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Whether in the Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion, outside its doors on a beautiful summer night in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., or bidding from afar, a crowd of enthusiastic buyers pushed the opening session of The Saratoga Sale to impressive heights.

The fillies were purchased by three different buyers for a total of $2,325,000.

Hoping to repeat, or maybe surpass, the success they had with Caravel, Qatar Racing went to $1.4 million to secure her Justify half brother at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig Tipton's select yearling sale, Aug. 4 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Dreaming of their first million-dollar horse, Steve and Denise Smith of Mesingw Farm got their wish Aug. 4 as Warrendale Sales-consigned Hip 36, a Good Magic colt named Alekazam, brought $1.6 million from Legion Bloodstock as agent for Hoolie Racing.

Midway into the first session of Fasig-Tipton's The Saratoga Sale Aug. 4, a Not This Time half brother to grade 1 winner Union Strike and multiple graded stakes winner Handsome Mike lit up the board at $1.4 million selling to Kjell Andersen.

BH Interview: Maddie Mattmiller

Just days after Gun Runner's champion Sierra Leone captured the Whitney Stakes (G1), a son of Gun Runner (Hip 37) commanded $2.7 million from Winchell Thoroughbreds at Fasig-Tipton's opening session of The Saratoga Sale Aug. 4.

Already with a name that portends great things, Dynasty, a full brother to 2023 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner National Treasure, sold for $750,000 to Wathnan Racing at the Aug. 4 opening session of Fasig-Tipton's The Saratoga Sale. 

It didn't take long to reach seven figures during the first night of Fasig-Tipton's The Saratoga Sale Aug. 4 when Hip 13, a filly by Curlin, commanded $1.3 million from Windancer Farm.

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association announced Aug. 4 the state breeders of the year, National Broodmare of the Year, Claiming Crown Horse of the Year, and Rood & Riddle Sport Horse of the Year.

Reddam Racing homebred Jasmina became the first black-type winner for California freshman sire Listing, another Reddam homebred, when the filly was elevated to first in the Aug. 3 California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Stakes at Del Mar. 

Jockey Flavien Prat was suspended three days Aug. 4 for careless riding during the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T) Aug. 1 at Saratoga Race Course.

2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan is set to make his turf debut Aug. 9 as he travels to Colonial Downs for the $1 million Arlington Million Stakes (G1T).

On the Aug. 4 episode of BloodHorse Monday, it's a "Smarty Party" as Pat Chapman discusses Smarty Jones' Racing Hall of Fame induction, Barry Irwin joins as Team Valor International celebrates 200 graded stakes wins.

A bloodstock agent with ties to South Carolina pleaded guilty in federal court to drug misbranding and adulteration after cooperating with the government in the prosecution of another defendant.

Flavien Prat has been suspended by the Saratoga stewards for three days as a result of his ride aboard race favorite Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) in Friday's GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes.

Though Prat crossed the line 1 1/2-lengths in front of runner up Luther (GB) (Frankel {GB}), he was ultimately disqualified from the win for causing what the stewards deemed as interference on the first turn of the one-mile race. Joel Rosario, the jockey aboard Luther, lodged an objection following the race and the stewards demoted Zulu Kingdom from first to fourth.

Prat will serve his suspension Aug. 13-15.

 

LUTHER and Joel Rosario had a not-fun time heading into the first turn of today's National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. (G2) at Saratoga.

Things got better for the Charlie Fellowes' trainee when LUTHER (GB), who finished 2nd to Zulu Kingdom, was moved up to the win via DQ. pic.twitter.com/LpFc2h23zn

— Barbara D. Livingston (@DRFLivingston) August 1, 2025

The post Prat Faces Three-Day Suspension For Ride Aboard Zulu Kingdom In Hall Of Fame appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale has cataloged 4,686 horses to be offered over 12 sessions from Monday, Sept. 8 through Saturday, Sept. 20, Keeneland announced Tuesday. Click here for the online catalog of yearlings. Print catalogs are scheduled to start arriving in the mail the week of Aug. 18.

