By Sarah Mace
Morning rain notwithstanding, the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Sale, held on Oct. 17 in Saratoga Springs, excelled by every other measure. By the close of the sale, 136 horses changed hands for $4,533,200, a 24% uptick in total sales from last year’s renewal, when 163 horses brought $3,657,800. The $33,332 average price in 2022 posted a 49% increase over the $22,440 average in 2021, and the year-over-year median doubled to $20,000. The buy-back rate dropped to 25.3% from 29.7% last year.
During the single-session auction, no fewer than nine New York-bred weanlings brought six figures, including the first individual through the ring: a grey/roan daughter of More than Ready out of Sailonsilvergirl bred by Rhapsody Farm LLC and Rebecca Coleman-Provo who fetched $105,000 (Hip 1). Ultimately, a trio of youngsters would tie for the title of sale topper, with two fillies and a colt bringing $150,000 each. A pair of New York stallions also had auspicious unveilings for members of their first crops. A filly by King for a Day brought $130,000, while an Honest Mischief filly sold for $80,000.
The first lot through the ring certainly set a formidable bar when hammered down for $105,000, but it didn’t take long for another weanling filly to up the ante. Hip 14, a filly by Malibu Moon out of Stopspendingmaria, went to Willow Brook Stables, Agent, for $150,000. Bred by Rockridge Stud, LLC, Ascendant Farms, LLC & Spendthrift Farm, and foaled at Rockridge Stud in Hudson on February 1, 2022, the chestnut was consigned by Vinery Sales, Agent XI.
Rockridge Stud purchased Stopspendingmaria, a juvenile winner and graded stakes performer for Repole Stable, at the 2019 Keeneland January sale with an Outwork filly in utero. In all, she has produced four winners from five foals to start, led by stakes winner No Mo’ Spending, by Uncle Mo, and stakes performer Blewitt, by the same sire, an earner of over $360,000. Stopspendingmaria was also the beneficiary of a timely catalogue update when her juvenile New York-bred Frosted filly Security Code won at Saratoga in September. Stopspendingmaria has been bred to Modernist.
Christophe Clement, Agent, was the next to make a winning bid of $150,000 when he bought Hip 167, a bay filly by Not This Time consigned by Stuart Morris, Agent IV. Bred by Drumkenny Farm, Springhouse Farm & Magnolia Mares, LLC, the youngster was foaled at Sugar Maple Farm in Poughquag on February 13, 2022. (Catalogue Video)
The filly is the first foal out of multiple winner Lookin Sharp, by Lookin At Lucky, a $53,000 purchase as a broodmare prospect by Magnolia Mares at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale. Lookin Sharp is a half-sister to three stakes winners, led by Malibu Beauty, an earner of just shy of $400,000. She is also a full-sister to stakes performer Lucky in Malibu, and a half-sister to stakes performer Hanky Doodle. The filly’s third dam Salubria is a stakes winner. Lookin Sharp was bred this year to Justify.
The third member of the Saratoga Fall Sale $150,000 club was Hip 196, a chestnut colt by Vekoma from the family of Fort Prado. He is the first foal from his dam Nice Smile, and was bred by Constance Wickes, Amy Rabanal DVM & Highclere, Inc. Foaled on February 20, 2022 at Sugar Maple Farm, he was consigned by Stuart Morris, Agent for Highclere & Rabanal & Wickes. The winning bidder was Glencrest Farm Dailey Bloodstock, Agent.
The colt’s dam Nice Smile was purchased a year ago by Goose Wickes for $70,000 with the sale colt in utero. She is a half-sister to a pair of stakes winners: Red Vine (by Candy Ride), who is also a multiple graded stakes performer and earner of over $775,000; and Breakthrough (by Nyquist), a Monmouth stakes winner. The filly’s third dam, stakes winner Fort Pond, is the dam of millionaire and sire Fort Prado, as well as stakes winner Cammack, whose earnings stand at $588,317. Nice Smile was bred this year to Rock Your World.
In addition to Hip 1, whose six-figure price tag set an upbeat tone for the auction from the get-go, breeders Rhapsody Farm LLC and Rebecca Coleman-Provo had another big success on Monday with Hip 96, when Reeves Thoroughbred Racing went to $140,000 to acquire their Maclean’s Music filly. Foaled at Rhapsody Farm on March 27, 2022, the sale filly was offered by RFHF Bloodstock, LLC consignment.
The filly is the third foal for Downdraft, a winning daughter of Warrior’s Reward whose lone foal to race is a winner. Purchased by Rhapsody Farm at this year’s Keeneland January Sale for $47,000, Downdraft is a half-sister to Neck ‘n Neck, a multiple graded stakes winner and millionaire by Flower Alley. Two more half-siblings are stakes performers. Downdraft has been bred to New York sire Central Banker.
A pair of young New York sires also earned some limelight Monday when weanlings from their first crops drew strong winning bids.
Reeves Thoroughbred Racing went to an enthusiastic $130,000 to acquire Hip 97, a filly by King for a Day. A son of Uncle Mo, King for a Day entered stud in 2021 at Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions for $5,000 and covered 73 mares, according to The Jockey Club. Bred by her consignor Saratoga Glen Farm, LLC in partnership with Beals Racing Stable, LLC and foaled at Saratoga Glen Farm on February 25, 2022, she is out of Downtown Daria, by Sky Mesa. The mare has already produced New York-bred stakes winner Dream Bigger (by Mission Impazible) and stakes performer Downtown at Noon (by Noonmark). The filly’s second dam is Hongkong Charley, also a stakes winner. Downtown Daria has been bred this year to Yaupon.
Hip 113, a bay filly representing the first crop of Honest Mischief, went to Big Bear Bloodstock for $80,000. A son of leading sire Into Mischief, Honest Mischief entered stud last year at Sequel Stallions New York for a fee of $6,500 and covered 127 mares.
Bred by EKQ Stables Corp. and foaled at Sugar Maple Farm on April 6, 2015, the sale filly is the third foal from Force Majeure (IRE), an unraced daughter of Smart Strike purchased in foal to Take Charge Indy by EKQ Stables for just $5,000 at the 2021 Keeneland January Sale. She has been bred back this year to Honest Mischief. The filly’s second dam Forces of Darkness (IRE) is a group winner out of stakes winner Miss Childrey, and a half-sister to Waterloo Bridge (IRE), winner of the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes in England.
Next week, the 2022 yearling auction season will have its swan song at Fasig-Tipton’s Kentucky October Yearling Sale in Lexington, which will be conducted over four sessions from October 24 to 27. Click here for a listing of the 119 New York-bred yearlings catalogued for the sale, with links to their pedigree pages and registration notes.
