Nyquist Colt Tops Opening Session of The 105th Saratoga Sale

The 105th edition of The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's flagship selected yearling auction, got off to a rousing start on Monday night at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, New York. Powered by 15 yearlings sold for seven figures, surpassing the opening session record of nine to reach that threshold last year, the evening posted results that are this point are trending far above the 2025 edition of the sale, which ultimately finished with record figures. 

"Tremendous start to the 105th Saratoga Yearling Sale tonight," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said. "Literally from beginning to end, the energy was palpable. The bidding activity was very, very, very, strong. Tremendous session. We were optimistic when we put together the Saratoga catalog. We were more optimistic than when the horses unloaded off the vans and we saw them on the sales grounds. We got even more optimistic as we saw the level of activity on the sales grounds with people looking, got even more optimistic ... in terms of repository activity. But despite our optimism, it exceeded our expectations."

A $3,200,000 colt by Nyquist (hip 83) topped the session when purchased by Randy and Jenny Boyd's Boyd Racing, with Brittany Linton acting as agent (video). The Boyds are relatively new players to the high end of the sport, making a splashy debut at the 2025 Saratoga Sale. From just a few horses in their stable at this time a year ago, they have now grown to be major players at auction, and this year bought in to multiple Grade 1 winner Splendora, a Fasig-Tipton graduate, and are enjoying the ride.

"We're enjoying every minute of it," Jenny Boyd said. "It's exciting. You don't know what's going to happen around the corner. ... This is a magnificent colt. We love him,"

This bay Nyquist colt keyed a massive sale for his sire, his consignor, and his breeder. Nyquist, the 2015 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and Eclipse Award divisional champion who went on to win the 2016 Kentucky Derby, sired a trio of seven figure yearlings on the night. This Kentucky-bred colt was consigned by Gainesway, which sent out a pair of seven figure horses, as agent for breeder Stonestreet Farm. Stonestreet, which spreads its select offerings among several consignors, under the brand Stonestreet Bred & Raised, bred three seven figure yearlings on the night.

This colt is the first foal out of the Marking mare Slammed, a remarkable New Mexico-bred who won nine of her 13 career, starts, including a 6 1/2 length romp in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes in 2022. She, in turn, is out of stakes winner Hennesy Smash, also dam of stakes winners Smash It, Smash Ticket, and Roll On Diabolical. Stonestreet purchased Slammed, carrying this colt, for $1,100,000 at Fasig-Tipton's November Sale in 2024.

"He's worth every penny of it, and we're excited to see him on the track next year," Randy Boyd said.

Three additional horses surpassed the $2,000,000 threshold to help the sale get off to a strong start. A pair tied for the second highest price of the evening at $2,300,000 - a chestnut Gun Runner colt (hip 78), with trainer Wesley Ward signing the ticket, and a gray Into Mischief colt (hip 91) purchased by Flying Dutchmen. 

Ward says he has increased his presence at the upper end of the yearling marketplace in hopes of targeting the American classics in the coming years. His high ticket colt was consigned by Taylor Made Sales, as agent, for Three Chimneys Farm, which bred the chestnut colt in Kentucky, and which stands Horse of the Year and perennial leading sire Gun Runner - a stallion who rang the bell with four seven figure lots on Monday night.

"He's some horse," Ward said of his purchase, who will race for a partnership. "I go out every year [to Three Chimneys] and look at all of his yearlings in the sales, and this one stood out. ... We're really excited to get a colt like this. Everything that I like in a racehorse, he had."

The colt is out of 2015 Kentucky Oaks runner-up Shook Up. The Tapit mare is the dam of Texas Derby winner King Ottoman, who is also multiple Grade 3 placed. Shook Up is out of the Grade 1 winner Sugar Shake.

Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa acted as agent for breeder Don Alberto on the Into Mischief colt; the two farms teamed for additional success on the evening. Into Mischief is the nation's seven-time reigning leading sire, and is represented on the track this year by the likes of reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty, who flaunted his form with a victory in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes last Saturday down the block at Saratoga Race Course. This colt is the second foal out of the multiple graded stakes placed Tapit mare Stellar Sound. That broodmare's granddam is multiple Grade 1 winner and successful mare Versailles Treaty.

Early in the sale, bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, bidding for Zedan Racing, stretched to $2,000,000 to acquire a bay colt by two-time Horse of the Year and prominent classic sire Curlin, who completed a personal Triple Crown by siring this year's Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo. The colt (hip 19) was bred in Kentucky by the Curlin Syndicate and Don Alberto Corporation, which bred his dam, Merlazza. He was also consigned as agent by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, which stands his sire.

"He did great today," Hill 'n' Dale's Director of Bloodstock Jes Sikura said, while acknowledging the successful partnership with Don Alberto. "We had high hopes, and he had shown so well throughout the last few days, so we were coming up here excited. .... We're thrilled that such a result came up for great partners in Don Alberto who entrusted us with him. We're over the moon excited."

This is the first foal out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Merlazza, who won the Valley Of The Vapors Stakes. Merlazza is out of stakes placed Mi Vida, the dam of Grade 3 placed Gold Standard amd tj second dam of Grade 3 winner Where's My Ring. It is the family of Grade 1 winners Dream Supreme and Majestic Warrior.

