Mike and Mary Ryan could be viewed as the godparents of the growing American presence at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
Representing Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, the Ryans signed the $278,019 ticket for the Lope de Vega daughter Newspaperofrecord. She went on to a successful career on the track, earning more than $1 million as a multiple grade 1 winner. Her broodmare career has started well, with her first two foals on the track, including group 1 Benvenuto Cellini, who has hit the board in all but one start but has already exceeded his mother's earnings before completing his 3-year-old campaign.
The purchase of Newspaperofrecord was one of six purchases Klaravich Stables made in Book 1 of the Tattersalls Yearling Sale nine years ago. Since then, the number of Americans—and the money they are spending—has been on the rise.
"I think Mike Ryan deserves a lot of credit because he came over and did it first with Newspaperofrecord and kind of proved that this is a great avenue," bloodstock agent Liz Crow told BloodHorse in 2025. "And then Chad (Brown) and him come over every year, and they just had a ton of success."
Book 1 of last year's October Yearling Sale saw the most Americans purchasing horses and the second-most money spent ($22.5 million), according to BloodHorse estimations. Last year's 45 lots purchased matched 2022's sale for the high-water mark.
"It is being able to get some of the bloodlines that they have in Europe back home," said Determined Stables' Matt Dorman. "They're the stallions that 'aren't available at home.' So, to be able to get some of those horses is really important. I believe that turf racing continues to grow in the U.S. and in North America, and so being able to have some of those turf families, we're all for that."
Dorman was the top individual American buyer with $3,974,221 spent on seven fillies in Book 1 last year.
Whether buyers are looking for a filly or colt by a particular sire or the best available athlete that fits a specific profile, the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale has something for everyone—at a premium.
But it also leads to different questions. Such as what to do with the horses that were just purchased.
West Paces Racing, which launched a racing stable in the United Kingdom, takes a two-fold approach. It keeps the horses it buys at Tattersalls in the United Kingdom under the guidance of trainer Ed Walker. Some of those horses will then ship to the United States to race for trainer Tom Morley.
That's the case for Euston Hall, who was purchased in Newmarket at the 2024 yearling sale. The Dark Angel colt is already training at Belmont Park. This year is the third edition of the October sale that West Paces has attended.
"It is case by case. ... Exactly when is going to be a function of their maturity and how well they do," said West Paces co-founder Larry Connolly. "But the overarching goal is to bring them to the United States. The only debate is when."
An added factor is that there is a tariff placed on any of the horses purchased here that are brought back to the U.S. Each horse comes with an additional 10% owed to the government based on the purchase price. A $500,000 sale price costs an additional $50,000.
Dorman brings the yearlings he buys at Tattersalls back to the United States; however, the mares he buys at sales such as the Tattersalls December Mares Sale will stay in England at Watership Down Stud.
"The mares, we are fortunate to have wonderful business partners here that we trust and that do a phenomenal job," Dorman said. "And so, Simon (Marsh) and those guys, they have the mares that we purchase here, and they stay here. They foal out here, and then occasionally we may bring one or two back."
It is more than just the sale that attracts the American buyers. The opportunity to experience something different than what they could in the States puts an attractive bow on the box.
It's not just at Tattersalls, but at any of the major events in Great Britain that these experiential opportunities exist through the efforts of Great British Racing International.
"They were the ones that patiently encouraged us to attend," Connolly said, "and whenever we go, whether it be Ascot, Goodwood, or the sale, they definitely look after us and enhance the experience with a number of side excursions. ... It's nice to go there and to be able to sort of indulge in things that you cannot do stateside."
Camilla Perrett, head of client relations and marketing for GBRI, said the results of the horses purchased at Tattersalls on the track speak for themselves.
"We have seen a really noticeable increase in American buyers coming over to Newmarket for the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales in recent years, and it is fantastic to see," she said. "Many have been richly rewarded for making the trip, both with horses they have chosen to keep in Britain and Europe and with horses they have subsequently taken back to the U.S."
