Share of Not This Time Sells for $2 Million

The second session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale Aug. 8 was fast out of the gate with what has become a rare offering at Thoroughbred auctions—a stallion share. This one was a share to Taylor Made Stallions' top 10 North American sire Not This Time   that sold for $2 million to a syndicate.

"Not This Time has been a real blessing for the Taylor family," said Frank Taylor, vice president of sales for Taylor Made. "When we bought Not This Time, Dennis Albaugh had agreed to sell him to us and someone came in right after and offered more money. He stuck with us. To see one share now bring almost half of what we paid for him is very fulfilling."

The share was purchased by a syndicate of five people who include Jon Green, the manager of the family-owned D.J. Stable. Green did the bidding on behalf of the syndicate, according to Taylor.

"It was $2 million, which is a lot, but (shares) have been going through for $1.6 million," Taylor said. "He started when he was 3 years old and he is a proven stallion by 9, so I think the sky's the limit. He should be a good investment for everybody."

Not This Time is a 9-year-old son of leading sire Giant's Causeway out of grade 3 winner Miss Macy Sue (Trippi), making him a half brother to grade 1 winner and sire Liam's Map  . As a racehorse, Not This Time was brilliant with a win in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) and a runner-up finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) by a neck to Classic Empire   and 7 1/2 lengths ahead of Practical Joke  . Injury sidetracked his racing career, and he entered stud at Taylor Made in 2017 with a $15,000 fee.

As a stallion, his runners shared his precociousness. Not This Time was the third-leading freshman sire of 2020 by progeny earnings but the co-leading sire with Laoban by number of black-type winners with three. His runners only got better with maturity and he became the leader of his sire class during their second-crop, third-crop, and now fourth-crop years. He is the leading fourth-crop sire by number of career black-type stakes winners (27) and graded stakes winners (12). More significantly, he is the youngest sire among the top 10 on the North American general leading sires list with more than $7.36 million in progeny earnings.

Not This Time has a robust 7% stakes winners from foals, which include 12 graded stakes winners. Highlighting his top performers are 2022 champion 3-year-old colt and Travers Stakes (G1) winner Epicenter  , and grade 1 winners and millionaires Sibelius  and Up to the Mark .

"All the credit goes to my brother Ben," Taylor said. "He is the syndicate manager and picks the mares. He isn't in the public eye as much but he is always working. He has a thankless job and does a great job."

The sire stood this year for $135,000.