Tuesday evening’s second session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling auction delivered a stunning round of results. Fueled by strong demand and top-tier pedigrees, the two-night event set new records for gross, average, and median prices. Most notably, overall sales climbed past $100 million for the first time in the auction’s history, marking a major milestone. And the highlight of the night was Hip 218.

He is a bay colt by top sire Into Mischief and Tapit mare Stellar Sound. Hip 218 has been sold for a staggering $4.1 million. The winning bid came from the powerhouse duo of Coolmore and White Birch Farm. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa and bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation, the colt is the first foal of Stellar Sound, a multiple stakes winner who also hit the board in three graded stakes, including a runner-up finish in a Grade II. After the $4.1 million sale, the media encircled the protagonist of the story- Haras Don Alberto, breeder of Journalism. 

While revealing the reason behind the massive deal, the experienced breeder said, “The horse came out here, and he’s just gotten better every day. He’s got a hell of a motor.” He also added, “For sure. He just, for a big horse, he just moves so easily, and everything’s come easy to him. Just put his head down, and just a big, gorgeous son of Into mischief, best sire in the world, year after year. So for this to happen, I mean, it’s just past our wildest dreams, for sure, but I’m just so happy for, again, Carlos and Miss Lily. They pour so much money into the mares. They build a great infrastructure and foundation, and we’ve been able to come up here and compete.”

The colt comes from an exceptional female family. His lineage traces back to standouts like the Versailles Treaty (by Danzig), George Vancouver (by Henrythenavigator). And also General Assembly (by Secretariat) with Boisterous (by Distorted Humor). That kind of pedigree doesn’t go unnoticed.

His final price made headlines, after which he became the third-most expensive yearling ever sold at this sale, and the most costly since back in 2000. Actually, this year has been record-breaking for the Saratoga sale.

The Saratoga sale reaches new heights in comparison to last year

It was a wild night at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton’s top-tier yearling auction, where the million-dollar bids were flying and the champagne was popping. The whole place had an electric vibe as big-name buyers went head-to-head for some of the best-bred horses out there. By the time the dust settled, more than $100 million had been spent and nine yearlings had been sold for seven figures. Let’s just say Fasig-Tipton might need to order more champagne, as it was a big achievement for the Saratoga sale.

Fasig-Tipton is definitely celebrating after an incredible couple of nights at their elite yearling sale in Saratoga Springs. The event was happening in New York for two days, that is, on August 4th and 5th. The auction saw a total of 25 young yearlings sell for $1 million or more. What’s even more impressive is that 16 of those million-dollar horses were sold just on Tuesday night alone, per a report by Blood Horse.

To put that into perspective, last year’s sale was already considered record-breaking. And even then, only 12 horses reached the million-dollar mark over both days combined. Not only did this year’s sales top that, but it also doubled the number of high-priced horses. It’s safe to say Fasig-Tipton is riding high on success. Over the two-night event, 160 yearlings were sold, bringing in a jaw-dropping total of $100,715,000. That’s a 23% jump from last year’s gross sales, which is no small feat. 

But the excitement doesn’t stop there. The average price per horse also saw a big boost, climbing 18% to an impressive $629,469. Even the median price, a good indicator of overall market strength, went up, rising 5.9% to $450,000. That shows the demand wasn’t just for the top-tier horses; there was strong interest across the board. All in all, it was a pennant year for Fasig-Tipton and a clear sign that buyers were ready to spend big for the best bloodlines. Fasig-Tipton president and CEO Boyd Browning Jr. later reacted, “We’re all out of champagne.”