There was plenty of anticipation in the Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion as the half sister to this year's Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Journalism arrived in the ring as Hip 165 for the second and final session of The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale, Aug. 5.
The bidding quickly escalated within seconds with bidders both on-site and online. But the elegant bay would leave the ring unbought with a final bid of $3.9 million.
Consigned by Denali Stud, agent for breeder Don Alberto Corp., the filly's dam, grade 2 winner Mopotism, was euthanized July 15 in Lexington due to complications from colic.
The 11-year-old Uncle Mo mare was part of Don Alberto's 100-plus broodmare band at its Lexington farm.
"The passing of the mare made coming up here ... there was every possibility that the filly could have not made the trip and been withdrawn," said Conrad Bandoroff, Denali's vice president. "You certainly could have understood if she was taken out of the sale. It made it a very difficult decision whether to keep the filly in the sale or take her out. You know they have a foal out of the mare. The decision was made to keep her in the sale but with the game plan of if she brought enough money she would be sold. If not, she would be retained."
Craig Bandoroff, founder of Denali Stud, said the reserve was $4 million.
"She's worth a lot as a broodmare; we tried to tell everybody that," Craig Bandoroff said. "We knew it was a high bar; that was the bar that was set in Kentucky. Hey, (Don Alberto Corp.) was good enough to come up here and give it a try. We were fortunate and honored to be the ones that they selected to handle her. Everybody did their best and, hopefully, she will go out there and win grade 1 stakes, and go back to their broodmare band."
Mopotism's first foal was Journalism, a son of Curlin , and one of the leading 3-year-olds of 2025. Denali Stud consigned the colt to this sale two years ago and he was bought for $825,000 by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.
Mopotism's foal of 2023, a colt by Tapit , sold for $1.5 million to Flying Dutchmen at last year's Saratoga Sale. He is named Nitro Tap and is in training with Brian Lynch. She had a filly by Flightline this year.
Before the half to Journalism went unsold, Denali Stud, acting as agent, saw two horses go through the ring for more than $1 million.
Hip 123, a son of Into Mischief , was consigned by Denali Stud for breeder Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, and was bought for $1.25 million by Coolmore and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm.
"He was an absolutely pure, raw, physical horse," Conrad Bandoroff said of the colt who is out of the Arch mare It Tiz Well, a grade 1 winner. "He had as good of a hind leg as you could ask for. Was incredibly popular. He came out here and showed like an absolute man every single time. Just looked like a fast, early, precocious type. He was very well received, was bought by some very smart judges who won a pretty big race over the weekend. Hopefully this horse will be equally as lucky for them."
Hip 150, a colt by Not This Time , consigned by Denali Stud, agent, went for $1.4 million to Repole Stable and Grandview. The colt's dam Mariah's Princess, is a stakes-winning daughter of Ghostzapper. This is her first foal.
"He was born and raised at the farm for Rigney Racing," Conrad Bandoroff said. "He was a horse that we have loved from the day he was born. It's always an amazing result when you sell a horse for seven figures, but it's really special when you sell a horse that's born and raised at the farm. Especially when it's a horse for a great client and friend like Mr. Rigney.
"He's a horse that we always have been very high on. He came up here and just showed unbelievably well. He showed over 280 times, and he never got tired. You could just not get to the bottom of him. He just absolutely marched. He's an incredible mover. I think he might be as good a horse as we've raised as long as I can remember. Can't wait to see what he goes on to do at the track. He could be special."
—Additional reporting by Sean Collins
