N.Y.-breds continue momentum at Fasig-Tipton yearling sale

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- One week after New York-breds Diversify and Mind Your Biscuits swept the exacta in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, the results rolled in from across Union Avenue, continuing to build the momentum for the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling sale. Voodoo Song held on for a game victory in the Grade 1 Fourstardave Stakes, and Sue's Fortune won the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes, giving New York-breds a sweep of the Saturday graded stakes at Saratoga just hours before the state program took the spotlight.

"The New York-breds truly do compete at the highest levels, and they consistently demonstrate that ability," Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning said.

A $450,000 filly from the blockbuster first crop of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah topped the opening session as the New York-bred sale, coming off a record renewal in 2017, capitalized on momentum to open with a vastly improved average price.

A total of 80 yearlings sold on Saturday night for gross receipts of $8,326,000, a 2 percent increase compared to 93 sold for $8,155,000 in last year's opening session. The session-to-session average price spiked 19 percent to $104,075, from $87,688. The median finished at $75,000, even with last year's opener.

"I think we saw continued strength of the upper end of the market tonight," Browning said. "Certainly continues to be significant demand for what are perceived to be the higher-quality offerings, with lots of competition."

The buyback rate was the only blight on the rose, finishing at 41 percent for the session. It was 24 percent in the comparable session last year.

"The buyback rate was higher than we would like," Browning said. "Probably a combination of factors there. It's still a selective marketplace, and we're going to see that selectivity continue kind of all year long. This sale has traditionally, although it was better last year than normal, had a higher-than-you-would-hope buyback rate because the owners and breeders of those horses have significant alternatives. It's very important for some of them, if they don't get what they think is a fair price, to kind of control the destiny of that horse with regard to its racing career, so that tends to result in a little bit higher RNA rate. But the buyers are so selective."

The session-leading American Pharoah filly sold to pinhookers Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo, whose operation has, in recent years, focused on purchasing higher-end yearlings with the goal of turning them into profitable 2-year-old pinhooks.

"You always want to get a bargain, but for me, I think at the end of the day, that's going to be a bargain for one of [the American Pharoah progeny]," Hartley said. "We feel like there's going to be a ton of market for those in the 2-year-old sales. He was one of the greatest racehorses that we've seen in a long time."

The session-topping filly was bred by Joanne Nielsen’s Sunnyfield Farm, and was consigned at the sale by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield Sales. The same operations teamed up to sell a $1 million American Pharoah colt to Coolmore, via trainer Bob Baffert, at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select sale earlier in the week. Francis Vanlangendonck said both yearlings inherited their sire's famously mellow temperament, helping them to show themselves to their best advantage in the hectic sale environment.

"Mentally, they handled everything," he said. "She got out 94 times [to show] yesterday, and she never backed up, she never slowed down, just like the colt did at the first sale. They have a great mental capacity. That's what Bob Baffert told me about American Pharoah - he'd just run and go home and go to sleep. This filly and the colt, we'd show them all day, and as soon as we'd shut down, they'd lay down and go to sleep. No issues with the mental part of it."

The filly is out of the Distorted Humor mare Visions of Annette, who is a half sister to stakes winners Saucey Evening and Petition the Lady, and a full sister to stakes placed Julie's Jewelry. She is also a half sister to multiple stakes producer Jewel of the Night, dam of multiple Grade 1 winner and Kentucky Oaks runner-up Evening Jewel. Grade 1 winners Denman's Call, General Challenge, and Notable Career also appear on the catalog page.

Four horses sold for $300,000 or more during the session, compared to three who did so during the entire two-session sale last year. Behind the American Pharoah filly, the evening's second-highest price was a $400,000 Ghostzapper colt out of stakes winner Clear Pasaj, purchased by Tracy Farmer. Rounding out the top lots were a $310,000 Uncle Mo colt out of a half sister to Grade 1 winner Vicar, purchased by Jumpsucker Stable LLC; and a $300,000 Malibu Moon filly from the family of Grade 1 winner and Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady, sold to White Birch Stable.

For hip-by-hip results from Saturday's session, click here. The second and final session of the New York-bred sale takes place Sunday evening, beginning at 6:30 p.m.