Fasig-Tipton Saratoga

The explosive start to Tuesday night's second session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale continued when a colt by two Hall of Famers--Curlin and Beholder (Henny Hughes)--led all yearlings thus far when he sold for $4 million to Amr Zedan. Donato Lanni, agent for Zedan Racing, signed the ticket. The much-anticipated offering, recently featured in TDN, was bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm and consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency. The Apr. 6-foaled chestnut is the first-ever sales offering out of his champion dam, who was represented by her first stakes...

Chuck Sonson and West Point, L.E.B., agent went to $1 million for Hip 140, a Twirling Candy colt out of Rehearsed (Tapit), the fourth seven-figure yearling to sell in the early stages of Tuesday's second session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale. Lane's End, who stands Twirling Candy, consigned the Feb. 12-foaled colt, a full-brother to SP Chasing Fireflies. The mare is a half-sister to GI Spinaway S. Mani Bhavan (Storm Boot) from the extended family of champion Silken Cat (Storm Cat), dam of WinStar sire Speightstown. Lane's End's W.S....

The early action at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga continued hot and heavy, as hip 135 became the third million-dollar seller within the first 15 horses offered when hammering to Aron Wellman's Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners for $1.5 million, the most expensive of the three early headliners. The colt's breeder, Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, will also stay in for a piece. The dark bay is a son of the all-conquering Into Mischief and was produced by 'TDN Rising Star' and GI Spinaway S. heroine Rachel's Valentina (Bernardini). The latter is, of course, a daughter of...

Just nine offerings into Tuesday night's second session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, Gainesway's leading sire Tapit got his second yearling of the evening to breech the $1-million mark when a colt out of Plenty O'Toole (Tiznow) hammered for $1.2 million by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, LLC. The colt, foaled Feb. 24 last year, was bred by Spruce Lane Farm and the Tapit Syndicate. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the chestnut colt is a half-brother to five-time GSW & GISP Mr. Money (Goldencents) from the family of G1...

Before bidding commenced for the second and final session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, a share in leading Taylor Made stallion Not This Time (Giant's Causeway--Miss Macy Sue, by Trippi) was hammered down for an even $2 million. The share was purchased by D. J. Stable, BlackRidge Stables, Barry Fowler and John Cummins, according to Taylor Made's Mark Taylor. The sale of the share was coordinated by Taylor Made Sales and is subject to a 10-day match from the syndicate. Not This Time stands at Taylor Made Stallions in Nicholasville,...

A colt by Tapit out of GI Test S. winner Paola Queen (Flatter) got Tuesday's session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale Tuesday night off with a bang when he hammered for $1.1 million as the third horse through the ring when purchased by agent Mike Ryan. Consigned by Gainesway and bred by Don Alberto Corporation in Kentucky, the Apr. 10-foaled dark bay the third foal out of his dam, who also has Mugen (Into Mischief), a 2-year-old filly who brought $1.2 million at this sale last year and placed on...

Alex Elliott and Ben McElroy, acting as agents for Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing, accounted for the first seven-figure offering Monday at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, going to $1.1 million to acquire hip 77 from the consignment of Gainesway, agent for Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Bred & Raised. The March-foaled bay is a son of I'm a Looker (Henny Hughes), winner during her racing days of the GIII Winning Colors S. en route to bankrolling better than $316,000. Stonestreet acquired the March foal's dam for $475,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale and sold...

A colt from the first crop of Horse of the Year Authentic was hammered down to Donato Lanni, agent for SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables for $875,000 as the first night of trade at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga reached its midpoint. Hip 56, consigned by Four Star Sales as agent, was bred by Spendthrift Farm--who raced Authentic with Starlight and Madaket and stands him as well--and is the second foal out of the Grade III-placed Golden Domer (Quality Road), who was knocked down to Spendthrift for $340,000 in foal to...

Not many people have heard of Thirty Year Farm--yet. Kristen Esler hopes that someday soon, it will be a different story. Six years ago, Esler decided that after years of corporate life, she was ready to try something different. She and her husband Matt began looking for a piece of property in Saratoga. They found a farm located just off Fish Creek, less than five miles from the racetrack, and it was love at first sight. On the couple's thirtieth wedding anniversary, they signed the paperwork on their new property...

A share in leading sire Not This Time figures to provide some fireworks when it kicks off the action Tuesday night at Saratoga. The sale of the share is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Not This Time is the sire of five Grade I winners from three crops to race, and is the leading fourth-crop sire of 2023. The share includes all projected income from the 2023 breeding season. Shareholders receive one nomination annually, plus their proportional share of the excess book. (See complete details here.) Not This Time is governed...

The last few years of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale have been very profitable ones for Bobby Flay's boutique breeding operation. In 2019, he topped the sale with First Captain (Curlin) out of his homebred mare America (A.P. Indy). In 2021, his Uncle Mo--Dame Dorothy colt brought $1.6 million, the second-highest price of the week. In 2022, First Captain's full-sister was the top filly at $2,000,000, and the second-highest price overall. And it's no wonder: Flay admitted that he targets the sale, and calls the experience "one of my favorite...

The one thing trainer Tom Amoss knew about his starter in Sunday's sixth race at Saratoga was that if she got into a fight in the stretch she would be able to handle it. That proved to be the case in the 6 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies. Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Alys Beach (Omaha Beach) scored a game win, out-battling the Todd Pletcher-trained Life Talk (Gun Runner) to win by a head. "On the track, she showed her competitiveness in practice," Amoss said. "She needed that today." Amoss has...