Six yearlings sold for seven figures and a modest buyout rate helped produce solid results in the August 5 opening session of The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton’s premier yearling horse auction in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
The auction, held at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion, averaged $505,325 from 77 colts sold, bringing in $38,910,000. The average was up 23 percent from last year’s opening session.
Despite the bad weather, the sales area was crowded and full of energy, especially for Hip 72, a foal of Not this time reached a session high of $3.4 million, selling Donato Lanni, agent for Zedan Racing.
“It’s been a really, really strong start to the opening session of the 2024 Saratoga Yearling Auction. We averaged over $500,000 tonight, the average was $400,000, the RNA rate at an elite horse auction at 20% is pretty remarkable,” said Boyd Browning Jr., president and CEO of Fasig-Tipton.
WATCH: $3.4M Not This Time Colt Tops Saratoga Sale Day 1
In 2023, the Saratoga Sale raised $31,195,000 on the first day (including private sales), with an average of $410,461 and a median of $337,500. Seventy-six yearlings were sold out of 103 offered.
Lanni prevailed in a marathon bidding war to win Hip 72, a colt consigned by Nardelli from Tiznow mare Kayce Ace .
Donato Lanni
“We came here to try to buy a horse you could take to the Derby,” trainer Bob Baffert said after the sale, emphasizing the last four words. “That’s why we bought him.”
“Mr. Zedan and Bob Baffert really wanted this horse,” Lanni said. “He’s a beautiful horse and the stallion did really well. He’s just a beautiful horse and they wanted him.”
Neither consignor Kim Nardelli of Nardelli Sales nor the buyer thought the dark brown mare/foal would fetch such a price.
“We didn’t expect it, but we knew he was a sweet horse,” Nardelli said. “He’s been sweet since the day he was born. He’s always had that class, and he’s come in here without missing a beat.”
The colt was bred by Susan Casner, whose family was traveling abroad and heard on the phone about the price increase.
“Bill Casner was really out of control,” Nardelli said. “He had never sold a horse like that before.”
A former trainer, Casner co-founded WinStar Farm with Kenny Troutt. He sold his share of the farm in 2010, the same year a colt bred and owned by WinStar was born, Super savings won the Kentucky Derby (G1).
The foal’s dam is a full sister to multiple Grade 1 winners. Colonel John retirees with income of $1.8 million, and Mr. Hot Stuff Grade 1 on dirt and a Grade 1 hurdler.
Resolute Racing’s John Stewart was the top buyer of the auction, purchasing five yearlings for a total of $5,425,000. He finished second in the average at $1,085,000 behind Lanni, who purchased two horses for an average of $1,975,000. In addition to the top horse of the auction, Zedan Racing purchased Gunman mare (Hip 39) for $550,000 from Zach Madden’s Buckland Sales. The mare is out of AP Indy winner ET Indy.
Stewart’s top purchase was a $1.7 million colt named Gun Runner (Hip 75), a half-brother to the G1-winning Clark Handicap. Creeper . A gray or tan foal is a mare that has never raced. Lady Godiva (Song of the Unbridled). Lady Godiva is the half-sister of the first-class, multiple-award winner Many choices.
West Bloodstock also actively participated, signing a contract to buy lottery tickets for five times for a total of $3,300,000.
Hip 85, one Curlin foal out of a ranked mare Matera sold for $1.9 million to West Bloodstock, agents of Robert and Lawana Low. The sorrel mare was consigned by Gainesway.
Hip 85, a Curlin mare in the ring at Fasig-Tipton’s The Saratoga Sale
Taylor Made Sales Agency dominated, selling 11 of the 14 yearlings offered for a total of $3,975,000. The average price was $361,364.
“It’s been a very, very encouraging start to this sale, there’s a lot of competition, a lot of energy, a lot of excitement,” Browning said.
WATCH: Boyd Browning Reflects on Opening Day of Saratoga Sale
The sale ends August 6, starting at 6:30 p.m. ET, with the hips ranging from 121 to 240. The first offering of the night will be a share of Airdrie’s top stallion Complexity .
“We’re going to continue to play the only way we know how, giving 100% effort, 100% of the time,” he added.
