallion Tiz the Law. "It's just incredible," said a beaming Fergus Galvin, manager of Hunter Valley Farm. "We were all shocked after they bought it last year. But they were the lucky recipients, and we've all seen what Tiz the Law has been doing over the last six or eight months. Horses bred by two of New York's most high-profile farms were also in the spotlight Sunday night. The final horse through the ring, Hip 400, was the highest-priced colt of the night at $400,000. He was purchased by Kenny McPeek, agent, who was bidding on the phone. Bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Magnolia Mares and consigned by Sequel New York, the gray/roan colt is by first-crop sire Life Is Good. "There were so many people that vetted him," said Sequel owner Becky Thomas. "We're thrilled. We totally embrace the New York-bred program. We're delighted." Rockridge Stud bred Hip 393, a daughter of Medaglia d'Oro that was purchased for $410,000 by Taproot Bloodstock, agent for Lee Lewis. Said Taproot's Phil Hager, "She's a really pretty Medaglia filly, and Lee loves Medaglia fillies. We liked some Medaglias in the last sale, and I'd put this one up with some of those." Rockridge's owner and manager, Lere Visagie, was over the moon. He bought the dam, Strategic Dreams, in foal at the 2023 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, paying $85,000. "No!" said Visagie incredulously when asked if he expected the filly to bring that price. "I bought her from WinStar, and they are now a part of Americanrevolution in New York," he continued, referring to the grade 1-winning stallion who stands at Rockridge Stud near Hudson, N.Y., and who was campaigned by WinStar Farm in partnership with CHC. Dan Hayden became a partner in the weanling earlier this year after seeing her at Rockridge. "He came and saw her at a New York farm, he bought a New York baby, we sold it in New York, and it's going to Mark," said Visagie, referring to trainer Mark Hennig. "We are ecstatic, and she'll stay in New York. It's just a home run all around." To mix sporting metaphors, there were a lot of home runs at the end of the first period of the sale. Sixty-four horses sold for a gross of $8,338,000, up 21.3% from last year, with the average of $130,281 rising 25.3%. The median also rose, to $105,000 from $89,000. Twenty horses failed to meet their reserve, resulting in an RNA rate of 23.8%, up from last year's 13.8% during the first session. Comparisons to the 2024 session do not include post-sale results. Hunter Valley Farm led the consignors, selling seven out of their eight horses offered for a total of $1,515,000. Kenny McPeek's two purchases totaling $525,000 led the buyers during the first session of the sale Sunday. "Year in and year out, the New York-bred sale has a higher RNA rate than most of our other sales because the racing opportunities that exist for buyers also exist for owners," Browning said. "Keeping the horse also enables them to make sure the horse stays in New York where the breeding incentive opportunities are very significant." Galvin attributed the healthy market not only to economic factors, but also to the unique nature of these Saratoga sales. "We've been selling here for a number of years, and this year just felt different," he said. "There's almost a different life to it this time around. This is a great venue, and Boyd and his team do a remarkable job getting people here and creating the atmosphere for this sale. It's second to none, it really is."