Cover image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton
The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale had its first seven-figure result just 19 hips in when Amr Zedan bid US$2 million (AU$2.83 million) for a colt by Curlin, and it produced the last of the first session's 15 million-dollar yearlings when MV Magnier and Peter Brant went to US$1.9 million (AU$2.69 million) for a colt by Gun Runner, the very last hip through the ring.
Somewhere in the middle of the action-packed session, a colt by Nyquist claimed the day's top spot when selling for US$3.2 million(AU$4.53 million) to Randy and Jenny Boyd's Boyd Racing.
At the close of business Monday night, 79 yearlings had grossed US$54,395,000 (AU$77.1 million)–more than half of the 2025 auction's total record gross of US$100,845,000 (AU$142.9 million). The session average of US$688,544 (AU$975,786) was well ahead of last year's total sale record figure of US$626,366 (AU$887,669), as was the session median of US$500,000 (AU$708,600). The record 2025 cumulative median was US$450,000 (AU$638,000).
Boyd Browning | Image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton
During last year's opening session, 77 yearlings grossed $39,975,000 (AU$56.65 million) for an average of US$519,156 (AU$735,734) and a median of US$400,000 (AU$567,000).
“It was a tremendous start to the 105th Saratoga Yearling Sale tonight,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “Literally from beginning to end, from hip number two–since hip one was a scratch–to the last horse in the ring tonight. The energy was palpable. The bidding activity was very, very strong. It was a tremendous session.”
“The energy was palpable. The bidding activity was very, very strong. It was a tremendous session.” - Boyd Browning
Browning said Monday's results confirmed the optimism that had been building around the sale all summer.
“We were optimistic when we put together the Saratoga catalogue,” he said. “We were more optimistic when the horses unloaded off the vans and we saw them on the sales grounds. We got even more optimistic as we saw the level of activity on the sales grounds with people looking, got even more optimistic when the we saw the vetting, in terms of repository activity. But despite our optimism, it exceeded our expectations.”
Browning added the 2026 Saratoga auction still had to come out strong for its second session Tuesday.
“We like where we are at halftime, and we hope to be able to put together another great sale tomorrow night,” Browning said. “We have another bunch of really, really good horses to go through the ring tomorrow night. I'll sleep a little better tonight. But we've still got half the work to do.”
Tuesday's final session of the Saratoga sale begins at 6:30pm (GMT-7).
“I'll sleep a little better tonight. But we've still got half the work to do.” - Boyd Browning
Nyquist Colt steals the show
Flattered by a trio of yearlings to bring over seven figures on Monday, Nyquist was represented by Monday's session-topping yearling, secured for US$3.2 million by Brittany Linton on behalf of Randy and Jenny Boyd's Boyd Racing. Offered as hip 83, the colt was consigned by Gainesway, acting as agent for Stonestreet.
Out of GII Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes winner Slammed (Marking), the February 11 foal is bred on a similar cross to Grade I winners Nysos and Immersive. Slammed, with this colt in utero, was purchased by Stonestreet for US$1.1 million (AU$1.56 million) at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. This is her first foal.
According to Randy Boyd, the operation veered off its original plan heading into Monday's session.
“We came here with a strategy of buying two fillies, but we just fell in love with this colt,” he admitted. “And like we say, we have a strategy, we stick to it, but every month we change the strategy. (Monday), we changed the strategy, but it was just a colt that we couldn't pass up.”
“We came here with a strategy of buying two fillies, but we just fell in love with this colt.” - Randy Boyd
During Monday's session, a quartet of Nyquist yearlings sold–from five through the ring–for a gross of US$5,975,000 (AU$8.47 million) for an average of US$1,493,750 (AU$2.12 million).
“The sire, Nyquist, of course,” said Boyd when asked what attracted his team to the colt. “I just think it's just going to be an amazing colt. We think it has a possibility to be a Kentucky Derby horse one day.”
What's next for the colt?
“Well, I can say that you'll initially go to Paul Sharp and that's where he'll do his initial training,” Boyd confirmed. “But we haven't got the race trainer yet.”
Ward all Shook Up over US$2.3 million Gun Runner colt
Trainer Wesley Ward went to US$2.3 million (AU$3.26 million) to acquire a colt by Gun Runner (hip 78) from the Taylor Made Sale Agency consignment Monday at Saratoga and shortly after signing the ticket on the yearling, the client gained a partner in the colt's breeder, Three Chimneys Farm.
