F-T New York Sale Shows Increases

Fasig-Tipton concluded a busy week of selling in Saratoga Sunday night with the second and final session of the New York-Bred Yearlings Sale at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion.

“It's been a really good week,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr., who in addition to a strong renewal of the New York-bred sale, oversaw a monster edition of the Select Sale last Monday and Tuesday.

Through two days of selling, 182 New York-bred yearlings grossed $14,876,500. A year ago, 176 head sold for $14,099,000. The average increased 2% to $81,739, while the median remained constant at $65,000. The buy-back rate was 27.8%. It was 35.3% a year ago.

“There was very, very good energy throughout the sale tonight,” Browning said. “We've reached a very mature market here with the New York-bred sale. The gross sales have been very consistent over the last three years. There was lots of depth to the buying group with lots of activity across the board at virtually every level over the last two nights. It was a very successful New York-bred sale again in 2015 and it should provide confidence to the breeders that they can breed a quality mare to a quality stallion and raise a quality foal/yearling and be rewarded in the marketplace.”

Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield consigned the top-priced New York-bred yearling, with a daughter of Tiznow bringing $350,000 during Saturday's first session of the auction.

“It's been a great market here,” said Francis Vanlangendonck. “If you've got a horse who looks like an athlete, looks like a racehorse–which is what we're trying to sell–it is selling great. People are wanting to buy racehorses, so the market is good.”

Vanlangendonck said the slots-infused purses in New York sometimes make buying back a yearling a more attractive option.

“We bought one back tonight, but that was one if it sold, that's fine, if not we were fine to race him,” he explained. “But everything else sold, so we were pretty happy with that. The purses in New York are so good, these guys look at that and think, 'I could do this well racing and have fun.'”

Sunday's session of the two-day auction was topped by a $300,000 daughter of Speightstown. Consigned by Denali Stud, hip 491 was purchased by trainer Mark

Casse on behalf of John Oxley. The filly was one of five to surpass the $200,000 mark Sunday. The two-day total to reach that mark was 13. Eight reached that mark during last year's sale.

Speightstown Filly to Oxley

Trainer Mark Casse, bidding on behalf of John Oxley, went to a session-topping $300,000 to secure a filly by Speightstown Sunday at the Fasig-Tipton New York sale (click here for the Thorostride walking video). The chestnut filly, consigned by Denali Stud, is out of Glory Gold (Medaglia d'Oro), a half-sister to graded stakes winner Mocha Express (Java Gold) and to multiple stakes winner Raving Rocket (Lil's Lad).

“Mr. Oxley was here earlier in the day and looked at her and asked me to come,” Casse explained after signing the ticket on hip 491. “He's been doing his own bidding here, but he had an engagement, so he asked me if I'd come.”

Casse continued, “[Oxley] just loved her. He asked me to look at a few horses and I put her on the list for him. And he went and saw her and he said, 'I really like her, Mark.' It's good when he likes them.”

The yearling was bred by Twin Creeks Farm, which purchased Glory Gold with this foal in utero for $125,000 at the 2013 Keeneland November sale. Also Sunday evening, Oxley added a colt by Proud Citizen to his racing stable, going to $100,000 to acquire hip 500.

Casse was shopping at the New York sale for the first time this year and he admitted his current record across the street, where he has started 26 horses so far this meet and has two winners, contributed to his decision to attend the auction.

“So far, this Saratoga meet has been a bit of a struggle for us,” Casse admitted. “We want to try to play at the top. If you are going to do that, you've got to play here. And if you're going to be here, there is nothing like having New York-breds. We don't buy horses just because they are New York-breds, we buy them because we like them. And we buy them in the hopes that they can run anywhere. But it's always nice to also have that in your pocket.”

Casse said he has been impressed by the yearlings on offer this weekend.

“I had that conversation with Ernie Semersky of Conquest,” Casse said when asked his impression of the yearlings. “I said, 'You know Ernie, these horses aren't second to anybody. These horses have just as good a shot of being California Chrome or American Pharoah as anybody. And I believe that. The New York program has come so far. And they have a really good bunch of mares and stallions. It's a great program.”

Casse purchased three yearlings on behalf of Conquest Stables during Saturday's first night of the sale, led by a colt by Into Mischief (hip 377) who sold for $230,000.

Despite his current struggles at Saratoga, Casse plans to stay in New York.

“We're going to be at Belmont this fall,” he confirmed. “Hopefully they will be a little nicer to us than they have been at Saratoga so far. But it's something new for us and I'm sure we'll figure it out.”

