Amr Zedan purchases Curlin-Beholder colt for US$4 million at blockbuster Fasig-Tipton

Cover image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton

Magical conclusion

Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning Jnr commented after the conclusion of the 102nd Fasig-Tipton The Saratoga Sale, “We’ve experienced some magical times in Saratoga in the past, and you’ve heard me talk about the Saratoga magic, but we haven’t seen anything like this.

“It was spectacular from the first hip in the ring to the conclusion of the sale, but it just goes to show what happens when you have the opportunity to sell exceptional physical horses with outstanding pedigrees to an unbelievable group of buyers who love coming to Saratoga,” Browning Jnr said.

“It’s just phenomenal.”

Blue bloods light up the ring

The sale concluded with 10 lots making US$1 million (AU$1.5 million) or more; leading the way was a colt by Hill ‘n’ Dale’s Curlin from the Champion Beholder (USA) (Henny Hughes {USA}) consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency as agent for Spendthrift Farm and sold for US$4 million (AU$6.1 million) to Donato Lanni as agent for Zedan Racing.

The imposing chestnut is bred to be a superstar. He is the fifth foal from Beholder, an inductee North American Hall of Fame, winning 18 races, including the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and the G1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff twice. In addition, she beat all-comers in the G1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

The colt is a half-brother to Teena Ella (USA) (War Front {USA}), who won the G3 Senorita S. at Santa Anita.

Beholder, herself is a blueblood, a daughter of the relatively obscure Tricky Creek (USA) mare Leslie’s Lady (USA) has proven to be a pot of gold, despite some arguable scepticism over her pedigree.

Leslie’s Lady is the dam of Champion Sire Into Mischief (USA), who stands at Spendthrift Farm, and Mendelssohn (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}), who stands at Coolmore Stud.

Unsurprisingly, with a pedigree like that, the yearling was the most-discussed yearling on the grounds leading up to the sale, and during a dramatic star turn in the ring, the colt became the highest-priced horse to sell at Saratoga since 2000.

The Saratoga record for a yearling is US$4.6 million ($7.015 million), achieved by a colt by Northern Dancer (Can) in 1984, the same year a son of Roberto (USA) sold for US$4 million (AU$6.1 million). In 2000, a son of Seattle Slew (USA) brought a final bid of US$4.2 million (AU$6.4 million).

Amr F. Zedan of Zedan Racing, who has habitually made the top purchases at the 2-year-olds in training sales in the last three years, returned later in the session to purchase a colt by Into Mischief for US$3.2 million (AU$4.8 million).

“It is very difficult to find these kinds of bloodlines,” Zedan said. “It's a rarity to find them at auction. Coming in here and seeing that quality – it took some time to actually take a look at him and really appreciate who he is as an individual. We hope he makes us proud when he becomes a stallion. He could be as impactful as his predecessors, his mother and father. We are so blessed and privileged to have him and can't thank the boss (Baffert) right here enough.”

Baffert had a front-row seat to Beholder's historic racing career, which included four Eclipse championships and 11 Grade I victories for Spendthrift Farm and trainer Richard Mandella. When the mare's yearling son began rearing in the ring Tuesday night, Baffert saw some similarities.

“I was stabled next to Richard Mandella, and I watched Beholder go by my barn every day, and she was a handful,” Baffert said. “He is a handful, too, but with a pedigree like that, you have to take a swing at it if you want to play at that top level, which is where Mr Zedan wants to be. It's a lot of money for a horse who hasn't run, but he looks like an athlete, and hopefully, everything goes well. He's an outstanding individual. We loved him at the barn and are excited to get him. He's headed to California.”

Spendthrift's Ned Toffey admitted the colt's final price-tag was no great surprise.

“We thought he would be in the US$3 million to US$4 million range,” Toffey said. “When we got to three, I was a little relieved, and when we got to four, I was pretty happy. But that's a nice colt, and that kind doesn't come along very often. A colt that looks the part with that kind of pedigree he's a special horse. We are really happy that Amr Zedan got him.”

Toffey watched the yearling's antics in the sales ring from just a few rows back in the pavilion.

“I was very calm and relaxed,” he deadpanned when asked what he was thinking. “You saw how he threw himself up there; he doesn't do anything casually. I am glad we had a good man on him in the ring. He did a great job handling him and keeping him in one piece. That was a little nerve-wracking, but the guy did a great job with him.”

Just minutes after purchasing the colt, Zedan joined Toffey by his seat in the pavilion. Asked what was discussed, the Spendthrift manager said, “We've done several deals with him now. They have been great to deal with. So hopefully, it will not be the last.”

