The Sire Primer: Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale

[Wandering Eyes]

A total of 47 sires will be represented at next week's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. Here's a breakdown of how many yearlings each stallion has cataloged, along with a closer look at some of the individuals boasting Grade I pedigrees.

 

 

First-Crop Yearling Sires:

29% of Catalogue

Corniche: 2

Cyberknife: 3

Drain The Clock: 1

Epicenter: 4

Flightline: 9

Golden Pal: 8

Idol: 1

Jack Christopher: 3

Jackie's Warrior: 7

Life Is Good: 9

Mandaloun: 2

Mystic Guide: 1

Olympiad: 5

All eyes will be on the first crop of yearlings from Horse of the Year Flightline, a million-dollar graduate of this sale back in 2019. Fresh off a successful JRHA Select Sale, where his three yearlings there averaged over $1.18 million, the Lane's End sire will send nine to Saratoga. Among those, Hip 34 is a half-sister to this year's GII San Vicente winner Barnes (Into Mischief), Hip 102 is a half-sister to the late Grade I winner Cave Rock (Arrogate) and Hip 118 is a colt out of Stonestreet's Grade I winner and producer Hot Dixie Chick (Dixie Union).

Ranked second in his division last year by weanling average, WinStar's Life Is Good will have nine yearlings on offer including Hip 209, the half-sister to dual Grade I winner Seize the Grey (Arrogate).

Coolmore's Jack Christopher was represented by the $350,000 sale topper at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale and his nine yearlings there averaged $162,778. Two of Spendthrift's first-crop sires, Cyberknife and Jackie's Warrior, also contributed to the list of toppers at the July Sale with a $330,000 yearling and a $310,000 yearling, respectively.

 

Second-Crop Yearling Sires:

Charlatan's $1.5 million colt at the 2024 Saratoga Sale | Fasig-Tipton

5% of Catalogue

Charlatan: 5

Maxfield: 2

Yaupon: 3

The race for leading first-crop sire is just getting started, but Spendthrift's Yaupon carries the torch going into August with eight winners on the year. Meanwhile Charlatan took the crown for leading freshman yearling sire by sales average last year, led by a $1.5 million colt sell in Saratoga. Maxfield has seen five seven-figure sales from his first two crops including a $1.25 million OBS March graduate. It's anyone's race, but these three young sires have proven they can produce the kind of individual that can get to the Saratoga stage.

 

Third-Crop Yearling Sires:

6% of Catalogue

McKinzie: 3

Tiz The Law: 2

Vekoma: 5

Volatile: 1

McKinzie at Gainesway Farm | Sarah Andrew

Last year's leading freshman sire by earnings, winners, blacktype winners and blacktype horses, Vekoma has continued the trend this year. McKinzie is not to be outdone, though, and is making noise with the likes of his top earner Baeza, plus GI Coaching Club American Oaks victress Scottish Lassie and Curlin Stakes winner Chancer McPatrick.

 

Established Sires:

60% of Catalogue

Blame: 1

Bolt d'Oro: 1

Candy Ride (Arg): 1

City of Light: 2

Constitution: 6

Curlin: 4

Good Magic: 5

Gun Runner: 10

Into Mischief: 10

Justify: 7

Liam's Map: 3

Maclean's Music: 3

Medaglia d'Oro: 3

Munnings: 4

Not This Time: 12

Nyquist: 7

Omaha Beach: 1

Oscar Performance: 2

Practical Joke: 2

Quality Road: 6

Speightstown: 1

Street Sense: 4

Tapit: 3

Twirling Candy: 1

Uncle Mo: 11

Violence: 3

War Front: 1

Not This Time was responsible for the sale topper of last year's Saratoga Sale when a colt out of stakes-placed Kayce Ace (Tiznow) sold for $3.4 million to Zedan Racing and he'll lead the way this year with the highest number of progeny on offer. The Taylor Made sire will send 12 through the ring including the half-sister to champion Jackie's Warrior (Hip 14), a filly out of dual Grade I winner American Gal (Concord Point) (Hip 38) and the half-brother to GI Del Mar Debutante Stakes victress Union Strike (Union Rags) (Hip 66).

$3.4 million Not This Time colt tops the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale | Fasig-Tipton

 

Uncle Mo's 11 Saratoga yearlings will be among the penultimate crop to reach the starting gate for their late sire, who passed away last December at the age of 16. Hip 103 is the half-brother to GI Del Mar Futurity victor Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) and Hip 191 is a half-sister to Breeders' Cup champion Battle of Midway (Smart Strike).

Gun Runner was represented by 10 seven-figure yearlings last year, including a $1.9 million filly in Saratoga. This year, he'll send a trio of Saratoga yearlings out of Grade I producers: GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes victress Time and Motion (Tapit) (Hip 7), dual Grade I winner Paradise Woods (Union Rags) (Hip 175) and GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) (200). In addition, Hip 37 is the half-brother to MGSW First Captain, who brought $1.5 million in Saratoga in 2019.

Now one of five stallions in history to produce three Kentucky Derby winners after the success of his son Sovereignty, Into Mischief is well on his way to earning a seventh champion general sire title. His 10 Saratoga yearlings include Hip 123, a son of GI Cotillion victress It Tiz Well (Arch) and Hip 163, a son of another Cotillion winner in I'm a Chatterbox (Munnings), but the biggest star for Into Mischief will likely be Hip 165, the half-sister to MGISW Journalism (Curlin) bred by Don Alberto. The filly's dam, Mopotism (Uncle Mo), passed away suddenly just before her first foal stormed home to win the GI Haskell Stakes. A Grade II winner herself, Mopotism leaves just four foals behind in Journalism, a 2-year-old Tapit colt owned by Flying Dutchmen, this yearling filly and a filly by Flightline born this year.

After producing four Grade I winners and receiving a stud fee bump from $85,000 to $175,000, Nyquist has continued his upward trajectory this year with seven graded winners including GII San Diego Handicap winner Nysos, Royal Ascot victress Crimson Advocate and GI Preakness and GI Haskell runner-up Gosger. He will have seven yearlings on offer in Saratoga.

Among other notable entries, Quality Road's six yearlings include the full-brother to champion and sire National Treasure (Hip 10). International sire sensation Justify will see seven yearlings led by Hip 29, the half-brother to Breeders' Cup champion Caravel (Mizzen Mast).

The Saratoga Sale takes place August 4 and 5. Hips 1-109 go through the ring on Monday. Hips 110-222 will sell on Tuesday. View the full catalogue here.

*Please note that this story was last updated on July 31. Numbers will likely change prior to the start of the sale.

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