A filly from the first crop of Early Voting led the way at $525,000 as the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling sale opened with strong demand at the top of the marketplace Sunday evening in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Fasig-Tipton reported 64 horses sold in the first of two sessions for gross receipts of $8,338,000. In last year’s comparable opening session, 66 yearlings were traded for $6,860,000. Both sets of figures include only horses who met their reserves through the ring, not yet counting any horses who may be privately sold on the sale grounds.
The Early Voting filly was joined by a $500,000 Practical Joke filly as horses to break the half-million dollar threshold, a mark not attained at this sale in several years. Last year, the sale topper brought $370,000, and in 2023, the top price was $380,000. Fueled by this demand at the top of the market – in addition to the two leaders, two more yearlings sold for $400,000 or more – Sunday’s average price was $130,281, spiking 25 percent from $103,939 in the 2024 opening session.
The median, considered an even stronger indicator of market health because it is not influenced as much by outlying prices, jumped 18 percent, to $105,000 from $89,000.
The buyback rate did rise to 24 percent, compared to a strong 15 percent last year.
Appearing on the ticket for the session-topping Early Voting filly was Jones/Everett, agent for Sabby and Gargan Racing. The filly is from the first crop of her sire, winner of the 2022 Preakness Stakes as part of the record-setting first crop of his own sire, Gun Runner. Early Voting developed anejaculatory syndrome during his first season at stud but did produce 126 foals in that first crop, according to statistics from The Jockey Club. He has since resumed his stud career successfully.
This filly is out of the Ghostzapper mare Owl Moon, dam of four winners from as many starters, including stakes-placed Blue Strike. Bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Tuscany Bloodstock, she was a successful pinhook, having been purchased for $150,000 as a weanling at last fall’s Fasig-Tipton New York fall mixed sale by Mandalay Stable. Thorndale Farm consigned her, as agent, on Sunday.
The Practical Joke filly who followed on the leaderboard was purchased by Repole Stable, from the consignment of Hunter Valley Farm, as agent. She also was a successful pinhook from the fall mixed sale, purchased for $62,500 by Atlantic Bloodstock there from breeders Dutchess Views Farm, SGO Thoroughbred, and Winding Road Thoroughbreds.
The filly is out of the Gemologist mare Our Hope Diamond, dam of three winners from four starters.
The Fasig-Tipton New York-bred sale concludes with a second, and larger, session Monday, with about two-thirds of the catalog being offered on a dark day at Saratoga Race Course. For hip-by-hip results from Sunday’s session, click here.
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