High Expectations for F-T New York-Bred Yearlings Sale

Last summer's Fasig-Tipton's New York Bred Yearlings Sale set several records: the gross sales reached a new high and a colt sold for $700,000, the highest ever for a colt in that sale.

Those may be tall orders to repeat again this year, but even before the sale starts, it has set a new high-water mark.

"We've got a catalog of 384 horses, which is a record," said Najja Thompson, executive director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders. "And a New York-bred sold in (The Saratoga Sale) for $725,000, and that's always a good sign." 

Another good sign was the amount of interest on the grounds Aug. 11, the first day of showing for the sale, which takes place the evening of Aug. 13, and during the afternoon Aug. 14. 

"The activity on the grounds has been sensational," said Boyd Browning, Fasig-Tipton president and CEO. "There's real money on the grounds."  

"It started early, and it's been going all day long," said John McMahon, manager of McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds. "There's a lot of traffic here today." 

"We've been getting lots of comments on how good-looking the Solominis are," said John's sister Jane, who also manages the farm. "People's interest is piqued."

That interest was further piqued when a filly from Solomini's first crop ran second in an Aug. 10 maiden special weight at Saratoga Race Course.  

John McMahon also commented on the diversity of pedigrees on offer, observing that they offer markets for a variety of buyers.

"We've got upper-echelon New York stallions, we've got younger New York stallions," he said. "We've got proven sires like Street Sense   and Ghostzapper  . No one should come to this sale thinking that they can't afford to buy a horse. It's a good sale for a diverse range of buyers."  

Among the first-crop stallions with progeny in the sale is Honest Mischief  , who will be represented by six colts and seven fillies. 

"We're really excited to showcase our new stallion and his first yearlings," said Carlos Manresa, director of operations at Sequel New York, which stands Honest Mischief. "They're being really well received."

A Kentucky-bred son of Into Mischief  , Honest Mischief ran third in the 2019 Amsterdam Stakes (G2) at Saratoga for Juddmonte and trainer Chad Brown and retired with a record of 4-3-1 from nine starts.

"Yearlings by Honest Mischief are sprinkled throughout the sales grounds, which is nice," Manresa said. "We've got a handful in our consignment, too." 

The New York-bred sale is coming less than a week after an exceptionally strong select Saratoga Sale that saw gains in the number of horses sold, total sales, and average, with 10 horses hitting seven figures, topped by a $4 million colt by Curlin   out of Beholder  and a $3.2 million Into Mischief colt.

"That momentum will trickle down," said John McMahon. "This is a really good market year after year." 

"We couldn't be more excited about the momentum coming into this sale based on earlier this week," said Manresa. "We're seeing a lot of the same buyers walking around, and that's always really encouraging."   

"There's definitely crossover," Browning said. "The New York-bred sale is now considered a major event and a primary target of some of the biggest buyers in the world." 

"Our breeders and our members point to this time of year," Thompson said. "This is a phenomenal time for people to get involved in the New York-bred program."