Last year, the September Sale was the world's highest-grossing Thoroughbred auction in history with more than $428 million in sales for 2,894 horses. A total of 36 yearlings sold for $1 million or more, marking the highest number since 2006. The average of $147,926 and the median of $70,000 both were records.

“The September Sale is the largest and most important auction of its kind, and Keeneland feels a great responsibility to ensure its success,” said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. “The strength of this year's catalog and the increased number of entries are a direct reflection of the industry's confidence in the marketplace. We welcome buyers from around the world who come to Keeneland September in search of racing excellence–and they find it. Recent graduates like Mindframe, the top older horse in the U.S.; Ruling Court, winner of the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in England, and more Grade I winners than all North American auction houses combined are proof the next star can be purchased here.”

For the fifth consecutive year, Books 1 and 2 during the first four days of the September Sale have cataloged more than 1,000 yearlings judged to be the auction's finest individuals based on conformation and on such pedigree factors as family sales history, distaff pedigree and sire power. This placement enables major domestic and international buyers to inspect the largest number of exceptional horses possible before the “dark day” on Friday, Sept. 12 when no sale will be held.

The auction will resume Saturday, Sept. 13 and again follow its original 12-day schedule but will have a two-part Book 5. Horses in Book 5A will sell Wednesday, Sept. 17 and Thursday, Sept. 18. Yearlings in Book 5B will sell Friday, Sept. 19 and Saturday, Sept. 20.

“While this shift in terminology is subtle, we believe it more accurately reflects the quality of these sessions and drives the right buyer engagement–ensuring these yearlings receive the buyers and attention they deserve,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “Several encouraging developments have driven this decision: the strength of the individuals, the continued growth of the catalog and the evolving commercial breeding practices that continue to raise the overall standard on offer. This has resulted in a depth and consistency of quality across all 12 days of the sale unlike anything we've seen before.”

Strategic placement of all the yearlings throughout the catalog is intended to ensure visibility and to allow buyers to encounter diversity at every stage of the sale. In recent years, Keeneland has seen sustained interest from leading buyers all the way through the final day, a powerful indicator of the sale's strength.

“The September Sale continues to attract more buyers than any other yearling sale in the world, and we are committed to structuring the sale in a way that supports the success of our sellers across every level of the market,” Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said.

Below is the September Sale schedule in its entirety:

• Book 1–Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 8-9. Sessions begin at 1 p.m. ET. Monday's catalog has 180 horses. Tuesday's catalog has 181 horses.
• Book 2–Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 10-11. Sessions begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday's catalog has 392 horses. Thursday's catalog has 382 horses.
• Dark Day–Friday, Sept. 12. No sale will be conducted.
• Book 3–Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 13-14. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. Saturday's catalog has 424 horses. Sunday's catalog has 423 horses.
• Book 4–Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 15-16. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. Monday's catalog has 420 horses. Tuesday's catalog has 419 horses.
• Book 5A–Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 17-18. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday's catalog has 425 horses. Thursday's catalog has 426 horses.
• Book 5B–Friday-Saturday, Sept. 19-20. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. The catalog for each session has 507 horses.

Keeneland will livestream the entire September Sale at Keeneland.com. As always, online and phone bidding will be available.

Yearlings in the September Sale catalog–2,398 colts and 2,288 fillies–represent 189 established stallions and exciting young sires. Notably, more than 1,400 yearlings are by stallions with their initial sales yearlings, including Horse of the Year Flightline. He is the sire of 63 horses in the catalog.

“This year's catalog features nearly double the number of yearlings by first-crop sires compared to last year, including 11 stallions that stood for $25,000 or more,” Breathnach said. “This speaks to the exceptional depth of this year's sale and the level of quality that buyers can expect to find when they come to Keeneland in September.”

