Hip 409 (Fasig-Tipton photo)
Weanlings generated the most fireworks at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall sale, which in its third year expanded from a single session to two days and added yearlings into the mix. The sale topper was Hip 409, a chestnut colt from the first crop of Shackleford who was purchased by Palermo Farm for $150,000. J.J. Crupi signed the ticket.
Fasig-Tipton photo
Bred by Mares Rule II and foaled on February 1 at Rhapsody Farm in Plymouth, Hip 409 is the first foal out of Spanish Post, a multiple winner by Flatter and earner of $84,114 in Canada. Spanish Post, who was purchased by the consignors, Elaine Peck’s Rhapsody Farm and Chris Bernhard’s Hidden Lake Farm, for $30,000 at last year’s Keeneland November sale, is out of Spanish Play, a stakes winner and half-sister to Grade 2 winner and stakes producer River Boat. Spanish Play is also the granddam of multiple graded stakes winning New York-bred turf sprinter Silver Timber.
Hip 307 (Fasig-Tipton photo)
The second and third top-selling weanlings were also colts. Ken and Sarah Ramsey went to $90,000 to purchase Hip 307, a dark bay/brown son of Spring At Last out of stakes producer E T Phone Laura (Roar). Catalyst Bloodstock consigned the February 10 colt, who was bred by John P. Hicks, William Hart and Henry Higgitt.
Justin Casse signed a ticket for $85,000 on behalf of JSM Equine for Hip 259, an Into Mischief colt consigned by Sequel Stallions New York, Agent. Bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds and JMJ Racing Stables, Hip 259 is out of Back in the Shade, a stakes placed daughter of Put It Back.
Palermo Farm, buyer of the Shackleford colt, also got the top weanling filly. From the Sequel consignment, Hip 298 is a bay from the first crop of The Factor out of Divorce Settlement (Stormin Fever) and issues from the family of Yonaguska.
Weanlings, all of whom were offered in Tuesday’s second session, fared well overall. Seventy-seven individuals sold, including six private sales, of 155 offered (including one Florida-bred [Hip 362]) for a total of $1,693,200, a slight uptick from last year’s $1,565,200 weanling total for 74 individuals.
This year’s weanling average of $21,990 was also up slightly over last year’s average of $21,151, but more importantly, even improved on the dramatic gains made in 2013 over 2012, the first year of the sale, when weanlings averaged $16,256. The median tells the same story. In 2012, the first year of the sale, the median weanling price was $12,500, but in 2013 it rose to $17,500. This year the weanling median was $16,000.
Hip 166 (Fasig-Tipton photo)
Of the yearlings, who were offered with the weanlings on Tuesday, 48 sold, including two private sales, from 87 offered for total sales of $610,400, an average of $12,717 and median of $7,500. The yearling topper was Hip 166, a bay colt from the first crop of Girolamo out of Fast Heart, a half-sister to graded stakes winner Eightyfiveinafifty, who was purchased by Dan Hayden for $62,000. Bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds, Cheryl Anne Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Thomas Gallivan, the colt was consigned by Shamrock Hill Farm (Cheryl Prudhomme) Agent.
Hip 11 (Fasig-Tipton photo)
A mixed group of older horses sold on Monday in the sale’s first session, including broodmares, broodmare prospects, racing/broodmare prospects and horses of racing age. In this category 91 were offered and 69 sold for $902,500 with an average of $13,079 and median of $6,500.
Naturally a number of different states were represented by this group, but as it happened the co-toppers at $60,000 issued from the New York breeding program. Hip 11, an unraced 2-year-old New York-bred filly by Curlin out of Birthday Wire consigned by Wes Carter was purchased by Carolyn R. Vogel. She is a half-sister to multiple-stakes winner Wiredfortwotwenty (Greatness). Hip 43, named High Quality, a stakes placed Kentucky-bred daughter of Elusive Quality, was purchased from the Sequel consignment by PTS Ranch, Keith Cupper, Agent in foal to New York sire Mission Impazible, whose first foals are weanlings of 2014.
Top 10 consignors:
| RHAPSODY FARM LLC/HIDDEN LAKE FARM LLC | $768,200 (30 sold) |
| SEQUEL STALLIONS NEW YORK | $539,500 (28 sold) |
| VINERY SALES | $512,500 (47 sold) |
| QUESTROYAL NORTH | $329,000 (14 sold) |
| HARRY L. LANDRY BLOODSTOCK LLC | $203,600 (15 sold) |
| MCMAHON OF SARATOGA THOROUGHBREDS LLC | $115,700 (13 sold) |
| TOM ALBERTRANI | $110,000 (3 sold) |
| CATALYST BLOODSTOCK LLC | $95,700 (2 sold) |
| WOODFORD THOROUGHBREDS | $86,000 (6 sold) |
| STONE BRIDGE FARM LLC | $76,200 (5 sold) |
Click here for complete sale results.