Pressed if a possible partnership afoot on the colt between Zedan and Spendthrift, Toffey said, “Well, there might be.”

Not long after signing for Hip 165, Zedan signed over US$3.2 million (AU$4.8 million) for Hip 228, a son of the Champion Sire Into Mischief from the American Pharoah (USA) mare Amercian Dreaming (USA) consigned by Indian Creek.

Continuing the trend of blue blood was Hip 135, a colt by Into Mischief consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency as agent for Baraba Banke’s Stonestreet Farm, where the colt was born and raised, who sold to Eclipse Thoroughbreds for US$1.5 million (AU$2.2 million).

Hip 135 is the fourth foal from Rachel’s Valentina (USA), a daughter of Bernardini (USA), who won the G1 Spinaway S. at Saratoga and placed in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies behind Songbird (USA) (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}).

Rachel’s Valentina is the sole daughter and last foal from the incredible Rachel Alexandra (USA) (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}). She was crowned the Horse of the Year in 2009 and the Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in the United States of America, due to victories in the G1 Preakness, the G1 Kentucky Oaks, and the G1 Haskell Invitational against her age group, before dominating the older horses in the G1 Woodwood S.

Pair of Tapit colts make a splash

The breed-shaping Gainesway-based Tapit (USA) was represented by a pair of colts who exceeded US$1 million (AU$1.5 million).

Hip 123, offered by Gainesway as the agent, is from the Flatter (USA) mare Paola Queen (USA), who won the G1 Test S.

The colt made US$1.1 million (AU$1.6 million) selling to Mike Ryan as agent.

Shortly after Hip 129, another son of Tapit strode into the ring, consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency as an agent, and the colt was knocked down for US$1.2 million (AU$1.8 million) to Whisper Hill Farm.

Hip 129 is the eighth foal from the Tiznow (USA) mare Plenty O’Toole (USA). She is the dam of the G2 Pat Day Mile S. winner Mr Money (USA), and hails from the family of Well Armed (USA) (Tiznow {USA}) who won the G1 Dubai World Cup by 14l.

Not This Time share makes US$2 million

Before the first yearling into the ring for the final session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, a share in the Taylor Made-based stallion Not This Time (USA) was offered for sale.

According to Taylor Made's Mark Taylor, the share made a cool US$2 million (AU$3.05 million) to D.J Stable, BlackRidge Stables, Barry Fowler and John Cummins. Taylor Made Sales coordinated the sale of the share and is subject to a 10-day match from the syndicate.

Not This Time, a son of Giant’s Causeway (USA), has sired 27 stakes winners and five individual Group 1 winners, including the G1 Del Mar Debutante S. winner Princess Noor (USA) and the G1 Travers S. hero Epicenter (USA).

The share in Not This Time includes all the projected income from the just-concluded breeding season. Shareholders are entitled to one nomination annually plus the proportionate share of the excess book.

“It was a syndicate that we put together,” Taylor said. “Jon Green was the one who did the bidding, but we had three or four other partners going in with the Greens. Bill Daugherty, Barry Fowler and a few others are going in with us.”

Taylor said of Not This Time's rise in the stallion ranks, “It's been a real blessing for the Taylor family. When we bought Not This Time, somebody came in with more money right after Mr Albaugh had agreed to sell to us, and he stayed with his. So, to see one share bring almost half of what we paid is just fulfilling. All of the credit goes to my brother Ben, who is the syndicate manager. He is not in the public eye like the rest of the brothers, but he's always there working. He does a great job.”

Of the investment in the share, Taylor said, “Not This Time started at stud when he was a 3-year-old, and he's an improving stallion when he's nine, so I think the sky is the limit on what he can do. And, knock on wood, he has a good long life, and it should be a good investment for everybody.”

Not This Time is governed by a 50-share syndicate.

Sale conclusion

Overall a total of 153 yearlings were sold during the two-day auction for a record gross of US$78,780,000 (AU$120 million). The average achieved over the two days was US$488,758 (AU$740,400), an increase on the overall average recorded in 2022 of US$468,217 (AU$700,100).

The median of US$375,000 (AU$580,900) was unchanged from the 2022 figure.

“The consistency of bidding throughout the night, particularly on the top-end lots, anything over US$300,000, at times the auctioneers and the bid spotters had trouble keeping up with the bidding,” Browning Jnr said.

“Not because they weren't doing their job, but because so many bids were coming, it was hard to keep up. It was unbelievable energy, an unbelievable atmosphere and unbelievable results tonight.”