Optimism Abounds Ahead of Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale

[Wandering Eyes]

Bidding returns to the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in upstate New York for the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale, which begins Tuesday at 10 a.m. A total of 281 horses, including weanlings, broodmares, and broodmare prospects, have been catalogued for the one-session auction.

Lili Kobielski saw plenty to be optimistic about as she oversaw her The New Hill Farm consignment at barn seven Monday.

“The activity has been wonderful,” she said. “We have been non-stop yesterday and today. We've seen some new faces today that I think just got in. The energy is amazing.”

The Saratoga auction comes as an ultra-competitive yearling sales season nears its finale.

“The yearling sales were so strong, I would certainly expect that everyone would be excited to buy babies,” Kobielski said. “I would think all the yearling sellers would be feeling confident and have some cash in their pockets.”

The newly passed tax code which features bonus depreciation, allowing buyers to write off the up-front cost of a horse in its first year, has helped drive much of the national demand for yearlings this summer and fall. On a regional level, purse parity will begin in 2026, allowing New York-breds to race for equal purse money as open company horses on the New York Racing Association circuit. Both factors–plus high purses–figure to make for a competitive market in Saratoga, according to Kobielski.

“I think depreciation is a big deal, right now,” Kobielski said. “And there is also purse parity in New York starting soon, so New York-breds will be running for the same money as open company. That's another great incentive to buy one. And purses are so big. It's a really exciting time to be buying.”

The Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale in August, which produced records for gross and average and a record-tying median, also rewarded several pinhookers who had purchased weanlings at last year's Fall sale. The $525,000 co-topping daughter of Early Voting had been purchased for $150,000 last October, while a daughter of Practical Joke purchased for $62,500 last year, sold in August for $500,000.

Pinhookers shopping The New Hill Farm consignment last October also found success in August, with a daughter of Upstart purchased as a weanling for $80,000 selling this year for $350,000 and a colt by Vekoma purchased for $90,000 selling for $325,000.

“We are very grateful to the pinhookers,” Kobielski said. “It's always good news for everyone when someone buys from you and they do well with your horses. Then they come back and hopefully buy more.”

During last year's Saratoga Fall sale, 148 head sold for $3,920,500. The average was $26,490 and the median was $14,500. A filly by Cyberknife brought the auction's top price of $230,000 and the weanling was one of eight to sell for six figures.

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