First-Crop Weanlings Highlight F-T Saratoga Mixed Sale

Saratoga Springs in October has a lot to offer. In addition to the stunning fall foliage, Saratoga in October draws a crowd as many exciting first-crop sires make their highly anticipated sales debut, offering their first weanlings at public auction at Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale. The one-day auction, held Oct. 12 at 10:00 a.m., offers a variety of New York-bred weanlings and a handful of broodmares in foal to attractive stallions. Weanlings by Arabian Knight, Blazing Sevens, Cogburn, Domestic Product, Kingsbarns, More Than Looks, National Treasure, Seize the Grey, and Timberlake, amongst many others, will be on offer. "I love being the first in-person weaning sale of the season," said The New Hill Farm's Lili Kobielski. "I think it's always really exciting and fun to be able to offer the first babies of the first-year sires." The New Hill Farm brings a draft of 28 horses to the sale, including exciting broodmares and weanlings. "I think the star of the show is the Cogburn filly (Hip 69) out of Theyplayingoursong of the first-year sires," she said. "She's perfectly correct, great bone, big, and super flashy, and is one that just does not get tired. She's been out over 100 times. In every show, she has the same energy, and she just marches along, so I, I really love seeing that." Hip 69 was bred by The New Hill Farm out of the stakes-placed and stakes-producing Songandaprayer mare Theyplayingoursong. She is the dam of five foals to race, all winners. Kobielski noted that Hip 19, a filly by Arabian Knight, has also caught the attention of many prospective buyers. "She's a little more compact, but also really correct and nice. She looks really fast," Kobielski added. The New Hill Farm has two colts by grade 1 winner Newgate that Kobielski said have really blossomed coming into the sale. "They're lovely horses, rangy, great bone, and both have really big walks," she said. "I think those have been kind of a sleeper—the ones that like get to the sale and like suddenly kind of blossom and look great—they have both done that." A sire that Kobielski is particularly excited about is one of New York's own—Americanrevolution. The multiple grade 1-winning son of Constitution is represented by his second crop at the sale. His yearlings were well-received at Fasig-Tipton's New York-Bred Yearling Sale, with nine horses bringing $100,000 or more. His top-billing was a colt bought by Taproot Bloodstock for $250,000. "We have 2, and they're, they're both beautiful horses," she said. "It's his second crop, so you're taking a little bit of a swing, but I think people will look very smart (having purchased his offspring). "I've never had a bad one, and we've had quite a few. They have really big walks. They're beautiful and well-balanced." In addition to the weanlings offered by The New Hill Farm, they will also offer four quality broodmares. Stetson Gold (Hip 51) is a stakes-placed Uncle Mo mare, offered in foal to Citizen Bull. Hip 289, Opera Star, is the dam of multiple stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Bravaro. She is in foal to Upstart, carrying a full brother to Bravaro. Zindra, consigned as Hip 309, was supplemented to the sale. The Macho Uno mare is the dam of multiple stakes winner Cara's Time, who sold for $400,000 at last year's November Breeding Stock Sale. She is offered in foal to Goal Oriented. "It's been a great sale for us; I think it's really important for us to be able to sell these horses in New York and try to keep them in New York for the New York-bred sale and for racing," Kobielski said. "With the purses and the breeders' awards in New York now, it just keeps getting better and better, so I know people have noticed and it's really exciting to see how the market has grown and improved and become an important stop on the sales circuit." Last year's sale saw 134 horses change hands for gross receipts of $6,204,500, including private sales. The average price was $46,302 and the median was $22,000. Showmethemagic, a mare by Power Broker and in foal to Cogburn, topped the sale, selling for $260,000 to Thorndale Farm from the Garrencasey Sales consignment. The top-priced weanling was a colt by Yaupon, who sold for $240,000 to Mahmud Mouni. The leading buyer of the sale was Mouni, who purchased five head for $505,000. The New Hill Farm led all consignors, selling 15 from their draft for a total of $1,025,500. As of Sunday evening, Fasig-Tipton had reported 50 outs.