FIGURES UP AS F-T NEW YORK CONCLUDES

A busy week of selling at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion concluded Sunday night with the second session of the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale. At the close of business, 176 yearlings grossed $14,099,000. A year ago, 196 head sold for $14,206,000. The average of $80,108 was up 10.6% from a year ago, while the median rose 18.2% to $65,000. 
For the second time in three years, Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm purchased the sale’s top-priced lot, going to $270,000 for a filly by Lookin at Lucky. 
“We saw a marketplace tonight which was very similar to last night,” commented Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “For the most part, it was similar to what we expected, given the trends that we had seen in July and the select sale. There was good demand for quality horses. There was a diverse group of buyers–there wasn’t one group or two groups that have been dominant or controlling of the market in any of the sales to date. Overall, it was a pretty healthy marketplace.” 
With 96 yearlings reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 35.3%. It was 25.5% last year. 
“The RNA rate was a little higher than last year, although I think that if you’d been in the office today, it was somewhat of a zoo with the number of private sales that were getting done from last night and I suspect we’ll see more of the same tomorrow. I think consignors might be willing to be a little more aggressive in this marketplace because a lot of them are breeders and a lot of them have some opportunities to race their horse in New York rather than have their horse go outside the state because of the breeders’ awards–which just makes sense. It’s a reality of the New York-bred program.” 
Browning continued, “I think [the market] might have been a little softer on the less quality horses here this year and that might be the result of, as we move the bar higher, the people who used to come here to shop with $20,000 or $25,000 and had a chance to buy what they thought was a quality horse–as the median has moved up there are probably fewer buyers here at this sale at the bottom end than there would have been two or three years ago. You wish you could have it all the way through, but it’s an expensive place to be in August if you are on a budget and looking for a bargain.” 
During the two-day sale, there were 51 yearlings who sold for $100,000 or over and eight sold for $200,000 or over. A year ago, 43 horses sold for $100,000 with 11 breaking the $200,000 threshold and a top price of $430,000. 
“We’ve been through three sales in 2014 and I think the overall response is that we are encouraged by the yearling market,” Brown said. “It’s fairly similar to last year–with a little more demand at the upper end.” 
Lookin at Lucky Filly to Mandy Pope 
Mandy Pope was forced to $270,000 to secure a filly by champion Lookin at Lucky during Sunday’s second session of the Fasig-Tipton New York sale in Saratoga. The filly (hip 436) is out of Rose Rhapsody (Pleasant Colony), a half-sister to Rhumb Line (Mr. Greeley), the dam of multiple Grade I winner Zazu (Tapit) and graded stakes winner Flashback (Tapit). Bred by Hidden Lake Farm and Ashford Stud, the yearling was consigned by Rhapsody Farm LLC/HIdden Lake Farm LLC, agent. 
Pope is already very familiar with the yearling’s family. She purchased Rhumb Line for $2 million out of the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale. 
“She was a very lovely filly, well balanced with a good mind on her,” Pope explained. “And of course, I bought Rhumb Line, so I’m trying to take care of the family a little bit.” 
Pope admitted the yearling’s final price was higher than expected.
“I was surprised it went that high,” she said. “I don’t know who the underbidder was, but he was about as determined as I was. I guess that’s what makes an auction.” 
Pope, who purchased a $330,000 sale-topping son of Tapit at this auction in 2012, admitted she was happy to be part of the New York program. 
“I have several New York-breds that I’ve bought out of this sale that are four and five now and we’ve enjoyed being a part of the program,” she confirmed. 
Also Sunday, Pope purchased a son of Discreet Cat (hip 368) for $90,000. 
Rhumb Line produced a colt by Tapit this spring and is back in foal to the Gainesway stallion. 
Super Result for Baccari 
The Super Savers aren’t just doing well on the racetrack in Saratoga, they were pretty popular across the street in the sales ring at Fasig-Tipton, too. Hubert Guy, who purchased Saturday’s session-topping daughter of Tizway for $250,000, went to $230,000 to secure a colt by the 2010 GI Kentucky Derby winner Sunday night. 
“He bought a nice filly last night and we wanted to buy a nice filly and a nice colt,” explained Frankie O’Connor, who handled bidding duties for Guy, who left for France Sunday afternoon. 
O’Connor said the rich New York racing program was only part of the appeal of the two purchases. 
“Obviously, it’s a big bonus with the pots these horses are running for, but we just try to buy nice 
horses,” he said. “And there are good horses here, so you have to shop the sale.” 
By Super Saver, hip 500 is out of That’s Ok (Not for Love), a full-sister to Grade I placed Forever Partners. The yearling was consigned to the sale by Chris Baccari’s Baccari Bloodstock. Baccari purchased the dark bay for $50,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton November Mixed sale. 
“He just had a big two-turn look about him, he looked like a really good dirt horse,” Baccari recalled of the youngster. “And I am just high on Super Saver–I really like the female pedigree of him and I remember what a really good 2-year-old he really was.” 
“It made me look a little smarter,” Baccari smiled when asked about the heady run Super Saver has been on lately. 
“I was feeling very optimistic going into the sale with him because I knew the stallion was really coming around and he kept coming around himself,” he added. “He just matured a lot. He is one of those that went the right.” 
Baccari was satisfied by the colt’s final price. 
“I thought it was pretty close to what we expected,” he commented. “I thought, as good as the stallion was doing, he could have brought more, but I’m here to sell horses and that’s what we did.” 
This is the first time Baccari Bloodstock has had a consignment at the New York sale. 
“It’s a different venue for me to sell at,” Baccari said of the decision to make his New York debut this year. “We are racing here now, so I thought it would be the thing to do.” 
Three yearlings by Super Saver sold during the New York-bred sale. In addition to hip 500, hip 428 sold for $190,000 to Nick de Meric; and hip 499 sold for $180,000 to Maverick Racing.