By Richard Zwirn
New York-breds continue to gain respect on the track and in the sales ring.
A total of twenty-nine yearlings sold for six figures on Sunday night, and ten brought $200,000 or more. Gross sales were up 14% over last year’s first session. The opening night saw 66 horses sell for a total of $6,860,000. The average was $103,939 and the median was $89,000. More good news? The RNA rate was 24.1%, compared to 34.6% in 2023. Boyd Browning, Jr., Fasig-Tipton President, commented, “There was consistent trade from start to finish, and I’m encouraged by the drop in the buy-back rate, which is traditionally high at this sale because of the opportunities that New York breeders have to race.”
Hip 315, a son of Constitution (Tapit) and half-brother to three other stakes winners (including Looms Boldly, winner of last week’s $125,000 John Morrisey Handicap at Saratoga), sold for $300,000 to finish tied atop the list of sellers on Sunday night. Bred by Ten Strike Racing and consigned by Elite, agent, the handsome bay colt sold to Mike Repole. Jacob West signed for the colt. “He was an excellent physical, a good-looking horse.”
His dam, See the Forest, a six-time winner and earner of $126,313, is not only the dam of Looms Boldly (earnings of $323,870) but also Critical Value, multiple stakes winner and earner of $303,795, and Whittingham Park, six-time winner and earner of $380,435. See the Forest has seven winners from seven starters. She did not produce a foal in 2021 or 2022 and is the dam of a colt by Warrior’s Charge born in New York on March 6.
Trainer Christophe Clement signed for the other $300,000 Taylor Made consigned yearling, hip 386. “He looked fast,” Clement said. “It’s probably too much money, but we’re keeping the dream alive. I liked him very much. He looked very athletic.”
Bred by Cheryl Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Gallivan, the Vekoma (Candy Ride) chestnut colt is the third foal out of the unraced Shackleford mare Alana’s Allure. Out of the Group 2-placed Chilean-bred Dancing Groom mare Bella Madame, Alana’s Allure is the dam of New York Derby winner and $213,807 earner Allure Of Money. She also produced the two-year-old Mo Town colt Leon Blue, a $100,000 graduate of last year’s New York bred sale who finished second in his debut at Saratoga on July 24. The mare had a filly this year on April 2 to the cover of Tacitus.
First-crop New York sire Galilean (Uncle Mo), standing at Hidden Lake Farm for $3,500, had a pair of colts sell well. Hip 350 brought $220,000 and was another Repole Stable purchase from Eaton Sales consignment. This colt was bred by Blue Chip Bloodstock. Hip 351, a $160,000 purchase by JCE Racing consigned by Indian Creek, was bred by 3C Stables and Mulholland Springs. These were the highest prices for New York-sired yearlings on Sunday night.
The sale concludes today with 200 yearlings cataloged at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion on East Avenue.
