Funny Cide Can't Help Save Saratoga New York-bred Yearling Sale

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With the Triple Crown heroics of Funny Cide and last weekend's victory by Whitmore's Conn in the grade I Sword Dancer Stakes, Fasig-Tipton officials were hoping the success of New York-breds on the racetrack would spill over into the sales ring.

But the two-day sale of New York-bred yearlings on Aug. 10 and 11 did not receive the support of New York horsemen that had been hoped, and as a result, the sale saw a 16% drop in average from 2002.

A total of 127 yearlings sold for $5,279,000, for an average of $41,567, compared to last year's gross of $5,345,5000 (with 19 less horses sold) and average of $49,495. There were 74 buy-backs this year, 20 more than last year.

"With Funny Cide's wins in the Derby and Preakness, and Whitmore's Conn's win in the Sword Dancer last Saturday, I was bullish going into the sale, "Fasig-Tipton president Walt Robertson said. "But we obviously overestimated the impact of Funny Cide. It was a great story, but that doesn't mean it translates into the marketplace.

"We'll have to re-evaluate taking in so many horses. There just might have been too many horses to swallow, and we'll have to be harder on our selection process. We took some horses that we had no market for."

Robertson was pleased with the top of the market, as a number of yearlings sold for over $100,000, including the sales topper, a Dixie Brass filly who sold Sunday for $175,000 to trainer H. James Bond, representing his main client, Rudlein Stable.

"I saw no difference at the top," Robertson said. "But we simply had too many horses who didn't belong, and there wasn't much support from the New York trainers."

Funny Cide's sire, Distorted Humor, was in demand this year, with agent Mike Downing paying $170,000 for his son out of the Apalachee mare, Dave's Kate, consigned by Lakland North, agent.

Barclay Tagg, Funny Cide's trainer, bought one yearling, a daughter of Notebook, for $30,000.

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