Fasig-Tipton will introduce a new format, date, and restored name for the annual fall yearling sale in Timonium, Maryland for 2026, the auction house announced Monday. Previously known as the Timonium Yearling Sale, the auction will once again be known as the Eastern Fall Yearling Sale, reflecting the deep roots and enduring importance to breeders, owners, and trainers in the region. Major regional developments--the new racetrack construction at Pimlico and Belmont Park--marked a beginning to a new era for the Midlantic and Northeast racing circuits, and spurred changes which include...
Trainer Bob Baffert had a two-strong chance to earn a record-extending 10th win in Saturday's GII San Felipe Stakes. His best shot looked to be with the 4-5 favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Brant (Gun Runner) who was making his first start back since running third to Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar last November. But it was his other runner, 8-1 shot and $2.4-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale graduate Potente (Into Mischief) who secured the win and 50 Kentucky Derby points for the...
I have been reading the opinions of many respected people who have invested greatly in the racing industry and have been involved in it for decades. Many of their observations about the state of the sport and the organizations that are supposed to lead it are correct. I would like to share what I have discovered over the past few years. I have been involved in breeding and racing Thoroughbreds for more than 40 years, and I care deeply about the future of this industry. Like many others, I have...
By any measure, Steve and Denise Smith's Mesingw Farm, which celebrated just its fifth anniversary in December, had a banner year in 2025. From the sales ring, where the operation sold its first seven-figure yearling, to the racetrack where it had a graded-stakes placed juvenile at Saratoga in August and a Breeders' Cup starter in November, Mesingw was hitting on all cylinders. The momentum has carried into the new year with the Mesingw-bred Explora (Blame) a leading choice for the GI Kentucky Oaks following her win in the GIII Honeybee...
Growing up, Rebecca Thompson West found herself fully immersed in the agriculture industry, from taking care of her mother's retired show horses to later joining the Future Farmers of America (FFA). Through these experiences, she developed an appreciation for working hands-on and developed a skillset that would serve her long-term. However, when it came time for West to head off to college, she felt an opportunity had revealed itself to break the mold from a life she'd always known and branch out on a new path. Attending West Virginia University...
Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 209 selected yearlings--a 27% increase from last year--for its 2015 Saratoga Sale, which will be held Monday, Aug. 10 and Tuesday, Aug. 11. The auction will be held at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, NY with sessions beginning at 7:00 p.m. "Coming off a vibrant sale in 2014, as well as another strong class of sale graduates, our consignors have responded by supporting this year’s sale with increased numbers and quality," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "Prospective buyers will find an outstanding group of...