SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A pair of $300,000 colts by Constitution and Vekoma topped a competitive opening session of the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale on Sunday evening. Fasig-Tipton reported 66 yearlings sold for gross receipts of $6,860,000 at its Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion, just up the street from the main gate of Saratoga Race Course, where an extended Sunday program concluded shortly prior to the start of the sale. About a third of the catalog was offered in the first of two sessions Sunday evening; the bulk of the catalog will be on offer Monday, a dark day at the track. In last year’s opening session, which offered a comparable number of horses, Fasig-Tipton reported 53 yearlings sold for $5,999,000. The 2023 New York-bred sale ultimately finished with a record gross, the third-highest average price in its history, and its second-highest median figure. Sunday’s average price was $103,939, down 8 percent from $113,189 in the comparable session last year. The median dropped 11 percent, to $89,000 from $100,000. Neither set of figures factors in any post-ring private transactions. Sunday’s buyback rate was a much-improved 24 percent, after checking in at 38 percent in the comparable session last year. The buyback rate for the New York-bred sale sometimes trends higher than “open-company” sales, because owners and breeders have the viable option of retaining a horse to race for lucrative awards themselves, rather than compromising on a lower reserve price. “Very, very, very consistent trade from start to finish,” Fasig-Tipton president and CEO Boyd Browning Jr. said. “We don’t ever make too many bold predictions or comparisons on opening night, [but] very, very, very good trade. I would expect very positive statistical indicators after the sale ends tomorrow night.” A total of four yearlings changed hands for $250,000 or more on Sunday night, matching the number to meet that threshold in last year’s opener. “It looks pretty strong right now,” said bloodstock agent Jacob West, who purchased a total of four horses in the opening session, led by the Constitution colt. “It looks solid from what I've seen [early], which is no shock. I mean, the money that’s on offer right now for the New York-breds is off the charts.” West, on behalf of Mike Repole’s Repole Stable, went to $300,000 early in the session for the colt by young classic sire Constitution. The colt, who was consigned by Elite Sales, as agent for breeder Ten Strike Racing, is out of the winning Forestry mare See the Forest, who in turn is out of Grade 1-winning millionaire Critical Eye. See the Forest is the dam of seven starters to date, all winners. Those are led by New York-bred stakes winners Critical Value, Looms Boldly, and Whittington Park. Looms Boldly updated the catalog page by adding a front-running, 3 1/4-length victory in the John Morrisey Handicap to his resume on Thursday afternoon at Saratoga. West indicated that the Constitution colt was on their radar even before that, as he was on their list of horses to view on the first day of showing for this sale, which also took place Thursday. “Saw the horse, and then we went over everything the past couple of days, looking over short lists and things like that,” West said. “When it all got whittled down and whittled down, he was one that was near the top.” The active family continued to get updates even after that. About an hour prior to the start of the session, Grade 3 winner More Than Looks, who appears deep on the catalog page under this colt’s third dam, finished second in the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga. Later in the session, a colt by exciting freshman sire Vekoma, who also was adding updates to his resume on Sunday, matched the price when he was purchased by trainer Christophe Clement. Multiple Grade 1 winner Vekoma, who stands in Kentucky, sired his freshman class-leading 14th individual winner on Sunday. “He looked fast,” Clement said of his new purchase by the stallion. “It was probably too much money, but we're keeping the dream alive. I liked him very much. He looked athletic. My son [and assistant] Miguel told me about him, and I liked him.” Whose colors the colt will ultimately race in remains to be determined. “At the moment, I bought him on spec, so I need to find some owners to help me, and we’ll go from there,” Clement said. “He's a lovely, lovely horse.” The colt is out of the unraced Shackleford mare Alana’s Allure, dam of 2023 New York Derby winner Allure of Money. Her second starter is the current 2-year-old Leon Blue, who finished second by a half-length on debut July 24 at Saratoga. This was the second trip to the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion for the colt, and he became a successful pinhook. The colt, bred by Cheryl Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Gallivan, was purchased for $100,000 by Goodluck Farm out of last October’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale. He was consigned by Taylor Made Sales, as agent for that outfit, on Sunday night. For hip-by-hip results, click here. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.