Through the closing session on August 11, the sales included 43 horses sold for $100,000 horses or more. Last year that number was 23.
Cumulative totals were also up from last year, climbing to 65 percent from 2012. There were 196 horses sold for a total of $14,206,000 in 2013. Last year there were 138 horses sold for $8,632,000. The average also rose 16 percent to $72,480 compared to 2012’s $62,551, while the median also rose 10 percent to $55,000 from $50,000.
This year, 67 horses did not sell compared to 85 in 2012.
The sale-topper was purchased on night No. 2 by Cobra Farms’ Gary Biszantz, who is now the owner of a bay daughter of Tapit consigned by Gainesway and bred by Marbat out of the More Than Ready mare Miss Challenge.
The previous record for a New York-bred sold at the Saratoga sale was $360,000 when Buzz Chace purchased Big Boyd in 1999.
The record-setting filly was actually accepted to the August 5-6 Saratoga selected yearling sale, but was held out and placed in the New York-bred sale.
The second highest yearling was bought by Everett Dobson of Cheyenne Stable. Dobson signed Hip No. 392, a Speightstown filly bred by Lawrence Goichman out of the Chief’s Crown mare My Reem, for $300,000.
Hip No. 207, a War Front filly purchased by Steve Young during Session I was tied for the highest-priced yearling overall.
The final session itself featured 101 yearlings sold for a gross of $7,778,500, which was up 56 percent from the second night last year ($4,975,000). The mean rose 14.6 percent, the median was up 19.6 percent and the buy-back rate dropped to 22 percent compared to last year’s 33 percent.