Additional sires represented by their first crops of September Sale yearlings include champions Corniche, Epicenter and Jackie's Warrior; GI Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun; GI Preakness winner Early Voting; GI Belmont winners Mo Donegal and Sir Winston; Breeders' Cup winners Aloha West, Golden Pal and Life Is Good; additional Grade/Group 1 winners Cyberknife, Drain the Clock, Happy Saver, Idol, Jack Christopher, Mystic Guide, Olympiad, Pinehurst and Speaker's Corner; and successful runners Greatest Honour, Highly Motivated, Nashville, Sacred Life (FR), Tale of Silence and Title Ready.

This group joins such popular sires as American Pharoah, Candy Ride (ARG), Charlatan, City of Light, Complexity, Constitution, Curlin, Essential Quality, Ghostzapper, Girvin, Good Magic, Gun Runner, Hard Spun, Into Mischief, Justify, Kingman (GB), Liam's Map, Maclean's Music, Maxfield, McKinzie, Medaglia d'Oro, Munnings, Night of Thunder (IRE), No Nay Never, Not This Time, Nyquist, Oscar Performance, Practical Joke, Quality Road, Speightstown, Street Sense, Tapit, Tiz the Law, Twirling Candy, Uncle Mo, Upstart, Vekoma, Violence, War Front, Wootton Bassett (GB) and Yaupon.

The post Keeneland Catalogs 4,686 Yearlings For 2025 September Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

With 13 fewer races days compared to the same month last year, July saw most of its economic indicators down month over month. Some of the biggest changes occurred in available purses (-4.96%) and U.S. starts (-6.35%) with only average wagering per race day seeing a positive trend (+2.25%). The numbers were much the same when compared year-to-date with wagering (-2.56%), paid purses (-3.65%), race days (-4.19%), total races (-4.39%) and starts (-3.53%) all down while field size (+0.89%), average wagering per race day (+1.70%) and average available purses per race day (+0.78%) all trending positively in 2025. Heat and wet weather have taken their toll on tracks along the East Coast with race days down to 370 in July 2025 from 383 a year ago (-3.39%).

The post Fewer Race Days In July Lead To Lower Economic Indicators appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Hip 102, a daughter of Flightline bred by Kathleen Burke Schweizer and Daniel Burke, sold for $625,000 Monday at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. Susie Raisher Photo.

By Alec DiConza

Four New York-breds sold during the opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of selected yearlings Monday.

Hip 102, a chestnut daughter of Flightline, headlined Monday’s New York-bred offerings when she sold for $625,000 to Chad Schumer, agent for KGS. The filly is out of the Grade 3-winning Bellamy Road mare Georgie’s Angel, which makes her a half-sister to two-time Grade 1 winner Cave Rock.

“She’s a lovely filly,” Schumer said about Hip 102. “She’s by an absolute superstar in Flightline. It’s rare that you see a group of yearlings by the same stallion, a new stallion, that you like them all. They’ve all been fantastic, so I really wanted to get one for the client. She’s a half to a Grade 1 winner, so she’s got tremendous residual. Really good breeders, she came from a great home. She’s just a lovely filly. Ticked all the boxes, as they say.”

Monday’s top New York-bred is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Cave Rock. Susie Raisher Photo.

Bred by Kathleen Burke Schweizer and Daniel Burke and foaled at Longford Farm in Elmira, the filly was consigned by Eaton Sales, agent. The filly’s high price generated a lot of excitement for Eaton Sales’ Pamela Rider.

“Her physique is beautiful, her temperament is even better and she’s got the pedigree to back it up, as well,” she said.

Schumer came into the sale equally impressed with Hip 102.

“Tremendous walk on her, full of class,” he said. “She’s just one of those horses when you look at her, you might not know her pedigree, but you’d know she’d be well bred.”

Schumer entered the Saratoga sale with plans to buy top-class yearlings, so he’s pleased to have bought a member of Flightline’s highly anticipated first crop.

“This is the best yearling sale in America,” he said. “It’s a flagship. If you want to race at the top, this is where you have to buy. So, here we are.”

