By Jessica Martini
The sales week in Saratoga ended with a bang Sunday evening when a colt by Cairo Prince brought a sale record $500,000 just six hips from the end of the two-day Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale. The auction also produced a record gross, average and median. Consigned by the New York-based RFHF Bloodstock of Chris Bernhard and Elaine Peck, the record-breaking colt was purchased by pinhooker Ciaran Dunne.
“We had a tremendous week,” confirmed Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “The New York-bred sale was record-breaking in all aspects. There was great demand from start to finish. The growth of the New York-bred program continues to be demonstrated by the results on the racetrack and in the sales ring. It's certainly a fabulous program and the participants in the program have continued to step up their efforts in their quality and they were rewarded in the last two nights. There was a great feel to the sale both nights.”
In all, 182 yearlings sold during the New York-bred sale for a total of $16,214,000. The average of $89,088 was up 15.3% from a year ago and the median rose 15.8% to $69,500. The previous record gross ($14,876,500), average ($81,739) and median ($65,000) were set in 2015. A colt by Uncle Mo set the previous record for the sale when bringing $450,000 a year ago.
The New York-bred sale followed in the footsteps of a record-setting Selected Yearlings Sale, which produced its highest median and second highest gross and average earlier in the week.
“It's been a vibrant week,” Browning said. “The market has been pretty good since the start of 2017. I think there has been a sense of optimism. I really think that this week put a little extra bounce in both buyers and sellers outlooks.”
Cairo Prince Colt a Record Setter
Just six hips from the end of a record-setting week in Saratoga, a colt by Cairo Prince eclipsed the highest price for a horse at the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale when selling for $500,000 to the bid of Ocala-based pinhooker Ciaran Dunne.
“I've never seen one like him,” Dunne said after signing the ticket on hip 589. “He's as good as they come. We saw him three days ago, we've looked at him 20 times, and he gets better every time. We didn't care that he was a New York-bred, he's just a good horse. He could have been here last week [at the select sale] and if he was here last week, he would have fit last week. He would have fit anywhere.”
The partnership on the colt includes Kirk Wycoff's Three Diamonds Farm.
“We're big fans of Cairo Prince,” said Wycoff. “We've bred to him. We have two foals by him. We sold two fillies by him tonight with Bluewater. This colt walks better than any horse Ciaran has ever seen and we've been partners with Ciaran for five years and we trust his judgement.”
Three Diamonds Farm enjoyed success selling a Cairo Prince yearling Sunday when hip 485, a filly by the Airdrie stallion, sold for $230,000. She had been a $75,000 short yearling at this year's Keeneland January sale.
Wycoff's son Jordan confirmed Dunne's effusive praise of the youngster was persuasive.
“Before the sale, Ciaran Dunne said he saw American Pharoah here three years ago and he gave him chills. He said out of 4,000 horses, there are only two horses who gave him chills–that one and American Pharoah.”
The result had Chris Bernhard, who co-consigns as RFHF Bloodstock, momentarily lost for words.
“He is such a nice horse; the best horse I've come up here with,” Bernhard said. “I knew he was a good horse, but this is still obviously beyond expectations. He was a classy horse from the beginning.”
Hip 589 is out of Garden City (Carson City) and is a half-brother to Italian stakes placed Horse and the City (Include). His third dam Pure Profit (Key to the Mint) produced champion Inside Information and multiple Grade I winner Educated Risk. Bernhard and partner Elaine Peck purchased Garden City, with the Cairo Prince foal in utero, for $37,000 at the 2016 Keeneland January sale.
“My partner and I bought the mare in foal to Cairo Prince for $35,000 and she's back in foal to Carpe Diem,” Bernhard said. “So to come back here and get that kind of return on your investment is just incredible. To come over here and to be with the big boys and to outperform some of them is pretty cool. Especially being up here as a New York breeder and consignor. We don't leave the state of New York. You go to the sales, you buy these mares and you bring them back to the program–it's very gratifying.”
Of Garden City's appeal last January, Bernard added, “She is from an incredible Phipps family. I'm a sucker for any of those Phipps family horses, even if a mare hasn't produced anything or it's skipped a generation. I've done very well with that over the years and I like Cairo Prince.”
