Tapit Leads Saratoga Sale Sire Ranks by Average

Gainesway's three-time North American leading sire Tapit   was not represented by a seven-figure yearling at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected yearling sale Aug. 9-10, but he still claimed the top spot in the sire rankings by average price.

Yearlings by the 20-year-old son of Pulpit averaged $710,000 from four sold out of five offered. His top seller came oh-so-close to breaching the $1 million threshold when West Point Thoroughbreds, Scarlet Oak Racing, and John Ballantyne's NBS Stable went to $990,000 for a filly out of Checkupfromzneckup . The mare is a stakes-placed daughter of Dixie Union and out of grade 1-placed winner Unbridled Lassie. The Tapit filly was consigned by Denali Stud as Hip 61.

Tapit was the leading sire for three consecutive years from 2014-16 and set single-season progeny earnings records for each of those years. His single-season record was broken by Spendthrift Farm's Into Mischief   last year, but Tapit is still the leading active North American sire by career progeny earnings at more than $172.5 million. His progeny also have produced the highest average earnings per runner at $144,477.

Yearlings by Three Chimneys Farm's freshman sire Gun Runner   gave a strong accounting at The Saratoga Sale with two sold from as many offered averaging $700,000. The son of Candy Ride  , six-time grade 1 winner, and 2017 Horse of the Year had a top seller of $850,000, which Maverick Racing paid for a colt (Hip 76) out of the Tiznow  mare Dayfa out of Denali Stud's consignment.

Lane's End's Quality Road   and Into Mischief rank third and fourth, respectively, by average for the two-day sale but their yearlings were dominant during the stronger second session.

An Into Mischief colt out of grade 1 winner Paola Queen  topped the sale at $2.6 million, which is where Coolmore's M.V. Magnier landed after a spirited and protracted bidding war. Bred by Don Alberto, the colt (Hip 168) is the second foal out of Paola Queen, who produced a full sister to the sale topper this year. Don Alberto acquired Paola Queen for $1.7 million at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Quality Road had his own seven-figure home run when Kindred Stables went to $1 million to acquire a filly out of Above Perfection, the dam of 2017 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Always Dreaming  , grade 1 Hot Dixie Chick , and grade 2 winner Positive Spirit .

For the second session, Into Mischief was the leading sire with a $750,000 average, followed closely by Quality Road at $740,000 and Tapit at $700,000.

Among first-crop yearling sires, Ashford Stud's Triple Crown winner Justify   stayed atop the rankings with a $567,500 average from four sold out of 10 offered. Lane's End's City of Light   also had strong returns with seven sold out of seven offered generating a $427,857 average.

The big market mover among the first-crop sires was Spendthrift's Bolt d'Oro  , who not only ranked third among first-crop yearling sires with an impressive $407,000 average, but was represented by a $1.4 million colt (Hip 132) during the Aug. 10 session. The colt is out of Lotta Kim, making him a half brother to champion 3-year-old filly and Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra .