Tapit Leads F-T Saratoga Day 2 by Average

Fireworks lit up the sales ring during the Aug. 8 session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale, with big prices from progeny of several different sires. 

Tapit   led the night by average among stallions with two or more yearlings to sell. Three fillies brought his average to $633,333 for a gross of $1.9 million.

They included Hip 165, from the Gainesway consignment, who is out of a graded stakes-placed half sister to Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) winner Shared Account. The filly brought $675,000 from Kerri Radcliffe Bloodstock.

Bluewater Sales consigned Hip 222, who brought $650,000 from Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Marty Schwartz. The filly is out of grade 1 winner Last Full Measure and her second dam is grade 1 winner Lazy Slusan.

Hip 223 rounded out the trio, bringing $575,000 from White Birch Farm. The filly, out of the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment, is from the female family of top sire Kitten's Joy  .

Claiborne Farm's War Front   had one sell—Hip 226, a colt out of grade 1-producer Lerici that brought $995,000—the third highest price of the sale—from Godolphin. The colt is a full brother to grade 1 winner Avenge.

First-crop sire Orb   led the night by gross with two or more yearlings to sell, with all eight of his yearlings offered selling for a combined $3.56 million. The night was highlighted by Hip 186, a colt out of grade 3 winner Flashy American, who brought $1 million from Kerri Radcliffe Bloodstock to share the title of sales topper. The colt was consigned by Gainesway. Orb stands at Claiborne Farm.

Freshman sire Strong Mandate   had one yearling sell, bringing $825,000 from Live Oak Plantation for Hip 198. The filly, consigned by Baccari Bloodstock, is out of the grade 1-placed mare Graeme Six and is a half sister to two grade 3 winners.

Of freshman sires with two or more yearlings sold, Will Take Charge led Day 2 by average and gross with two yearlings bringing a total of $585,000 for an average of $292,500.

Will Take Charge   led the sale overall among freshman sires to have two or more yearlings sell in both average and gross. Three Chimneys Farm's son of Unbridled's Song had seven of eight horses offered sell for a total of $2.195 million and an average of $313,571. His sale was highlighted by Hip 107, a colt out of stakes winner Winter Book. Offered by Gerry Dilger's Dromoland Farm consignment, Kerri Radcliffe Bloodstock signed the $475,000 ticket.

Hill 'n' Dale Farms' Curlin   led the sale overall by average, with three yearlings out of eight offered selling for an average of $716,667. The trio is highlighted by Hip 45, who shares the title of sales topper. The colt out of the grade 1 winner River's Prayer brought $1 million from Eric Fein out of Craig and Holly Bandoroff's Denali Stud consignment. 

Coolmore's Uncle Mo   led the sale by gross, with 13 out of 14 yearlings offered bringing a combined $5.545 million for an average price of $426,538. His highest price was Hip 114, a colt from the Taylor Made consignment, which brought $700,000 from OXO Equine's Larry Best.

The colt is out of the unraced Bernardini mare Zetta Z and his third dam is grade 1 winner Unbridled Elaine. The colt also comes from the extended female family of multiple graded stakes winner and millionaire Glitter Woman.

Both Orb and Curlin had two yearlings in the top 10 prices of the sale, the most of any sire represented at the sale.