Observations From the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sales

Tapit controlled the Saratoga Selected Yearlings sale
Though they attract different groups of buyers, Saratoga’s Selected Yearlings and New York-bred Preferred Yearlings sales had similarities besides just using the same sales grounds when they took place over the past week. Read on to see some interesting tidbits about both sales.

Big money horses – While the numbers were slightly down at the Selected Yearlings sale, the sale didn’t see that big of a hit on horses who brought $500,000 or more with 23 selling in that price range vs. 24 in 2015. At the New York-bred Preferred sale, the sale topper was actually $100,000 more expensive this year and the same amount of horses (seven) sold for $250,000 or more as last year.

Orb, standing at Claiborne, had a $450,000 yearling at the Select sale
Kentucky Sires – Even though there were a variety of sires at both sales with sires from abroad represented in both sales (in some cases, moving out of the country after this crop was conceived), those still based in Kentucky controlled both sales both in the catalog and on the prices. Of the 23 most expensive yearlings in the Select sale, 22 are by current (or in Scat Daddy’s case, deceased) Kentucky sires. Every yearling in the top 30 at the New York-bred sale is by a Kentucky stallion.

Medaglia d’Oro – Medaglia d’Oro is the only stallion since 2010 to have more than one sales topper at the Select sale. His $1.45-million topper this year joins her sire’s toppers from 2011 and 2012. Since 2010, only Tapit has had more than one sales topper (2012 – 2013) at the New York-bred sale. This year, Uncle Mo had the $450,000 sale topper at the New York-bred sale.

Tapit – Speaking of Tapit, he may not have been the sire of the Select sale topper but that didn’t mean he was quiet. Tapit sired nine of the 23 horses who sold for $500,000 or more at the Select sale.

Young Sires – Eleven of the top 25 yearlings at the New York-bred sale are by stallions whose only crops are 3-year-olds or younger. Of those, only Uncle Mo has more than one crop on the track. The Select sale leaned more toward more established sires with Uncle Mo the only one in the top 20 with less than four crops on the track.
Flat Out's first foals are yearlings
High RNAs – Not all horses RNAed because they hammered with cheaper bids at the Select sale. Six of the RNAs brought final bids of $500,000 or more with sons of Medaglia d’Oro and Galileo bringing over $700,000 each but returning home. In 2015, two horses who brought bids of $500,000 or more RNAed, including a $950,000 Tapit filly now named Tap Me Free. At the New York-bred sale five horses who hammered for $100,000 or more RNAed, four RNAing in that range last year.

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