After Record Sales of Over $66,000,000 a Year Ago, Equestrian-Yearling-Season Starts Off Strong After a Pricey Strike of the Hammer

Every year, the Saratoga yearling sale sets a new record; it is one of the biggest sale auctions in equestrian history. These auctions bring some little yearlings that become the stars of the future. Last year’s gross sales were reported at around $66,955,000, which was 21% more than that in 2021. The record average was reported at over $468,000, 15% more than 2021, and the record median was $375,000, 7% more than 2021. These numbers already look humongous, but there were some fillies from a legendary sire who were put under the hammer that has been reported to have set some new records.

A video of this sale was shared on social media and features a filly sired by the American Horse of the Year in 2007 and 2008, Curlin. The news of this sale has spread all over social media and has left equestrian fans in awe of the numbers.

The annual equestrian yearling sale is here

Blood Horse shared a video of this Saratoga sale on their Twitter handle (now X). It features a filly sired by Curlin, who was sold for $1.05 million at Fasig-Tipton Co. She was sold to Scott and Cindy Heider’s Heider Family Stables after David Lanigan won a long bidding war. On Monday, the yearlings that were sold at the sale were the offspring of Curlin and Quality Road. The average price in Monday’s opening session was reported at $416,014; this was slightly lower than last year’s opener at $419,275.

The session-to-session ratio was $350,000, and the buyback rate this year was 28 percent, which was 8 percent higher than last year’s. In a statement given to DRF Boyd Browning Jr., the President of Fasig-Tipton stated, “I thought it was a very fair marketplace. Great diversity of buyers — very, very, very good mix of buyers tonight, and very, very, very good mix of bidders.” Amid consistent trading in the half-million-dollar range through most of the evening, 18 yearlings were eventually sold in that range. After these yearlings were sold, there came a colt that shook the auction.

From range bound to more than a million

The first horse to grab more than a million dollars was a Quality Road colt. The colt was sold for $1.1 million to bloodstock agents Alex Elliott and Ben McElroy, representing Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing. Elliott stated that the colt will be transported to Ireland for early training and preparations. This move is being taken to expand operations for upcoming races.

Read More: 2 Months After His Brother Won the Kentucky Derby, Unraced Colt Looks to Make His Mark in Major Equestrian Event

During the initial boutique session at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion on East Avenue, 76 yearling sales were reported. An estimated $30,785,000 in gross recipients was reported by Fasig-Tipton Co. The numbers have surpassed last year’s stats when 69 horses were sold in the opening session for $28,930,000. The list will add a few new names shortly after the conclusion of the auction.

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