Last year, Fasig-Tipton sold more than $100 million worth of horses in its week in Saratoga for the first time in its history.
On the heels of a successful selected yearling sale, the company’s New York-bred yearling sale very ably took things across the finish line. Last year’s New York-bred sale grossed more than $19.2 million, including private sales, finishing only behind the consecutive records set in 2022 and 2023. The sale’s average and median figures rose significantly from the year prior, with the median establishing a record.
Spirits are high heading into this year’s New York-bred sale, set for Aug. 10-11 at Fasig-Tipton’s Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion, with 304 yearlings in the catalog. The New York market is feeling bullish, with continued success by statebreds in major graded stakes, purse parity coming on an already lucrative circuit in 2026, and the new Belmont Park opening next year.
“The time is now to get involved in New York,” said Najja Thompson, executive director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. “With the successes coming forth, with purse parity in New York, with the new Belmont Park, everything we’re doing as a program, working alongside our stakeholders, our stallion community, and each of our breeders, now is really the time to get involved with the New York-bred program, if you haven’t been already.”
As noted, beginning in 2026, the New York Racing Association will increase purses for maiden New York-bred 2-year-old races on its circuit to be equal to open-company maiden races. Purse parity for other races will follow in the future. The first change will immediately impact foals of 2024, who are yearlings now.
“All yearlings offered in this catalog will compete for the same purse money as open-company horses on the NYRA circuit next year, providing buyers even more incentive to participate in this year’s sale,” Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning Jr. said. “There has never been a better time to own a New York-bred.”
In addition to running for hearty prizes on their own circuit, New York-breds can step into open company with good results. Through July 18, the Empire State is responsible for four graded stakes winners this year, led by dual Grade 1 winner Spirit of St Louis, winner of the Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park and Turf Classic at Churchill Downs. New York is also responsible for promising 3-year-old Mo Plex, who added another graded score in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby; Five G, winner of the Grade 2 Gulfstream Oaks; and Whatchatalkinabout, winner of the Grade 3 John A. Nerud.
Since 2020, New York has also produced classic winner Tiz the Law, Grade 1 winners Americanrevolution, Red Knight, Simply Ravishing, Spendarella, Therapist, and Varda, and Grade 1-winning steeplechaser Down Royal. Americanrevolution, Tiz the Law, and Varda all sold through the ring at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred sale.
This year’s catalog looks like a classy bunch. Along with Kentucky stallions who rank in the top 10 by earnings nationally, such as Candy Ride, Constitution, Medaglia d’Oro, Not This Time, Nyquist, Practical Joke, and Twirling Candy, this year’s catalog includes yearlings by New York’s reigning leading sire Central Banker, and Honest Mischief and Solomini, who round out the state’s top three by earnings among stallions with New York-conceived runners. Yearlings from the penultimate crop of New York kingpin Freud, who was pensioned last year, are also catalogued.
New York has welcomed a number of exciting young stallions in recent years. Represented by first-crop yearlings in the catalog are multiple Grade 1 winner Mind Control, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Fire At Will, and Grade 2 winner Keepmeinmind. And while Bucchero, already the sire of several graded stakes winners from crops conceived in Florida, will not have his first New York-conceived yearlings until next year, he does have two statebred yearlings in this catalog from forward-thinking breeders.
“You’ve seen a tremendous improvement among the stallions standing in the state, and that’s displayed in some of the offerings in this sale,” Thompson said. “We have, of course, Central Banker, who has been a routinely top New York sire, joined by the likes of Bucchero, who’s now standing here, and we’ve seen what his progeny have done across the country, including [Grade 1 winner] Book’em Danno.
“That lends credence to what we’ve been trying to do as an organization, and working with each of the stakeholders, including increasing our stallion awards and our breeders’ awards for horses that are sired by New York stallions, as well as sired by horses standing outside of the state.”
The New York-bred sale continues the yearling season that opened with Fasig-Tipton’s Kentucky July selected yearling sale, and which will continue with its Saratoga selected yearling sale just a few days before the New York-breds move in on the grounds.