Speightstown has long been a stalwart sire for WinStar Farm – and the farm may have a worthy heir in first-crop yearling sire Speightster, who has proven popular early in his career.
Into Mischief is a leading juvenile sire and also has had classic-placed colts in the two most recent editions of the Triple Crown series. Young horses by the Spendthrift Farm stallion have, thus, come into vogue in the auction ring. Into Mischief was represented by his first million-dollar yearling last year at Keeneland September and recorded four seven-figure lots during the juvenile auction season.
Effinex returned to New York to begin his stud career, but died suddenly after standing just one season, at age 7. Eight yearlings from his first and last crop will be featured at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling sale, which rides a wave of momentum from the strong program into this renewal on Aug. 11 and 12.
Horses to watch at 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale on Aug. 5-6.
Tapit has already proven his mettle as a sire on the racetrack, setting and then breaking his own seasonal record for progeny earnings while earning multiple leading sire titles, and in the commercial arena, with his stock constantly in demand. But the real work of building his legacy is still in a relatively nascent stage.
Owner James McIngvale believes that Runhappy's Lasix-free résumé could make him more attractive in the current U.S. climate, as well as to international buyers.
On paper, Fasig-Tipton is solely responsible for developing momentum in the yearling sales market, as the auction company hosts the first three sales of the North American season over the summer. But some of the momentum may have actually been built up earlier this year, by all three major auction houses, and with the help of some of last year's sale yearlings.
The yearling market is the largest segment by far in the commercial space, which is why breeders approach the yearling sales season with equal parts excitement and apprehension. The financial outcome for the year for many breeders is at stake. Here's a look at upcoming sales in North America where foals from the 2018 crop will be offered.
The yearling sale season in North America began in July as the Thoroughbred racing industry continued to grapple with long-standing horse welfare and safety issues pushed into the national forefront by the equine fatalities at Santa Anita. Among the issues in the discussion is the use of bisphosphonates in young horses headed for the sales ring.
Stonestreet Farm announced Monday that it has partnered with the University of Kentucky's Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center to develop blood sampling, testing, and secure storage protocols that will allow buyers of Stonestreet-bred and -raised yearlings to reveiew a blood-health window of several months prior to their purchase.
