Saratoga First Session Leading Sires

Medaglia d'Oro is the leading sire by average after the first Saratoga session.

The last crop of deceased sire Indian Charlie commanded a premium price during the Aug. 5 opening session for the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select yearling sale at Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Five yearlings by the son of In Excess, who died from cancer at 16 in 2011, brought an average of $337,000, including RNA prices. His top-priced yearling sold was Hip 8, who was purchased for $600,000 to Barry Irwin's Team Valor International. The dark bay or brown filly is out of stakes winner Alpine Garden.

For the second session Aug. 6, two Indian Charlie colts (Hips 105 and 143) and one filly (Hip 92) will be offered.
 
The leading sire of the opening session among stallions with two or more offered was Medaglia d'Oro , who had three yearlings average of $425,000.
 
Mike and Meg Levy's Bluewater Sales sold the highest-priced Medaglia d'Oro of the day, an $875,000 dark bay or brown colt (Hip 33) that again was bought by Irwin. Medaglia d'Oro, who stands at Darley Stud in Lexington for a $100,000 fee this year, has produced 46 worldwide stakes winners and two champions.
 
The other top sires by average price included WinStar Farm's Distorted Humor  ($402,500 for four offered), Gainesway Farm's Tapit  ($364,000 for five offered), recently deceased Unbridled's Song ($315,000 for three offered), and Harlan's Holiday and More Than Ready , which both had an average of $275,000 for two offered. Both Harlan's Holiday and More Than Ready stand at WinStar Farm.
 
The two million-dollar yearlings for the opening session were Hip 69, a filly by deceased top sire Dynaformer, who is a half sister to Optimizer , selling for $1.225 million to the Borges Torrealba family of Brazil. The other top horse was a filly by Distorted Humor, out of the stakes-winning mare Cascading, who was bought by Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation.

Sire

Price

Average

No  Off.

MEDAGLIA D'ORO

$ 1,275,000

$ 425,000

3

DISTORTED HUMOR

$ 1,610,000

$ 402,500

4

TAPIT

$ 1,820,000

$ 364,000

5

INDIAN CHARLIE

$ 1,685,000

$ 337,000

5

UNBRIDLED'S SONG

$ 945,000

$ 315,000

3

HARLAN'S HOLIDAY

$ 550,000

$ 275,000

2

MORE THAN READY

$ 550,000

$ 275,000

2

ELUSIVE QUALITY

$ 525,000

$ 262,500

2

SPEIGHTSTOWN

$ 470,000

$ 235,000

2

TALE OF THE CAT

$ 460,000

$ 230,000

2

MALIBU MOON

$ 1,125,000

$ 225,000

5

STREET CRY (IRE)

$ 445,000

$ 222,500

2

CONGRATS

$ 410,000

$ 205,000

2

SMART STRIKE

$ 695,000

$ 173,750

4

SKY MESA

$ 345,000

$ 172,500

2

BLAME

$ 510,000

$ 170,000

3

GIANT'S CAUSEWAY

$ 420,000

$ 140,000

3

GHOSTZAPPER

$ 245,000

$ 122,500

2

KITTEN'S JOY

$ 100,000

$ 33,333

3