“Everything,” Ward said when asked what he liked about the yearling. “I trained for Goncalo Torrealba and Three Chimneys. And Doug Cauthen and his team bring me out every year to see the horses in the sale. This was my favorite for the year so far.
"He's just a beautiful colt. I was very excited for him to come here. And sometimes they get here and they can go one way or the other and this horse just kept going the way that we wanted. Everything I want in a race horse. It looks like he's going to be, not just a really good horse, but also it looks like he could be a really nice 2-year-old for next year. So we're really excited.”
“This horse (hip 78) just kept going the way that we wanted. Everything I want in a race horse.” - Wesley Ward
The colt is out of 2015 GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up Shook Up (Tapit), who is also the dam of the stakes-winning and multiple graded-placed King Ottoman (Curlin).
“Goncalo jumped in and Three Chimneys is going to take half the horse,” Ward said. “We're going to put our partnership together for the other half.”
Of the colt's final price tag, Ward added, “I thought he was a $2 million horse and we had to go a couple more to get him, but we were excited.”
Three Chimneys purchased Shook Up for US$1.65 million (AU$2.34 million) at the 2015 Keeneland November sale.
“That colt has been a star from day one and a farm favorite, all the grooms, managers, everybody liked the horse,” Doug Cauthen said. “And he came up here and really showed himself very well. The sales company, the consignors all did a great job and we expected him to bring in that realm.”
“That colt (hip 78) has been a star from day one and a farm favorite, all the grooms, managers, everybody liked the horse.” - Doug Cauthen
Of the decision to stay in on the colt, Cauthen said, “We asked him after the fact and he kindly said we could stay in. So that's great because we do like the horse a lot.”
Cauthen added, “Almost all the (Three Chimneys) horses go to auction and Goncalo loves partnering with people. So if people come up, he likes to stand behind his product and we'll stay in with them. As long as he's going to a trainer he's comfortable with, he's very open to it.”
Into Mischief colt tops Flying Dutchman's Saratoga shopping list
Hunter Rankin said he was finding plenty of competition while bidding on behalf of Flying Dutchmen during Monday's first session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, but even so the Boersma family's racing operation came away with five new yearlings for a total of US$5,225,000 (AU$7.4 million).
The group was led by a colt by Into Mischief (hip 91) purchased for US$2.3 million (AU$3.26 million) from Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, which was consigning the colt on behalf of his breeder, Don Alberto Corporation.
The yearling is out of multiple Graded-placed Stellar Sound (Tapit), a half-sister to Grade I-placed 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Luminance (Tale of the Cat), whose dam Silent Serenade (Unbridled's Song) was purchased by Don Alberto for US$1.025 million (AU$1.45 million) at the 2017 Keeneland January Sale carrying the filly that would become Stellar Sound.
A full brother to hip 91 topped last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale when selling for US$4.1 million (AU$5.81 million) to Coolmore and White Birch Farm.
“He's out of a great mare,” Rankin said of the yearling. “They breed great horses over there and it's fun to buy horses off them. He was a really nice horse. We are just really excited to get him.”
“They (Hill 'n' Dale) breed great horses over there and it's fun to buy horses off them.” - Hunter Rankin
Flying Dutchman also purchased a colt by Cody's Wish (hip 50) for US$950,000 (AU$1.35 million) and a colt by Curlin (hip 51) for US$800,000 (AU$1.13 million)–both from Lane's End–a colt by Life is Good (hip 30) for US$675,000 (AU$957 million) from Taylor Made Sales Agency, and a full brother to GI Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure (Quality Road) (hip 102) for US$500,000 (AU$708,600) from Bridie Harrison, agent for Peter E Blum Thoroughbreds.
“There is a lot of a negative stuff people say about the business, but there are a lot of people excited about it,” Rankin said. “Our group is excited and I know a lot of new groups who are excited, too. We've been outbid a bunch tonight. That's a really good thing for the business. We have tried really, really hard. It's a good sign for this market.”
Hunter Rankin | Image courtesy of Keeneland
Curlin Colt wows early
With only a handful of yearlings having passed through the ring at Monday's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga opener, a colt by supersire Curlin drew a cool US$2 million (AU$2.83 million) from Donato Lanni bidding on behalf of Amr Zedan. Plying his trade from the balcony above the main sales ring, Lanni was accompanied by Zedan in addition to Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.
