New York Breds' Sale Back on Track

A sale of Preferred Thoroughbred yearlings born in New York, NY breds, was held August 7 and 8, a few days after the Select Sale, at the Fasig-Tipton grounds in Saratoga Springs, NY.

The NY Preferred Sale is to the Select Sale what Bloomingdales is to Bergdorfs. Both sales have quality offerings, but the price points at the Preferred Sale are more accessible to a wider spectrum of buyers.

Characteristically, the entrants to the Fasig-Tipton Preferred Sale are strong physical specimens, however, they have less stratospheric pedigrees than their Select brethren. They may be a few removes away from the elite stallions, mares and families that frequent the Select Sale catalog.

Make no mistake, NY breds can and do run and win in the company of those Olympian pedigrees. Funny Cide, Say Florida Sandy, Gander, Fleet Indian are the earners of in excess of $1 million in the most competitive open company, and, they are all NYbreds.

That said, sales ranged from $5,000 to $140,000. On the sale's second night, bloodstock agent J. J. Crupi bought a Tale of the Cat colt for NY based Repole Stables, LLC for $140,000. Repole Stables is owned by Queens native and Glaceau-Vitaminwater-Smartwater magnate Mike Repole.

There were 142 yearlings offered at this year's sale, 56 fewer compared to the 2009 sale. This year's average price for a NY Preferred yearling was $39,106, with 48 youngsters not sold.

Despite a slight dip in the average sale, consensus is that this was a far stronger sale than 2009. In 2010 breeders and owners sold a higher percentage, 66%, of yearlings offered, compared to only 54% of the 2009 yearlings being sold.

One positive and relieved note for the prospects of NY breds offered in the upcoming fall sales, Genting New York has been named operator of the Aqueduct VLT racino. With added moneys to be distributed to NY bred owners and breeders, the distinction of being a NY bred should translate to higher values in the sales sector.

Racing Haut Monde Drops $32 Million On Elite Yearlings

The upper echelons of international Thoroughbred horse racing convened this week at the annual summer rite of the Saratoga Select Sale held by Fasig-Tipton Co. at its handsomely renovated Pavilion and grounds in Saratoga Springs, NY.

One hundred and sixty-four Thoroughbred yearlings were offered over two nights to the trainers and owners whose names are often coupled with Kentucky Derby, Breeders' Cup and Belmont Stakes. Bob Baffert. Steve Assmussen. Bill Mott. Todd Pletcher.

An A.P. Indy colt out of the champion sprint mare Maryfield, purchased by Todd Pletcher as agent for Besilu Stables (FL), was the sales topper at $1.2 million. On the other end, the Elkstone Group, LLC (PA) picked up a Discreet Cat filly with a very nice pedigree page for $40,000. I'm putting both in my Equibase Virtual Stable and we'll have a reckoning in a couple of years.

For a celebrity fix, chef, restaurateur and food entrepreneur Bobby Flay stepped up to the plate and purchased a pair of fillies, by A.P. Indy and Awesome Again, for $815,000.

Perhaps the entry creating the most buzz at the sale was the half brother to winner of the Preakness Stakes and Haskell Invitational, 3 year old phenom Lookin At Lucky. The colt by Afleet Alex, out of Private Feeling, dam of Lucky, was purchased by Sheik Mohammed's bloodstock manager, John Ferguson, for $750,000. Overall, Ferguson paid out in excess of $5.9 million to capture fourteen prospects for the Sheik's stable.

Of the 164 yearlings offered, 118 met or exceeded their reserve prices and were sold for a gross of $32,515,000 for the sale. The average price was $275,551, which was down almost $53,000 from the 2009 average. A full accounting of the sale including results, pedigrees and buyers is at www.fasigtipton.com.