What Was Good About Saratoga

People often complain that journalists only want to write about negative things. But in this post, the focus is on the positive, in particular what was good about the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling auction.

• 1. The sale confirmed that even with a sagging American economy there is still demand for quality horses, something the that also was demonstrated during the Fasig-Tipton July select yearling auction where the pedigrees weren't quite so fancy. The average price at Saratoga increased slightly from 2007 while the median price remained the same.
• 2. The bad feelings between Coolmore Stud and Sheikh Mohammed, who seem to be avoiding buying horses by each other's sires, won't affect where they choose to shop even though a company headed by an associate of Dubai's ruler purchased Fasig-Tipton earlier this year. Michael Vincent Magnier, representing Coolmore, signed the sale ticket for the Saratoga sale topper, a $2-million Storm Cat colt. Sheikh Mohammed's bloodstock manager, John Ferguson, told The Blood-Horse that he will be buying at the Keeneland September yearling sale and that the Darley operation is selling all of its yearlings through Keeneland this year.
• 3. Storm Cat rose back to the top after the market's enthusiasm for his offspring seemed to wane last year. He is the sire of the most expensive colt and the most expensive filly sold at Saratoga. The colt sparked duel between Coolmore and Ferguson while also attracting bids from WinStar Farm, which co-bred the yearling.