'He's a spectacular colt' - Amo Racing goes to $1.1 million for Quality Road yearling at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale

Agents Alex Elliott and Ben McElroy were the first bidders to go to $1 million on the opening night of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, acquiring a son of Quality Road, consigned as hip 77, for $1.1m.

Purchased on behalf of Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing from the consignment of Gainesway, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised, the colt is from the family of multiple Grade 1 winner Dortmund and out of the Henny Hughes mare I'm A Looker, winner of the 2016 Winning Colors Stakes.

"We thought he was very nice," said Elliott. "Amo Racing has been very lucky buying horses out of America lately. They had Valiant Force, a Malibu Moon colt who won the Norfolk, and we also had King Of Steel, who was second in the Derby and won at Royal Ascot. We bought him in the States as well." 

Valiant Force was purchased as a yearling for $100,000 out of the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, running twice at the Curragh before breaking his maiden in the Norfolk at Royal Ascot this year.

Amo Racing bought King Of Steel for $200,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale.he won the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and most recently was third in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. 

Elliott indicated that the new recruit would go to Ireland to be broken in before returning to the United States to race.

"I think Amo is looking for Derby horses in the States," he said. "This colt has got size and scope, and he's got the right pedigree. Obviously, there were a lot of people that wanted him for him to bring what he brought."

"He's a spectacular colt," said Antony Beck, Gainesway's chairman. "He looked fantastic, and it's a great cross, Quality Road to Hennessey. Everybody loved him, and he brought a great price.

"There's no reason that he won't perform extremely well overseas." 

The sale-topping Quality Road colt: "He's got the right pedigree"Credit: Fasig-Tipton Photos

Currently ranked fifth on the North American general leading sires list, Quality Road finished second on that leaderboard last year with nearly $21m in progeny purses. A multiple Grade 1-winning Virginia-bred, he earned $2.2m on the racetrack and numbers among his successful progeny National Treasure, winner of this year's Preakness Stakes; Emblem Road, winner of the 2022 Saudi Cup and earner of $12m; and Abel Tasman, a Grade 1 winner at ages two, three and four. 

Quality Road stands at Lane's End in Versailles, Kentucky. His 2023 stud fee was $200,000.

"I thought it was a tremendous start to the 2023 Saratoga Sale," said Fasig-Tipton president and CEO Boyd Browning. "The numbers are essentially on par with last year's opening session, which was a remarkable, almost historic evening. There was a very fair marketplace, wasn't insanity, like I've been saying in recent times. We had a great diversity of buyers and a perfect mix of buyers and bidders tonight."

One other yearling broke the seven-figure threshold on day one: the Denali Stud-consigned Curlin filly, purchased for $1.05m by David Lanigan, agent for Cindy Heider (Heider Family Stables). The chestnut filly out of Grade 3 winner Lady T N T was bred by Scott and Evan Dilworth in Kentucky, who were on hand to watch her excel in the sales ring.

The Denali Stud-consigned Curlin filly sold to David Lanigan for $1.05 millionCredit: Fasig-Tipton Photos

"The love was spread around almost $30 million; that money was spread across the board among a whole lot of horses, which is outstanding long term for this marketplace," said Browning. 

"We are very excited; anytime you start at Saratoga, you always have a little trepidation and anxiety. Are we going to be able to sustain the market? Are we going to be able to improve? We came off an unbelievable year in 2022, seeing maximum increases over 2021." 

Fasig-Tipton reported 74 of the 103 horses through the ring on Monday evening sold for gross figures of $30,785,000, at an average price of $416,014 and a median of $350,000. There were 29 yearlings who failed to meet their reserve, to represent a 28.2 per cent RNA rate.

Last year, the first night of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale saw 69 horses traded of the 86 through the ring for gross figures of $28,930,000. An average price of $419,275 and a median of $350,000 was recorded. The 17 yearlings who failed to meet their reserve represent an RNA rate of 19.8 per cent.

"I've taken a deep breath, a sense of relief and optimism tonight," said Browning. "Knowing tomorrow night, we've got another terrific group of horses. I'll sleep much better tonight than I did last night, knowing there's a viable marketplace. 

"I was most encouraged by the diversity of buyers and bidders. Watching the sale tonight, the number of underbidders that didn't get anything bought and the variety of people displayed in the market was widespread. We had a fantastic start, and I am ecstatic with the first night. I can't wait to start selling again tomorrow. When the last horse in the ring brings $900,000, it shows you that people stayed throughout the sale."

Boyd Browning: "We had a great diversity of buyers and a perfect mix of buyers and bidders tonight"Credit: Fasig-Tipton Photos

"They tell me that there's a lot of buy-backs, but the horses that are really attractive and got a little pedigree are selling very well," said Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas. "People are getting much more sophisticated on what they buy and what they reject. The days are gone when you can just bring one in here and if it doesn't look good, it will sell."

Stalwart bloodstock agent Mike Ryan purchased four individuals for gross receipts of $1,585,000 to be the leading buyer of the first session. His buys were a $485,000 Speightstown colt consigned as hip 92 by Summerfield; a Curlin half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Verrazano, consigned as hip 38 by ELiTE for $450,000; a Practical Joke filly, hip 17, who is a half-sibling to Grade 2 winner Airoforce for $350,000 from the Four Star Sales draft; and the Gainesway-consigned hip 105, a Gun Runner colt for $300,000.

"I think there's a lot of competition," said agent Lauren Carlisle. "I think the sale has been strong and good - good for the sellers."

Yearlings are paraded at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga SaleCredit: Fasig-Tipton Photos

Taylor Made Sales Agency sold 12 of their 22 on offer Monday night for gross receipts of $3,700,000, at an average of $308,333, to be the session's leading consignor.

"We've seen some good second-half performances by teams throughout the sporting world, and I've seen some not-so-good second halves, but I feel confident and strong with the second half tomorrow, and I will have a better overall assessment after we conclude tomorrow night, but we are positive and very upbeat after the first night," said Browning. 

The second night of the sale begins on Tuesday at 6:30pm local time (11.30pm BST), with hips 119-235 slated to head through the ring. As of Monday evening, nine horses were withdrawn from the final session.

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