'It's exceptional' - Buyers on the search for another Flightline at blockbuster Saratoga Sale

Buyers at this year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale will be doing well to find a yearling anywhere near as successful as Flightline, who took 2022 by storm having sold in upstate New York for $1 million to West Point Thoroughbreds in 2019. 

The son of Tapit would go on to earn $4.5m on the track in an unbeaten six-race career that ended with a Frankel-equalling official rating of 140, and became surely the most valuable racehorse ever retired to stud, with the 2.5 per cent share in him that sold at Keeneland last November for $4.6m effectively valuing him in the region of $184m.

Flightline is the sale poster boy to top them all, though this auction - taking place in the Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs on Monday and Tuesday - is no one-trick pony, with a number of other graduates going on to top-level success as well. 

They include this year's Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure, a $500,000 purchase by SF, Starlight and Madaket from Bridie Harrison in 2021, and last year's Champagne Stakes winner and Preakness runner-up Blazing Sevens, plus Shoemaker Mile Stakes winner Exaulted.

One of what will be many highlight of this year's sale is Eaton Sales' Quality Road brother to Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Caledonia Road (hip 23), with the pedigree receiving another boost with the closely related Crimson Advocate's Queen Mary success at Royal Ascot in June. 

Caledonia Road: Breeders' Cup winner's brother sells as hip 23 at SaratogaCredit: Edward Whitaker

Others who catch the eye include Taylor Made Sales' More Than Ready filly out of a half-sister to Travers Stakes and Belmont Derby winner Catholic Boy (39); Taylor Made Sales' Into Mischief colt out of Spinaway Stakes winner Rachel’s Valentina, a daughter of the great Rachel Alexandra (135); and Summerfield's colt by Claiborne's exciting War Of Will, a half-brother to Gun Runner's Grade 2 winner and Breeders' Cup Juvenile second Pappacap (124).

Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning said: "This year’s Saratoga catalogue is exceptional. Our numbers have increased by ten per cent over last year, and the quality of sire power, pedigrees and physicals are at the top of this year’s yearling crop.

“No yearling sale in the country offers a higher concentration of quality, and the success of our graduates validates that. Saratoga has produced many of the best horses we have seen in our lifetimes.”

A share in Taylor Made Farm's leading young sire Not This Time will also be offered on Tuesday. Online bidding and phone bidding on the share will be available. 

The flourishing son of Giant's Causeway has sired five Grade 1 winners from 11 Graded scorers to date, including last year's Travers Stakes hero Epicenter, 2023 Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Sibelius, and Up To The Mark, who won the Manhattan Stakes in June.

Browning added: "Not This Time is off to a remarkable start at stud and, at just nine years old, he has a very exciting future ahead of him."

The sale starts on Monday at 6.30pm local time (11.30pm BST). 

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