Hope for NY-Bred Yearlings Sale to 'Build Back Better'

"Build Back Better" may be a post-COVID-19 political slogan, but it's not much of a stretch to apply it to this year's Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale, to be held in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Aug. 15-16. 

The sale was canceled last year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, with New York-bred yearlings offered at sales held elsewhere in the country. While the best option under the circumstances, consignors, buyers, and the sales company are all relieved to be back on the sales grounds on East Avenue this year.

"This sale was the one most impacted by the COVID reshuffling," said Boyd Browning Jr., Fasig-Tipton's president and CEO. "No alternative came remotely close to being able to offer New York-breds across the street from the racetrack at Saratoga, where you have built-in owners and trainers that are literally walking by the sales grounds every day. It's vastly different to have the sale here in terms of being able to serve the marketplace and attract the biggest and deepest pool of buyers."

"It's huge," said Joe McMahon, owner of McMahon Thoroughbreds of Saratoga, which is offering a consignment of 21 horses. "Going back about 10 years, this became the place to sell New York-breds. You get a premium price here because it's a great sale." 

Najja Thompson, executive director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, concurred.

"It's great for the sale to be back," he said. "The book is strong, and there's great enthusiasm and energy on the sales grounds." 

If the foot traffic at the sales grounds on Friday and Saturday is any indication, the pool of prospective buyers is indeed big and deep, and it doesn't include only New York buyers. Among those viewing yearlings were a number of Kentucky-based buyers, including Spendthrift Farm's Ned Toffey; WinStar Farm's Elliott Walden; and bloodstock agents Marette Farrell and Kim Valerio. The latter purchased four horses at the sale in 2019 ranging in price from $30,000 to $230,000. Three of the four have won races this year. 

"There are good horses here for sure," Valerio said. "There are a few that could have gone in the Select sale, but it's probably better for sellers to go here. The quality of New York-breds is getting better and better. Breeders realize that they have to make sure that their horses are ready and competitive for this sale, in terms of quality and care."  

This year's catalog includes 308 horses, 100 of them scheduled for the first session on Sunday night and, in a change from prior years, the remainder selling on Monday afternoon. Until 2019, the New York-bred sale, like the Select sale, has been held at night for both sessions, usually on Saturday and Sunday nights. In response to input from buyers and sellers, Fasig-Tipton switched to a Sunday-Monday night format two years ago.

"They felt that the schedule was too compressed," he explained. "When we begin the sale on Sunday, folks have an extra day to look at horses. It's more convenient for buyers and sellers to have the Sunday session at night, and we think it's important to kick it off with a night session. Now that Monday is a dark day, it makes no sense to have people sitting around all day."

The Sunday evening session will begin at 7:00 p.m., the Monday session at noon.  

"I prefer the nights," said McMahon. "This is Saratoga, and it's supposed to be special."  

Among the stallions whose first crops will be represented are Mendelssohn  , Collected  , Justify  , and Bolt d'Oro  . Eight stallions standing in New York will have yearlings go through the ring, including Freud  , Union Jackson  , Bustin Stones  , Laoban  , and Central Banker  .

Standing at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds for $6,000, Central Banker has 12 progeny cataloged and tops the New York sire list by earnings. McMahon purchased the son of Speightstown for $400,000 in 2014. Among his outstanding offspring are millionaire Bankit and stakes winner Newly Minted. 

"Central Banker's success has been awesome because of how much trainers appreciate him," said Jane McMahon, Joe's daughter. "This sale is supported by New York trainers, and we have something that they want to come buy. It's a perfect fit."  

"He's changed the notion of what a New York stallion is," said her father. "Now he's kind of at a different level and we've got to keep moving the bar up. I turned down a lot of money for him two years ago. I probably should have taken it and retired, but I didn't, and he's staying here." 

McMahon was also a partner in the late stallion Laoban, both when he was standing in New York at Sequel Stallions and after he moved to Kentucky late last year. The son of Uncle Mo made an immediate impact on the New York breeding program, producing grade 1 winner Simply Ravishing ; graded stakes-placed, stakes-winning The King Cheek ; and multiple stakes winner Laobanonaprayer . Nine yearlings will be on offer over the two sessions from the sire characterized by Browning as "a major emerging star." 

"The sale offers premier New York-breds with good value at all levels, from both Kentucky and New York sires," said Thompson. "It's a credit to breeders, consignors, and farms for all their hard work."  

In recent years this sale has set records for prices paid, with Larry Best going to $775,000 for a Malibu Moon filly when the sale was last held in 2019.

While Browning expressed caution about another new record this year, he is nonetheless optimistic about the sale's success.

"All indications are positive," he said. "There comes a point where it's difficult to achieve continued success and growth, but the level of interest is very, very high. The quality of horses continues to improve; you see a vastly different horse on the grounds today than you did 10 years ago.

"This used to be a sale of horses aimed for restricted races. Now, we've got quality horses that can compete anywhere in the world."