Mitsu Nakauchida went to $1,900,000 for a gray filly by Not This Time (hip 100), a breakout young sire who is dueling Into Mischief atop the North American sires earnings list at this point of the season. The filly, consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, was bred in the name of Albaugh Grands Stables. Albaugh Family Stables raced both her sire and his dam, the Grade 3 winning Uncle Mo mare Girl Daddy. She is the dam of multiple graded stakes winner On Time Girl, a full sister to this yearling.

The final horse through the ring, a chestnut Gun Runner colt (hip 113), was also purchased for $1,900,000 by M.V. Magnier of the international Coolmore group and frequent partner White Birch Farm. The colt is out of the stakes winning Roaring Fever mare Toni Tools, dam of Grade 1 winner Candied - by Gun Runner's sire Candy Ride. He was consigned by Blake-Albina  Thoroughbred Services, as agent for Newtown Anner Stud.

A bay colt (hip 54) from the final crop of the late classic sire Uncle Mo and from the immediate family of Hall of Fame racemare Rachel Alexandra sold for $1,500,000 to B-4 Farms LLC. Taylor Made Sales Agency consigned as agent for breeder Stonestreet, which campaigned both this colt's dam, the Bernardini mare Rachel's Valentina, and second dam, 200 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra. Rachel's Valentina won the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes as a 2-year-old and was Grade 1 placed the following season. She is the dam of two winners, including stakes placed Valentinian.

Later in the evening, the Stonestreet program achieved another $1,500,000 sale, as a Quality Road filly (hip104) was purchased by Boyd Racing, with Linton again acting as agent. The bay filly, consigned by Denali Stud as agent, is the second foal out of Grade 3 winner and Grade 1 placed Talk Veuve to Me, by Violence. Talk Veuve to Me is a half-sister to stakes placed Tiffany Case, dam of Eclipse Award champion Nitrogen, who finished a gallant second to Sovereignty when facing males in the Whitney on Saturday.

A Nyquist filly (hip 49) was a $1,375,000 purchase by Dan Hayden, as agent for Blue Devil Racing, from the consignment of Paramount Sales as agent.  The bay filly, bred in Kentucky by Keff Kerber and Jeff Prunzik, is out of the winning Bernardini mare Pray for Leslie. She is a productive broodmare, as her three starters are Grade 2 winner Praying, Grade 1 placed Alys Beach, and Grade 3 placed Spa Prospector.

RTM Racing made several purchases late in the evening, including going to $1,150,000 for a chestnut Gun Runner filly (hip 108). Consigned by Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services, as agent for Willow Oaks Stable LLC, she is out of the Grade 3 placed Tapit mare Tapit's World, making her a full sister to multiple graded stakes winner Il Miracolo.

Legion Bloodstock/Gracie Bloodstock, as agent, went to $1,075,000 for a filly (hip 40) by Candy Ride, a successful veteran sire who is the sire of Gun Runner, among other champions. The filly was consigned by Scott Mallory, as agent for Determined Stud, which bred the filly in Kentucky under its 2500 Determined Holdings banner. She is the second foal out of the Street Sense mare Off Topic, who is multiple graded stakes placed, including a third in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks. This is the immediate family of Sovereign Award Canadian champion Winterberry, and Off Topic's fourth dam is the undefeated Eclipse Award champion and influential broodmare Personal Ensign.

A chestnut Gun Runner filly (hip 111) was purchased for $1,050,000 by RTM Racing from the consignment of Darby Dan Farm, as agent. She was bred by the Darby Dan-affiliated Phillips Racing Partnership, in partnership with Gun Runner's home, Three Chimneys. She is out of the Grade 1 winning Tapit mare Time and Motion, who is from the outstanding extended family of Grade 1 winner Memories of Silver and others.

Three additional yearlings sold for $1,000,000 each:

--A bay colt from the second crop of Life Is Good (hip 70) sold to Mitsu Nakauchida from the consignment of Taylor Made. Bred in Kentucky by Mt. Joy Stables Inc., the colt is out of the Speightstown mare Seabrook, who is from the family of Eclipse Award champion Midshipman and multiple Grade 1 winner Frosted.

--A Nyquist colt (hip 75) continued the big night for his sire when purchased by Resolute Bloodstock. The bay colt is out of the Bernardini mare Me and Mine, dam of stakes placed Golden Gamble. It is the extended family of 1996 Belmont Stakes winner Editor's Note and of Grade 1 winner and successful sire Hennessy. The colt, bred in Kentucky by Capri Bloodstock and Luneack Bloodstock, was consigned by Eaton Sales, as agent.

--A Tiz the Law colt (hip 101) was purchased by the MyRacehorse group from the consignment of Gainesway. The consignor was acting as agent for breeder Turner Breeders with this chestnut colt, a May foal. He is out of the winning Candy Ride mare Sweetbaby, makin him a full sister to multiple graded stakes winner Fully Subscribed. His second dam is Grade 1 winner Rutherienne.

Over the course of the first session, 79 yearlings sold for gross receipts of $54,395,000, compared to 77 sold for $39,975,000 in the corresponding opening session of the 2025 Saratoga Sale. Monday night's average price was $688,544, a 32.6% leap compared to $519,156 last year. The median spiked 25%, to $500,000 for the session compared to $400,000. The buyback rate for the session came in at a solid 18.5%.

"I often say after the first night, you know, we don't make any bold proclamations," Browning said of pacing above the records, but added, "We played a hell of a first half."

Complete sale results are available online. The Saratoga Sale continues Tuesday at 6:30 PM with the second and final session.