Read what buyers and consignors had to say Aug. 9, the day before the start of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale in New York:
Bill Farish, Lane’s End: “They (Fasig-Tipton officials) have done a tremendous job not just on the physical plant but in getting together what looks like a better and more international catalog than they’ve had in many years. I’m cautiously optimistic. I think their efforts to bring in more European buyers are going to pay off. They bent over backwards to get people here who have never been here before.”
Archie St. George, Eaton Sales: “We’ve been busy showing horses every day. We started showing horses Friday (Aug. 7), and we were going all day long. Fasig-Tipton has done a great job getting people here. It seems like it’s become kind of a worldwide sale. In the past, there were mainly Americans here, and now there are a lot of Europeans here this year.”
Marshall Silverman, consignor: “I feel real positive. It’s like an aura; it just feels like everybody’s more upbeat with the stock market going up, and there’s a really good group of horses here. I think it’s going to be real good sale. I’m sure it’s going to at least hold its own. I don’t think we’re going to see quite the downturn like we have had other sales.”
Jimbo Gladwell, Top Line Sales: “It’s the premier (yearling) sale of the year so far. I think they (Fasig-Tipton officials) have done an exceptional job with the sale grounds and also with the sale catalog. They have some of the deepest pedigrees you can find. You’ve got half-brothers to horses like El Corredor, Roman Ruler, and Invasor. When you bring exceptional horses to a sale, there’s always plenty of money. In my opinion, the money always comes up to the horses. There is a good mix of European and American buyers.”
Ben Walden, Pauls Mill: “This sale company couldn’t have done more for us. It’s nice to see them trying so hard. How the market is going to be I don’t know.”
Dr. Steve Carr, Centennial Farms: “I think it’s a very good group horses. Not only are there more numbers, they are better in quality, too. Fasig-Tipton has done a good job putting a good group of horses together. If that means anything, I think the sale should go very well. We’re enthusiastic; we really like what we’re seeing. Can we afford them? That’s what we are cautious about.”
Arthur B. Hancock III, Stone Farm: “I feel pretty good because we have good horses. They’re in good shape, and they’re from good families. They’re also from a farm that people know raises good horses. If there is money out there, we’ll do fine. My general gut feeling is that the sale is going to go well. And whatever happens, I think it’s going to be a good sale for a good horse. We had a lot of lookers yesterday (Aug. 8). We had 70 some shows, and 50 of them or more were “all” shows. The right people seem to be here, and they’re optimistic. I hoping that I’ll see a great big white plane cruising in here and the Sheikh and some of his friends will be on it.”
John Sikura, Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency: “We’ve got really nice horses, and we have high expectations that we’ll get them sold and have good results. It seems like the market has defined itself to be very strong at the elite level, very strong for the great physical horses at the near elite level, and intermittent beyond that. We have some very strong international world-class pedigrees and all of our horses are by the right sires, and that end of the market will hold up quite well. I think everything they (Fasig-Tipton officials) have done has set the table and shown a commitment to this sale, and the ultimate test of whether it works or not is the success of the sale.”
Mark Taylor, Taylor Made Sales Agency: “I think the sale is going to be good. What we saw at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky in July was just a little bit of glimpse of what the market is going to be like. The good horses by proven sires did well, and that’s what we’ve got a lot of up here. We’ve got a lot of people here in a condensed area with a relatively small catalog, and that’s a reason for optimism.”
Wayne Sweezey, Timber Town Stable: “Based on what I’ve seen so far, there are some very nice horses, so that’s cool. There seems to be plenty of energy here. I’m convinced the sale is going to be pretty good.”
Case Clay, Three Chimneys Sales: “I feel like it’s going to be a pretty good sale because there are some really nice horses here and Fasig-Tipton has done a very admirable job getting people here. There’s a good feeling around the sales grounds. As consignors, we really appreciate the effort that they’re making in a hard time. They are really going to bat for the sellers. I’m pretty optimistic. If I’m wrong and this is a bad sale, it won’t be for lack of trying on Fasig-Tipton’s part.”
Hugo Merry, European bloodstock agent: “They (Fasig-Tipton officials) have done a hell of a job on the sale grounds, and I think they wanted to make sure a lot of Europeans came out and saw what was going on. I don’t know what domestic money is around, and I’m not sure what European money is around outside of the Arab influence. Like all the sales this years, it will very much be dependent on Arab participation.”
John Moynihan, Kentucky bloodstock agent and adviser to wine mogul Jess Jackson: “The sale looks like it’s got a lot of momentum and a lot of electricity, and people are excited about it. They (Fasig-Tipton officials) have done a phenomenal job of getting great, great physical horses up here. I don’t know if it all just kind of came together this year or if it’s a product of hard work, but whatever happens Monday and Tuesday nights, believe me, these guys have done a phenomenal job of getting great, great horses up here for people to buy. Our short list is long, long, long.
Barry Irwin, Team Valor International: “The horses are exceptionally good. I think you’re going to see some real fireworks here. There are two big guys (Lane’s End and Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency) who have brought much better horses here; there is no question. It’s very impressive.”