Hip 46 sold for $500,000 to new owner Josh Isner’s Cha Cha Chestnuts. Agents Liz Crow and Brad Weisbord picked out the colt by Maclean’s Music.

“He looks like he has a lot of speed, and he’s a New York-bred, so we’re hoping to run him up here next summer at Saratoga,” Crow said. “We’re excited about him.”

Out of the Speightstown mare Bay Harbor, the colt was bred by Fred Hertrich III, John Fielding and Robert Tribbett and foaled at Sugar Maple Farm in Poughquag. He was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

Hip 46, a colt by Maclean’s Music bred by Fred Hertrich III, John Fielding and Robert Tribbett, sold for $500,000 Monday at the Saratoga sale. Susie Raisher Photo.

“We thought he would bring $400,000 to $500,000,” Hertrich said. “Liz Crow and Brad Weisbord bought him and they’re very astute horse people. We’ve had luck selling them horses, and they’ve had luck buying from us. We’re very happy. They’re good people and they’ll do a great job.”

Hip 82, daughter of Cyberknife and half-sister to recent Grade 1 Test Stakes competitor and graded stakes winner Cash Call, sold for $300,000 to Mike Ryan.

Bred by Jerry Bilinski and foaled at his Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, the filly was consigned by C & S Thoroughbreds after selling for $230,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale. She’s out of the winning D’wildcat mare D’Fashion.

“She’s a half-sister to two good fillies, one that’s current. Cash Call is a stakes winner this year,” Ryan said. “She’s the first crop of Cyberknife. She’s an outstanding physical. She’s got plenty of family on the female side, two half-sisters that are good stakes winners, so that always helps. She’s a New York-bred, but she looks like she’ll hold her own very well in open company. And the fact that she’s a New York-bred is just icing on the cake. She’s a quality filly. There’s a lot of nice horses here, but she was very high on my list.”

Hip 43, the first New York-bred to sell Monday, went for $190,000 to Robbie Medina, agent for Snake River Stables. The bay colt by Jack Christopher out of the stakes-winning Flatter mare Baby Nina was bred by Sunset Ridge Farm, foaled at River Valley Farm in Gansevoort and consigned by Ballysax Bloodstock, agent.

“I liked Jack Christopher a lot as a racehorse, and that horse looks pretty fast. I was kind of attracted to him, so I think he’s a good buy,” Medina said. “It’s uber competitive, especially tonight. Everything is at above premium price, so when you get something, you’re pretty happy.”

The sale continues with the second session at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The post New York-bred Flightline filly highlights Saratoga select sale opener appeared first on New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. News.

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale had its first million-dollar yearling when the two-day auction was just 13 hips old Monday evening and bidding stayed strong throughout the session, with the very last horse through the ring bringing $1 million. In all, nine yearlings reached seven figures Monday, led by a colt by Gun Runner, bred by Bobby Flay and consigned by Stone Farm, who sold for $2.7 million to Winchell Thoroughbreds. Twelve hit the million-dollar mark during the entire 2024 auction.

“It was a tremendous start to the 2025 Saratoga Yearling Sale tonight,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “There was competitive bidding literally from start to finish. There was tremendous activity across the board.”

During Monday's session, a total of 77 yearlings grossed $39,975,000 for an average of $519,156 and a median of $400,000. Those figures are similar to last year's opening session when 77 horses grossed $38,910,000 for an average of $505,325 and a median of $400,000.

The cumulative average at the 2024 auction was a sale record $533,506 and the cumulative median was a record $425,000.

From a catalogue of 109 head, 88 yearlings went through the ring Monday with 11 failing to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of just 12.5%.

“The most encouraging stat really to me at an uber-select sale, the buy-back rate was less than 15% tonight and I promise you there will be some of those horses that get sold tomorrow,” Browning said. “It's a tribute to our selection team who did a great job of identifying the horses that were going to be marketable. It's a tribute to our consignors and the owners of those horses who entrust us with some of their very best yearlings year in and year out. And it's a tribute to the buyers who consistently support this sale.”

