First-Crop Catalina Cruiser Filly Leads Saratoga Fall Sale Return

Monday, October 18, 2021
catalina cruiser filly saratoga fasig-tipton
Fasig-Tipton Photo

The Saratoga Fall Sale returned Monday to Saratoga Springs, NY after a hiatus in 2020 to establish new sale records for gross and top price paid for a weanling.

A filly from the first crop of multiple Grade 2 winner Catalina Cruiser topped the sale when sold for a record $195,000 to Reeves Thoroughbred Racing (video). The chestnut filly was consigned as Hip 215 by Sequel New York, agent. The filly is the third foal out of the stakes winning Red Giant mare Catcha Rising Star, from the immediate family of Grade 2 winners Ten Below and Fortnightly. Hip 215 was bred in New York by Gentry Stable LLC. She is now the most expensive weanling ever sold at The Saratoga Fall Sale, and the highest since a colt by Into Mischief out of Darling Mambo sold for $170,000 in 2017.

A pair of weanling colts sold for $120,000 to round out the top three:

  • Hip 199, a colt by Kantharos, purchased by St Elias Stables for $120,000 from the consignment of Vinery Sales, agent. Out of Bella Cara, a half-sister to the dam of multiple graded stakes winning millionaire Fear the Cowboy, Hip 199 was bred in New York by SGO Thoroughbred LLC.
  • Hip 265, a colt from the second crop of multiple Grade 1 winner Bolt d'Oro, purchased by Willow Brook Stables, agent for $120,000 from the consignment of Summerfield, agent. The second foal out of Judge Lee, a winning Street Cry (IRE) half-sister to multiple stakes winner Euro Platnum, Hip 265 was bred in New York by Matthew Nestor.

The session's top broodmare came in the form of Nice Smile, carrying her first foal by multiple Grade 1 winner Vekoma, which sold for $70,000 to Goose Wickes. The five-year-old daughter of Smiling Tiger was offered as Hip 12 by Stuart Morris, agent for Tocky Top Racing & Highclere Inc., et al. Nice Smile is a half-sister to Grade 1 placed stakes winner Red Vine (Candy Ride-ARG), who earned more than $775,000 on the track. Her dam, Murky Waters, is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winning millionaire Fort Prado and stakes winner Cammack.

Overall, 163 horses sold for $3,657,800, a sale record gross and an 8.1% increase over the 2019 total, when 134 sold for $3,384,000. The average was $22,440. Seven weanlings sold for six figures.

Results are available online.