Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Kicks Off Mixed Sale Season

Next week's Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky October Yearlings Sale is the sole remaining major auction this year for foals of 2018 and then the North American sales scene will begin to move to the mixed market, beginning with The Saratoga Fall Sale, also conducted by Fasig-Tipton.

With 271 entries, the Oct. 15 auction begins at 10 a.m. EDT in the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., offering the first opportunity for buyers to see offspring of sires represented by their first crops of weanlings, as well as broodmares, and racing or broodmare prospects. Through Oct. 13, 48 entries had been withdrawn.

"This year's catalog is 20% larger, with increased numbers and quality among the weanling, broodmare, and racing or broodmare prospect offerings," said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning. "We have nearly 200 weanlings cataloged—the vast majority of which were foaled in New York—which should prove an attractive draw to prospective buyers both locally, and nationally."

The sale is coming off a 2018 edition in which 115 head grossed $3,381,200 for an average price $29,402 and a $20,000 median, all records for the auction first held in 2012.

Among the 15 stallions with first foals being offered at the sale, Union Jackson  has the largest representation with 11 weanlings. The only son of leading sire Curlin  located in the Empire State, Union Jackson stands at Sequel Stallions New York near Hudson, where his 2019 fee was $5,000, as the property of Sequel and Barbara Banke's Stonestreet entity.

Other first-crop stallions with weanlings in the sale are American Freedom , Bal a Bali , Classic Empire , Connect , Cupid , Editorial , Gormley , Greenpointcrusader , Keen Ice , Klimt , Practical Joke , Shaman Ghost , Tom's Ready, and Unified .

Sequel's Becky Thomas said the sale is well-positioned to provide a solid start to the mixed sale season.

"It has grown in popularity and I've been really encouraged by the crowd that's here," she said. "There are many, many pinhooking groups here looking. This is a great time of the year to be in Saratoga. A lot of our breeders don't have facilities where they can take their weanlings through winter, so it allows them to market their product and reload."

With 191 of the 196 weanlings entered in the sale foaled in New York, there is a strong regional bias to the offerings.

But Thomas said the catalog has broad appeal, particularly since many of the weanlings—including those bred in New York—are by nationally prominent stallions. Additionally, many of the mares, broodmares, and broodmare prospects are either sired by or in foal to a diverse group of stallions, including those standing in Kentucky and New York.

"It goes without saying the New York program allows you additional opportunities to market your horse and an opportunity for buyers," Thomas said. "It is a phenomenal program."

Thomas said she and Stonestreet are excited about the prospects of Union Jackson's foals, noting that together they bred 16 mares to the stallion during his first season at stud.

"I feel like they will be well-received and the support the stallion has gotten is exemplary," she said. "There are more really good individuals and fewer individuals on the lower end. They are attractive, racey, and good bodied."

Sequel's consignment also includes a large group from six-time leading New York breeders Chester and Mary Broman as part of a reduction of the couple's Thoroughbred holdings.

The Broman offerings are headed by Spa Treatment (Hip 59), a daughter of prominent broodmare sire Bernardini  being sold in foal to Maclean's Music . A 5-year-old who earned $94,520, Spa Treatment was produced from Silver Knockers, a stakes winning and grade 1-placed daughter of Silver Deputy who has also produced stakes winner Manipulated.

"Mr. Broman's horses are part of his continued reduction, which we have been doing for several years," Thomas said. "He has so many great female families. I just love Spa Treatment."

Among broodmares produced from graded winners are Jazz Dancer (Hip 34, RFHF Bloodstock, agent), a Dixieland Band mare out of the multiple grade 1 winner Missy's Mirage and a half sister to multiple stakes winner Apprehender being sold in foal to Race Day ; and Counter Culture (Hip 13, Vinery Sales, agent), a Smart Strike mare produced from multiple grade 2 winner Carmandia and in foal to Army Mule , whose first foals arrive in 2020.

Among well-related weanlings are a Freud  colt (Hip 82, Vinery Sales, agent) that is a full brother to grade 1 winner and $1.5 million earner Fourstar Crook, and an Honor Code  filly (Hip 203, McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds) that is a half sister to grade 1 winner and $907,425-earner Haveyougoneaway.