Hip 37 prior to the Saratoga sale | Fasig-Tipton

Browning said the Fasig-Tipton staff had every indication that demand would be high even before the first yearling went through the ring Monday.

“One of the key indicators that we know, that nobody else really knows, is the repository activity,” Browning said. “We can compare the number of repository hits from year to year and this year, before the sale started tonight, we had exceeded the total number of repository hits that we had last year. And there will be a signifcant number of vettings that take place tomorrow because half the catalogue hasn't been sold yet.”

The second and final session of the Saratoga sale begins Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m.

Winchell Looking for Another Gun Runner

When Gun Runner retired to stud following a victory in the 2018 GI Pegasus World Cup, his connections could have hardly imagined that the chestnut would be able to surpass his racetrack accomplishments in the breeding shed. With six Grade Is and a staggering $15 million under his belt, the son of Candy Ride (Arg) retired to Three Chimneys with a tremendous amount of expectation on his broad shoulders.

Fast forward to 2025, a son by the 2017 Horse of the Year led the proceedings with a session-topping $2.7 million on Day 1 of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

Hip 37 c. GUN RUNNER o/o America sells for $2,700,000 at The Saratoga Sale! Congrats to the connections:

B: Winchell Thoroughbreds
C: @stonefarmky
Br: B. Flay Thoroughbreds#FasigSaratoga @Three_Chimneys @bflay pic.twitter.com/HvrAScncqM

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) August 5, 2025

Offered as Hip 37 from the Stone Farm consignment, the bay colt caught the eye of the same team that was instrumental in the racetrack success of his sire, Ron Winchell and trainer Steve Asmussen.

What was it that drew the team to the colt?

“The sire,” said Asmussen succinctly. “That is exactly who we thought we saw when we looked at him.”

“You don't try to make sense out of it, you just try to acquire what you like most.”

Winchell, who signed the ticket on Monday's session topper, added, “There are 10 or 12 in the catalogue, and we are pretty sure one of them will be a Grade I winner. We like to stick with what we know.”

The Apr. 12 foal is out of GSW and GISP America (A.P. Indy), who won over $500,000 on the racetrack. As a broodmare, the mare produced dual graded stakes winner and 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin). She hails from the extended family of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Blush With Pride.

“She gives a really athletic-looking yearling,” said Lynn Hancock, Stone Farm's Director of Racing and Sales. “The mare has been a real producer both at the track and at the sale.”

Regarding Monday's topper, she said, “This colt came up here and never stopped showing himself. He's been super straight forward since the day he was born. He has a huge walk on him and he's so well bred.”

America has been heaping the rewards on celebrity chef Bobby Flay, who also bred the daughter of Lacadena (Fasliyev {Ire}). Flay purchased Lacadena in 2005 for $290,000 at the Keeneland November Sale.

“[The mare] has been unreal,” said Flay. “I would say the day that I got her named America was an accomplishment in itself. People always ask how I got that name and I say I don't know. It was three in the morning and I just tried. And it was one of those things. She's been very special. Her family is one of the best in the stud book. And I would say at some point, the good blood really shows up and she's proven that.”

“I've had so much luck at The Saratoga Sale with her babies.”

Hear from @bflay, breeder of Hip 37, on his Gun Runner colt out of America bringing $2,700,000 at #FasigSaratoga! pic.twitter.com/14VhVGnatN

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) August 5, 2025

Asked about what made the colt so special, Flay added, “He was very popular over the last few days, so we knew there were a chance that he would bring some money. Great pedigree, great family, all those things. But you never know until they go in the ring. As they say, you just need a couple of people who want him. And that's basically what happened tonight. It was a very special night for me. You can never expect something like that to happen.”-CBoss

 'The Price You've Got to Pay:' $1.6-Million Good Magic Colt to Hoolie Racing

Andrew Hudson, bidding on behalf of his family's Hoolie Racing Stable, admitted the operation was making its biggest purchase–by far–when accepting the $1.6-million to acquire a colt by Good Magic (hip 36) from the Warrendale Sales consignment.

