Juddmonte Farms busy at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale

Juddmonte Farms is renowned worldwide for its homebred program, but in recent years, the multiple Eclipse Award-winning owner and breeder has been playing the auction game as well.

This is illustrated by the outfit’s top two horses on the track in the United States this season, champion Arrogate and multiple Grade 1 winner Paulassilverlining. Both were outside purchases, at the Keeneland September yearling sale and as a private acquisition, respectively.

Juddmonte continued building up its base of young stock with four purchases totaling $2.1 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale Monday and Tuesday, ranking among the most active buyers. Its purchases were led by a $750,000 Curlin filly and a $575,000 Pioneerof the Nile filly.

Juddmonte’s activity on the auction scene is a product of farm owner and Saudi Prince Khalid Abdullah’s decision to reinvest in a California racing string that had gone by the wayside following the death of Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel in 2009. Following Frankel’s death, fellow Hall of Famer Bill Mott, based on the East Coast, took over most of Juddmonte’s stock in the U.S.

But in 2012, Abdullah decided to expand back into California, choosing Bob Baffert, yet another Hall of Famer, as his divisional trainer. The decision was made to hit the yearling sales and procure stock that would fit Baffert’s program.

Arrogate is expected to eventually enter stud at Juddmonte’s Kentucky farm, and the operation has been acquiring mares with an eye toward his future book, with Paulassilverlining being one example. Three of Juddmonte’s four yearling purchases this week were fillies.