New Records Across the Board at "Remarkable" Saratoga Sale

Quality horses and enthusiastic bidding marked the final session of Fasig-Tipton's 103rd Saratoga Sale, held Tuesday evening at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, New York. The two-session sale established new records for gross, average, and median, and posted the lowest RNA rate since 2015.

Speedway Stables went to $2,400,000 to secure the session topping colt by five-time leading sire Into Mischief (video). Lane's End, agent for Pamela Wygod & The Wygod Family Revocable Trust, consigned the bay colt. The session topper is out of the stakes placed Awesome Again mare Sweet Sting, a daughter of Eclipse Champion Perfect Sting. Hip 183 was bred in Kentucky by Pam & Martin Wygod.

The sale's highest-priced yearling was a $3,400,000 Not This Time colt sold during Monday's opening session (read more).

"It's been a remarkable two nights of selling horses," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "We almost went back-to-back with million-dollar horses with the first two horses to go through the ring, and that momentum carried the entire evening. But the reason the momentum carried is because of the quality of the horses."

Five other yearlings sold for seven figures during the second session, including:

• A Gun Runner colt (Hip 146) out of Secret Sigh, sold for $1,900,000 to M.V. Magnier/White Birch from the consignment of Lane's End, agent for Summer Wind Equine. The chestnut colt hails from the immediate family of Grade/Group 1 winners Mozu Ascot, To Honor and Serve, and Angela Renee. Hip 146 was bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Equine.
• A Gun Runner filly (Hip 123) out of multiple Grade 1 winner Pure Clan, sold for $1,500,000 to Whisper Hill Farm from the consignment of Gainesway, agent. The chestnut filly is a half-sister to five winners including Princesa Carolina (Tapit), a Grade 1 placed, course record setting stakes winner. Hip 123 was bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm.
• A Ghostzapper filly (Hip 147) out of Seeking the Blue, sold for $1,200,000 to Resolute Bloodstock from the consignment of Gainesway, agent. The dark bay or brown filly is a half-sister to two winners from as may to race, both stakes horses. Hip 147 was bred in Kentucky by Payson Stud.
• A Justify colt (Hip 174) out of Dolce Lemone, sold for $1,000,000 to Godolphin from the consignment of Hunter Valley Farm, agent. The chestnut colt is a three-parts brother to stakes winner Dolce Lili (Scat Daddy), from the immediate family of champion Inglorious. Hip 174 was bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation & Justify Syndicate.
• An Into Mischief colt (Hip 201) out of Validest, sold for $1,000,000 to Grandview Equine from the consignment of Indian Creek, agent. The bay colt is out of a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Global View and to the dam of recent Churchill Downs S. (G1) winner Gun Pilot. Hip 201 was bred in Kentucky by Hubert Vester.

"The success of the sale is completely dependent on the quality of horses consignors give us the opportunity to sell," added Browning. "We felt very confident coming here this year that the quality of horses in this catalogue is the best we've ever had. I think the buyers proved us right."

Overall, 154 yearlings sold for a record gross of $82,160,000, eclipsing by 9.5% the record set last year when the same number of yearlings sold for $75,055,000. The average and median also toppled records set in 2023: the average rose 9.5% to $533,506 from $487,370 and the median climbed 13.3% to $425,000 from $375,000. The RNA rate was 18.5%, the lowest since 2015.* A total of 12 yearlings sold for $1,000,000 or more over the course of the sale.

Prior to the first yearling offered during Tuesday's session, a share in this year's leading first-crop sire Complexity sold for $510,000 to David Lanigan, agent for Heider Family Stables. Airdrie Stud consigned (read more). The price of the share is not included in the results for The 103rd Saratoga Sale.

Full results are available online.

*Including five (5) post sales.