“He's a horse that the whole team liked. Bob loved the horse,” said Lanni. “He was a horse that impressed us from the very beginning. At Saratoga, you have so much time to look at these horses, if you ever have a reason to get off a horse. We just stayed on the horse.”
“He (hip 19) was a horse that impressed us from the very beginning.” - Donato Lanni
“There's not going to be too many of those Curlins left,” added Lanni. “Unfortunately, he's getting a little older. He had the (Kentucky) Derby winner (Golden Tempo) this year and he's been such a great sire.”
Out of Merlazza (Medaglia d'Oro), hip 19 was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.
“Pedigree looks like he'll stretch out,” added Lanni. “He's a very mature colt, very athletic colt. Just a really, really cool colt.”
Merlazza is a full sister to the dual Grade III-placed Gold Standard and a half to Mapit (Tapit), responsible for Graded winner and Grade I performer Where's My Ring (Twirling Candy). This is the extended family of multiple Grade I winner Dream Supreme.
“You never know what they're going to bring, but the good ones always seem to cost a lot. I know there was a lot of competition for the horse. I'm a very happy guy.”
Curlin, who stands at Hill 'n' Dale, was withdrawn from breeding service earlier this season.
“Curlin has been everything to Hill 'n' Dale,” said Hill 'n' Dale's Jes Sikura. “He's been the flag bearer at Hill 'n' Dale for the last decade. He's been our Classic sire, America's Classic sire. He got his Kentucky Derby winner. He's had a son win every leg of the Triple Crown, Breeders' Cup Classic, everything. And now that there's obviously a little bit more of a limited number of horses, they're in high demand.”
“Curlin has been everything to Hill 'n' Dale.” - Jes Sikura
In regard to Monday's fourth top-priced yearling of the session, Sikura explained, “To be up here in Saratoga, it's such a great sale to look the way he did, move the way he did, and show the way he did all week.”
He added, “I think the way he moved, he was a beautiful mover with a huge overstep. He was also strong, sleek, light on his feet. So I think as a whole, he stood out and he looked like he has a lot of room to develop to be a strong, robust, athletic curling colt. So there were a lot of things about him physically that stood out and made him a star and achieved the result he just did.
Asked about the price, he said, “Probably past the expectations. I though he was going to sell really well. I didn't really have a number in mind, nor do I think anybody did, but I think that was definitely a little past the range we were expecting.”
Gunning to the Very End
Some might have been worried that their yearling would be strolling through the sales ring as the very last offering of an evening session, however, agents Hanzly Albina and Ron Blake were not among them.
When their striking Gun Runner colt strode into the sales ring at the end of the night, several key players were still sitting in the pavilion. Among them, the Coolmore team in tandem with White Birch Farm's Peter Brant, who changed things up by sitting on the upper level to do their bidding. When all was said and done, the partners landed Hip 113 for US$1.9 million (AU$2.69 million), ending the evening as the fifth highest-priced colt of the session.
Armed with only a pair of yearlings on Day 1, Blake-Albina sold both of them, including a Gunite colt (hip 39) that sold earlier in the session for US$310,000 ($439,000).
Were they concerned about the late post?
“No,” affirmed Albina. “We thought we were going to close it out pretty strongly and they would wait around for us. So I wouldn't say we were worried. If we'd been the last horse tomorrow, we may have been worried. But today we're okay with it. It's a Gun Runner, so that's going to keep them in the seats.”
“It's a Gun Runner, so that's going to keep them in the seats.” - Hanzly Albina
Out of stakes winner Toni Tools (Roaring Fever), the colt is a half-brother to GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes winner and millionaire Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}).
Hanzly Albina | Image courtesy Fasig-Tipton
Asked what made the chestnut so special, Albina responded, “He obviously has an extremely good pedigree. He's a three-quarter-brother to a Grade I-winning filly and he is by the best dirt sire in the world. And he's a specimen that, in the best sale of the finest horses in the year, stood out. And the buyers know what they want. They want the best stuff. They want the best times, the best mares, and the best physicals. And he embodied all three of those things.”
“(Buyers) want the best stuff. They want the best times, the best mares, and the best physicals. And he embodied all three of those things.” - Hanzly Albina
He added, “We were flattered by all the people who looked at the horse and gave us praise. It just reaffirms what you're doing and that you're trying to do it the right way.”