“Yeah. It's the highest by about two times,” Hudson, who was flanked by the Legion Bloodstock team, said when asked about the price. “We started buying horses here 10 years ago, and the first horse I bought up here was $100,000. But they don't make those any more.”

 

Hip 36 c. GOOD MAGIC o/o Alpha Zulu sells for $1,600,000 at The Saratoga Sale! Congrats to the connections:

B: @LegionBldstk, agt for Hoolie Racing
C: @WarrendaleSales, agt
Br: Mesingw Farm#FasigSaratoga @HillnDaleFarm pic.twitter.com/hL9hkhYJUV

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) August 5, 2025

The dark bay colt is the first foal out of Alpha Zulu (Shanghai Bobby), a half-sister to graded winner Recapturetheglory (Cherokee Run). He was bred by Mesingw Farm.

“We thought he was the best-looking colt here,” Hudson said. “You always take a risk at this price range, but that was the colt we wanted to get. Just like everybody else, we are trying to get a nice two-turn colt. We want to go to the Breeders' Cup. We want to go to the Kentucky Derby. That's the price you've got to pay now.”

Hoolie Racing, which campaigned graded winner Dream It Is (Shackleford), came back later in Monday's session to purchase a colt by Omaha Beach (hip 71) for $425,000 from the Mulholland Springs consignment. @JessMartiniTDN

Qatar Racing Reinvests in Family of Caravel

Sheikh Fahad of Qatar Racing went to $1.4 million to acquire a colt by Justify (hip 29) from the Hunter Valley Farm consignment early in Monday's first session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. Out of Zeezee Zoomzoom (Congrats), the colt is a half-brother to Caravel (Mizzen Mast), who won the 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint for a partnership that included Qatar Racing.

“I've known him since he was a foal and he was the one we wanted,” Sheikh Fahad said after signing the ticket on the bay colt. “I am very, very happy to get him.”

Hip 29 c. JUSTIFY o/o Zeezee Zoomzoom sells for $1,400,000 at The Saratoga Sale! Colt is 1/2 to @BreedersCup champion Caravel. Congrats to the connections:

B: @Qatar_Racing
C: @HunterValleyKY, agt
Br: Elizabeth M. Merryman #FasigSaratoga @coolmoreamerica @PA_HBPA #PAbred pic.twitter.com/qKuB22avBC

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) August 4, 2025

Of plans for the yearling, Sheikh Fahad added, “He will go back to Hunter Valley now and will most likely go to [trainer] Brad Cox. He knows the family well, too.”

Cox trained Caravel after the partnership of Qatar Racing, Madaket Stables and Marc Detampel purchased her for $500,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November sale. She was acquired privately by John Stewart's Resolute Racing after RNA'ing for $2.4 million at the 2023 Keeneland November sale.

Sheikh Fahad was already looking forward to the yearling colt's post-racing career.

“He reminds me a lot of Justify and we've done well with Justify,” he said. “We had [2024 GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes runner-up] Just a Touch. Hopefully, he is our stallion.”

“We had to dig a bit deeper than we thought, but he's worth it.”

Hear more about the purchase of Hip 29, a half-brother to G1 winner Caravel, for $1,400,000 at #FasigSaratoga. @Qatar_Racing pic.twitter.com/4ZDLFtQNqW

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) August 5, 2025

Hunter Valley consigned the yearling on behalf of breeder Elizabeth Merryman, who also bred Caravel.

“Any time you get that sort of price for a horse, you have to be thrilled,” said Hunter Valley's Adrian Regan. “Elizabeth Merryman did a fantastic job with this horse. We only got him 90 days ago. He behaved himself at home like he did here. Champion stock. We are delighted.”

Of the yearling, Regan said, “His temperament was unbelievable. Any time somebody came by to see him, he marched out every time. He made it look good.