More Than Ready Filly to Sheep Pond
Fresh off Dacita (Chi) (Scat Daddy)'s victory in Saturday's GI Beverly D. S., bloodstock agent Pete Bradley and Sheep Pond Partners' Jay Hanley jumped into the action at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred sale with the purchase of a More Than Ready filly for $315,000 Sunday in Saratoga.
“She had balance and quality,” Bradley said as Hanley signed the ticket on hip 459. “She's by a great filly sire and from a running family. New York-breds are the thing to have right now–there is plenty of purse money–and she's a fancy one.”
The dark bay yearling, bred by Aynsford Holdings and consigned by Bluewater Sales, is out of stakes placed St Francis Wood (Irish River {Fr}) and is a half-sister to stakes winner Saratoga Dreamer (Elusive Quality). Aynsford Holdings purchased the mare, in foal to More Than Ready, for $47,000 at the 2011 Keeneland January sale.
The filly will be trained by Chad Brown.
“We've had a lot of success with Mr. Bradley and Mr. Brown in the past,” Hanley said. “Let's hope we can repeat it one more time.”
Hanley celebrated his first win as a breeder when the New York-bred filly Dooder (Flatter) won at Saratoga Thursday and he admitted he was a fan of the state's program.
“I've bought a few [New York-breds] for Sheep Pond and for myself,” Hanley said. “I bred one that won the other day–she's the first one I ever bred and she's a nice little New York-bred. So we've had some success with the New York-bred program and we're pretty fond of it.”
Of the marketplace, Bradley said, “I think it's been solid. The handful that are A+ physicals are bringing good money, but I would say there are a lot of usable horses that are getting bought at good, but not stupid prices. It's a very solid market, but it's still selective.”
Hunter Valley in a New York State of Mind
Hunter Valley's Fergus Galvin took time away from the Kentucky-based operation during the busy fall sales season last year to travel to New York for the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Sale with an eye towards buying weanlings on behalf a pinhooking partnership to resell at the New York-bred Yearlings sale.
“[2016] was our second year shopping at the New York sale,” said Hunter Valley's Adrian Regan. “We are prepping so many for November at the time of the sale, so Fergus comes up here and he sends me the short list of what he's thinking. Fergus does the bidding up here. I think last year we bought four or five weanlings and so far, they've all been successful.”
A filly by Union Rags (hip 428) provided the partnership with its biggest result at the two-day New York-bred sale when she sold for $270,000 to Rob Masiello and West Point Thoroughbreds Saturday evening. The youngster was purchased for $70,000 last year and, since the purchase, her half-brother Society Beau (Curlin) has finished third in the GIII Matt Winn S.
“When they came back to the farm, Fergus and I go through them and she stood out,” Regan said. “All through the year, she improved and improved and then up here, she really put her best foot forward every time. Every show was as good as the previous show. She was just a superb professional.”
During Sunday's session, Hunter Valley sold a colt by The Factor (hip 496) to Ralph Evans for $125,000. Out of Wild Wit (Distorted Humor), the gray yearling was purchased for $37,000 last fall.
“We bred The Factor, so we're a little biased about him,” Regan said. “He is a good robust, hardy horse and we're delighted he went to Rick Violette, who is a top trainer up here.”
The Hunter Valley consignment was also responsible for hip 572, a filly by Violence who sold for $250,000 to Cary Frommer. That youngster was a $67,000 purchase by R & M Stable at the Saratoga Fall sale last year.
Asked about the decision to target the New York sales, Regan explained, “The money the horses are running for here at the moment is great. About two years ago, we really started to feel like everything was picking up up here. We felt the vibe was here, so we decided to shop harder. And we did send a couple of mares up here as well. Fergus's father-in-law Joe [McMahon] does a great job over there.”
Regan knows where Galvin will be Oct. 16 when action returns to Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga home.
“We'll definitely be back in the fall,” he said. “We're more than happy with the results. And the Fasig-Tipton guys here do a great job, as well. They are getting a crowd here for the New York sale and there is great buzz.”
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