The 40 day Saratoga Race Meet reached the halfway point yesterday and it seems like it just got underway. Attendance at the track has been strong and so has the wagering. It’s clear residents and visitors alike have been anxious to get back to the races after the 2020 Saratoga Race Meet was not open to the public.
Our (West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing, Siena Farm, Bobby Flay) 3 year old colt First Captain ran third in the Curlin Stakes on July 30th. While First Captain’s performance was disappointing, it was only his fourth lifetime start and there will be plenty of additional opportunities moving forward. The current thinking is First Captain will point to the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on September 25.
First Captain
The 100th edition of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale was conducted on Monday August 9 and Tuesday August 10 at the Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion. This is a boutique thoroughbred yearling sale that was not conducted in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. From the size of the crowds both nights, it was clear attendees came to buy horses. At the conclusion of the Sale, 135 yearlings had been purchased for a total of $55,155,000 with an average sale price of $408,556. This year’s sale topper was an Into Mischief colt that sold for $2.6 million.
We (Woodford Racing) partnered with West Point Thoroughbreds to buy a City of Light colt and a Quality Road colt at the Sale. The City of Light colt was Hip #33 and is out of the mare, Adorable Miss. City of Light won over $5.6 million during his career and Adorable Miss was a multiple stakes winner of $162,590. Hip #33 sold for $500,000.
The Quality Road colt was Hip #111 and is out of the mare, Harmonize. Quality Road has sired 11 Grade 1 Winners including Abel Tasman, Caledonia Road, City of Light, Bellafina, Dunbar Road, Spring Quality and Roadster. Harmonize was a multiple graded stakes winner including the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks as well as both the Grade 3 Glens Falls Stakes and Jessamine Stakes. Hip #111 sold for $700,000.
Between the racing and the yearling sale, Saratoga is on fire!