“We are thrilled Prince Fahd can get his hands on this horse with the success he's had [with Caravel]. He's as good as anything we've ever had.” @JessMartiniTDN

Kjell Andersen Makes a Splash with First-Ever Thoroughbred Purchase

Kjell Andersen may be a new face on the Thoroughbred scene, but he certainly knows horses. A Switzerland resident, Andersen has made a significant investment in harness racing for over 25 years, however, Thoroughbreds hadn't been part of his equine portfolio. That is, until he was introduced to the Sport of Kings through the Netflix show 'Race for the Crown.'

With his principal business interests in shipping, Andersen reached out to trainer Kenny McPeek, who was featured on the Netflix show, with a desire to dip his toe into the world of Thoroughbreds. After a brief introductory period to the industry, Andersen, who was accompanied by his two young sons at the Saratoga Sale Monday, jumped in with both feet, extending to $1.4 million for Hip 66, a colt by Not This Time.

Hip 66 c. NOT THIS TIME o/o Classic Strike sells for $1,400,000 at The Saratoga Sale! Colt is 1/2 to G1 winner Union Strike. Congrats to the connections:

B: Kjell Andersen
C: @TaylorMadeSales, agt
Br: @ClearskyFarm & @Three_Chimneys #FasigSaratoga @TMStallions pic.twitter.com/TOa38MxXKr

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) August 5, 2025

“I thought this colt was an exceptional individual,” said McPeek. “This colt really stood out to me today. We thought it was a horse that could win at any level, and [Andersen] wants to win at a high level, so we thought this one could do it.”

Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, the Apr. 11 foal is out of Classic Strike (Smart Strike), the dam of GI Del Mar Debutante winner Union Strike (Union Rags), who sold for $1.65 million at Keeneland November in 2018. Classic Strike is also responsible for MGSW Handsome Mike (Scat Daddy) and SW Pretty Lady (Scat Daddy).

The Kentucky-bred colt was bred by Clearsky Farms and Three Chimneys Farm.

“We have harness horses in Lexington, Kentucky and [McPeek] is down there too, and it seemed a good fit for me,” said Andersen, whose Maximus Mearas S finished seventh in the Hambletonian at The Meadowlands last weekend. “I look forward to being part of this as well.”-CBoss

Fast Start for Castleton Way Partnership is Nothing But Net

The Castleton Way pinhooking partnership founded by Marshall Taylor began its fourth year of selling with a home run Monday in Saratoga, selling a colt by Constitution (hip 72) for $525,000 to MyRacehorse and Wesley Ward/Louis DuBois, agent. The colt, who was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, was acquired by Castleton Way for $250,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“He's by Constitution and I knew he had Mindframe who was going to have a big year this year,” Taylor said of the colt's appeal last fall. “And he had a really good physical. He had a great neck and shoulder and a really good hip from the sire. And I really liked the family. It's a really deep family. Arch is down there in the family, it's a stallion pedigree.”

The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale | Fasig-Tipton

Bred by LNJ Foxwoods and Helen Alexander, the yearling is the first foal out of the unraced Confetti (Mendelssohn). The colt's third dam, Antics (Unbridled), produced LNJ Foxwoods' champion Covfefe (Into Mischief).

“He's just gone the right way,” Taylor said of the chestnut. “He vetted well when we bought him. He had the look when we bought him. He just developed the way we hoped he would.”

Of Monday's result, Taylor said, “Coming into the sale, I thought he would bring $350,000 to $500,000, so I was very happy with what we got.”

Hip 72 was the first of five yearlings in the Castleton Way package this year.

“This is the fourth year,” Taylor said of the partnership. “The first year, we had a great year. And just like anything, you have a hiccup, and not everything goes the right way. But I have great partners who have been very loyal and great supporters. I am really grateful to them. Without them, we couldn't do this.”

Later in the evening, Castleton Way sold a colt by Vekoma (hip 96) for $300,000 to Spendthrift Farm. The yearling had been acquired for $150,000 at the Keeneland January sale.

“We've got to keep it going,” Taylor said, adding the group has three yearlings scheduled to sell at Keeneland in September. @JessMartiniTDN

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