SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Led by a $4.1 million Into Mischief colt, the upper marketplace confirmed that it is still alive and thriving as the 104th Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale smashed its records across the board.
“This is a glory night – it’s unbelievable, but it’s because of all those people that have given, and tried, and helped us develop a culture,” Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning Jr. said, speaking emotionally as he gave credit to people throughout the sale company’s history and current employees in a number of roles behind the scenes. “We’ve earned the trust and confidence of the marketplace. That’s a result of those efforts, every day, from our team.”
Fasig-Tipton reported shortly after the close of business on Tuesday night that 160 yearlings sold over a remarkable two sessions at its Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion for gross receipts of $100,715,000. Those figures do include one private sale taking place on the auction grounds – and more private sales on horses who did not initially meet reserves could still adjust the figures. At last year’s sale, 154 yearlings, including five privately sold, fetched then-record gross receipts of $82,160,000.
Last year, across both the select sale and the two-session New York-bred sale that followed, Fasig-Tipton was thrilled to clear $100 million in gross sales for its week of action. To top $100 million in a single sale here is unprecedented.
“If somebody had told me that we were going to sell $100 million dollars’ worth of horses, I’d have said that you’ve lost your damn mind,” Browning said. “We thought it was going to be really tough to top last year.”
Six horses sold for $2 million or more across the two days to lead 25 seven-figure lots. This marked easily the most horses to clear the $2 million ceiling since 2009 – the farthest year back sortable online results are available on Fasig-Tipton’s website. The 2022, 2023, and 2024 editions of this sale each had two horses traded at that price point.
The average price this week finished at $629,469 – a record by a skyrocketing 18 percent over last year’s $533,506. The median completed the trifecta of eclipsing the records established in 2024, finishing at $450,000, up 6 percent from $425,000.
The buyback rate was an outstanding 12 percent, the lowest in more than a decade and third lowest all-time at this sale, improving on last year’s 19 percent.
“Our manta, honest to God, is so simple,” Browning said. “We try to work hard, and we try to do the right thing. And on nights like this, it all comes together like magic. But there’s no magic. It feels like magic, but it’s magic because our folks are out there recruiting the very best horses and telling people the truth.”
The sale-topping horse came late in the evening as the fifth-to-last horse through the ring. He was worth waiting for for the Coolmore team and Peter Brant’s White Birch. Standing nearby as Brant signed the ticket was Brook Smith, who has partnered with this group on horses such as champion Sierra Leone; and Chad Brown, who Brant said will train this colt.
The colt is the first foal out of the multiple Grade 3-placed Tapit mare Stellar Sound, by Tapit. The mare is a half-sister to stakes winner Smart As Me and Grade 1-placed Luminance. Their granddam is Grade 1-winning millionaire and stellar broodmare Versailles Treaty, who produced Grade 1 winners George Vancouver and Saarland, among others.
“What’s there not to like about him?” Brant said. “He’s a really beautiful horse, well put-together, well-bred. Goes back to great old Phipps blood we really like. We’re very proud to have him.”
The colt was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale, as agent for breeder Don Alberto Corp, which had a roller-coaster evening. Earlier in the night, the farm retained a half-sister to Preakness Stakes winner Journalism, out of the late mare Mopotism, after she did not meet her sky-high reserve despite a bid of $3.9 million. Then this colt came to the ring.
“That surpassed our wildest dreams, and we’re absolutely thrilled, very blessed,” said Reed Ringler, chief operating officer for Don Alberto’s U.S. operations for Liliana Solari and her son Carlos Heller. “It’s crazy. We’ve been talking about this roller coaster with Journalism and Mopotism and to take that filly home, hoping to get $4 million, and to turn around and hour later and get $4 million with this colt – gosh, the bar is high with these horses. But it’s been a strong market. It’s been a great couple of days.”
Earlier in the evening, kingpin Into Mischief, who is well on his way to his seventh consecutive North American general sire title, was represented by a colt who sold for $3 million to John Stewart’s Resolute Bloodstock.
“Really here just trying to find good colts that can go two turns,” said Stewart, who uses a variety of trainers. “That’s why I think there was so much action on him, and we’re just really happy with him.”
The colt is the second foal out of the Bernardini mare Lady Kate, making this foal bred on the same cross as this spring’s dual classic winner Sovereignty. Lady Kate won the Groupie Doll Stakes and was second in the Grade 1 La Troienne. She also is out of a Grade 1-placed stakes winner, Princess Haya. Her colt was consigned by Gainesway, as agent for breeder Stonestreet Farm.
Horse of the Year Gun Runner, who has swiftly jumped from a record-setting freshman sire phenom to a perennial top-three national sire, topped off a strong sale in his own right with a $2.9 million colt. Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni signed the ticket on the gray, who will be trained by Bob Baffert for Zedan Racing.
“He was kind of a very unassuming horse – he was impressive when he started moving,” Lanni said. “When he started taking his first step forward, he was automatic. He walked three, four days, he always had a good attitude about him. He just looks like an honest horse. He looks like a racehorse. And he looks like he’ll run the distance – kind of a Derby kind of horse.”
The colt, consigned by Four Star Sales for breeder Three Chimneys Farm, which stands Gun Runner, is out of the Tapit mare Princesa Carolina. Crossing Gun Runner over Tapit mares has produced 10 stakes winners, led by Grade 1 winner Society. Princesa Carolina won the Dueling Grounds Oaks was multiple graded placed, including finishing third in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. The mare, who is out of Grade 1 winner Pure Clan, is the dam of two winners from as many starters, including Grade 2 winner Muhimma.
Into Mischief and Gun Runner finished with domination of the leaderboard. Gun Runner also sired the $2.7 million colt out of graded stakes winner and prominent producer America, who topped Monday’s opening session when purchased by Winchell Thoroughbreds.
On Tuesday, he also had a $2.6 million filly out of Grade 1 winner Paradise Woods, purchased by Love/Linton, agent for Boyd Racing, a newer owner.
Into Mischief rounded out the $2 million-plus lots with a $2.6 million colt out of Grade 1 winner I’m a Chatterbox. Spendthrift Farm, which stands Into Mischief, bought out partner Grayson Farm on the colt.
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