Ryan in Action Again

Bloodstock agent Mike Ryan purchased a filly by Lookin at Lucky (hip 351) Saturday in Saratoga on behalf of a new Florida-based owner. Ryan was back in action Sunday, signing the ticket at $250,000 to acquire a daughter of City Zip (hip 508) for a different undisclosed client. Consigned by Darby Dan Farm, the chestnut filly is out of Indy Summer (A.P. Indy), a half-sister to multiple Grade I winner Hollywood Story (Wild Rush). She was bred by Leonard Riggio's My Meadowview Farm.

“She has a nice female pedigree, very strong,” Ryan said. “She was a well-made, sharp-looking filly out of an A.P. Indy mare who is a half-sister to a Grade I winner.” Ryan continued, “City Zip is a terrific stallion. As far as I'm concerned, you couldn't have enough of them in the barn. Because every time they go out there, they give 120%.”

While declining to name his client, Ryan said, “He is a new player and he wants to develop a quality stable to run in New York.”

Of the filly's final price tag, Ryan admitted, “We had to stretch a little bit, but it seems like the better ones, if you want a quality horse, you have to go after them.”

Ryan added his name to those impressed by the New York-bred yearlings catalogued for this year's auction.

“There are a lot of nice horses here,” he said. “There is not a question that the standard has improved enormously in the last five years. The sale used to be a bit of an afterthought, but the farms are doing a great job of raising them. They are bringing a much better horse to the sale. And the prices last night and tonight are showing it. The program is so strong. If you're better than New York-bred company–which I think this filly is–there is so much to run for. It's the best state-bred program in the nation.”

Stack Goes Back to Back

Saratoga resident David Stack, bidding from the second floor of the pavilion, acquired a pair of fillies back-to-back midway through Sunday's session of the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred sale. Hip 482, a daughter of Proud Citizen, became the first yearling to break the $200,000 plateau Sunday when selling for $220,000. Even before Stack could sign the ticket on that Taylor Made Sales Agency consignee, he was bidding on hip 483, a filly by Lemon Drop Kid. Consigned by Marshall W. Silverman, agent, the bay sold for $80,000.

The Proud Citizen filly, out of stakes-placed Fortuesque (Fortunate Prospect), is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Musket Man (Yonaguska) and from the family of multiple Grade I winner Ron the Greek. She was bred by Maybrys Farm.

Asked what the filly's appeal was, Stack said, “We do heart scans and she came back very high on the heart scan. That's what sold us on both these fillies actually.”

Stack, who previously bred New York-breds has decided to try buying them instead.

“I used to breed–breeding made a lot more sense at 50 than it does at 60,” Stack laughed. “Until last year, when we bought at this sale, all of our horses were homebreds. Unfortunately, we had to just put our last broodmare down. She had lymphoma and she was 13. We've been breeders and that's harder than [buying] even.”

Stack, CEO of a pharmaceuticals company, currently has seven horses in training with Bruce Levine. At last year's New York sale, he purchased a filly by Archarcharch (hip 417) for $40,000. As-yet unraced, she has been named Classy Chris.

“It's an interesting game,” Stack said. “Last year we bought for $165,000 and $40,000 and the $40,000 is probably the best 2-year-old I've ever owned. You learn that you can do all the work and everything, but God's got different ideas sometimes.”

Also during his 2014 buying spree, Stack purchased a colt by Malibu Moon out of Pious Ashley (hip 150) for $200,000 at the Keeneland September sale.

“We're doing it differently now and we're hoping for good things,” Stack explained. “We hope we didn't do something dumb tonight.”

Scat Daddy Filly to Sallusto

Bloodstock agent Nick Sallusto struck late in Sunday's session of the Fasig-Tipton New York sale to secure a filly by Scat Daddy for $210,000. Hip 572, consigned by Summerfield on behalf of Joanne Nielsen, is out of Near and Dear (Red Ransom) and is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Saratoga Snacks (Tale of the Cat).

“I thought she was one of the horses in the sale who just made a lot of sense,” Sallusto, who declined to name his client, said. “She is by a great sire in Scat Daddy with some real pedigree in the first dam. She is a later foal with a ton of development in front of her. To me, she was the star of the show.”

Summerfield's Francis Vanlangendonck agreed the April 28 foal's potential improvement was a major factor in her popularity.

“She was immature, but a well-balanced filly who has a lot to come,” Vanlangendonck said. “A lot of these guys want to buy a horse like that because there is a lot to come. She had a lot of family that has raced in New York and has done well, so she had a lot of followers.”

Sallusto acknowledged competition was strong at the New York sale.

“When good horses show up, people show up to buy them,” he said. “We always like to pay a little less, but at the end of the day, you pay for the good ones.”