EMPIRE MAKER FILLY FETCHES TOP DOLLAR
Relative newcomer Ahmed Zayat went to $1.6 million for an Empire
Maker filly Wednesday night to top the 86th annual Fasig-Tipton
selected yearling sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The historic sale,
now with a two-day run, had yet another solid performance with the
average virtually mirroring last year's figure and the gross
increasing significantly.
The session-topping and sale-topping filly follows the trend set
during Tuesday night's opening session when a filly by first-crop
sire Sky Mesa bred by Debby Oxley highlighted the evening at $1.15
million.
The Empire Maker filly becomes the first filly to top the sale
since a Storm Cat -- Sacahuista filly sold for $1.3 million in
2002.
Later in the evening, a filly from the first crop of Mineshaft
sold for $1.45 million. With last night's session topper, three of
the top four prices were for fillies...all bred by women.
"It was more of last night, maybe a little stronger," said D.G.
Van Clief Jr., chairman of Fasig-Tipton. "Once again, fillies stole
the show. It shows that little girls from nice families are still
in fashion."
For the night, 70 yearlings sold for $23,295,000. Only 10 failed
to meet their reserve, or 12.5%. The gross was up 38% over last
year's $16,890,000. The average of $332,786 was up slightly over
last year's $324,808. The median of $225,000 was up over last
year's $200,000.
All told, 130 yearlings sold for $42,085,000, which was up 26%
over last year's total of $33,415,000 for 103 yearlings. This
year's average of $323,731 was almost identical to last year's
$324,417. The median of $245,000 was up over last year's $225,000.
The buy-back rate this year was a scant 19% compared to 24% a year
ago.
Five yearlings sold for seven figures, compared to only four
last year. However, last year's top-priced colt sold for $3.1
million and a filly went for $2 million.
"The consignors got their horses sold," said Walt Robertson,
president of Fasig-Tipton. "It was a great market out there
tonight. The horses that fit sold, and there were few that didn't
fit."
When the bidding stalled at $600,000 on the sale-topping Empire
Maker filly, announcer Terence Collier said she "is worth a million
dollars and she's selling for 60 cents on the dollar." When the
bidding neared the end, he said, "I said she was worth a million; I
was mistaken, she's worth two million."
Out of the stakes-winning Sluice, by Seeking the Gold, the
filly's second dam is multiple grade I winner Lakeway. The filly
was bred in Kentucky by Diane Snowden and was consigned to the sale
by Falls Creek Farm, Denali Stud, agent.
Zayat said the filly would be trained by Bill Mott, who was
seated one row in front of Zayat, his wife Joanne, and 14-year-old
son Justin. Mott not only trained Sluice, he helped pick her out
for Snowden at the 1999 Keeneland July yearling sale, where she
sold for $1.5 million.
"She's a nice, big, scopy filly," said Mott, "and she looked
like she has a great disposition."
Zayat said he liked "everything" about the filly after his team
of advisers conducted what he called "due diligence" during the
inspection process, which includes physical inspection, heart and
mechanical measurements, pedigree analysis, and racing performance
analysis of the family.
"It's all guesswork," said Zayat, "but you try to stack the odds
in your favor. I'm new to the game, but I'm a businessman and try
to look at this as I would any business. I don't want to let my ego
get caught up in the bidding. Value is hard to determine. But I
think this filly has residual value as a broodmare prospect down
the road."
"It's nice to round out my resume," joked Craig Bandoroff, who
operates Denali Stud with his wife, Holly. "This is my first
million-dollar horse up here." Bandoroff said he'd been selling
yearlings at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga for about 15 years. "They're a
great company and great guys. I love to come up here and support
them."
Bloodstock agent John Ferguson, bidding on behalf of Sheikh
Mohammed while raising his eyebrows, was the immediate underbidder
on the filly.
Early in the evening, Zayat purchased a bay colt by Elusive
Quality for $900,000. The Gainesway, agent-10 Auguconsigned colt
sold as Hip No. 99 on a night when the session began with Hip No
91.
Out of the unraced Boston Harbor mare Mermaid's Tale, the colt
is out of a half-sister to graded stakes winner Goldseeker Bud and
Canadian stakes star Ashboro.
Zayat, 43, is an Egyptian businessman who is president and
chairman of Al Ahram Beverages which offers a full-fledged range of
beverages including beer, wine, and non-alcoholic carbonated and
other soft drinks in Egypt.
Last year, Zayat made a splash by purchasing several expensive
2-year-olds in training. He also purchased several yearlings
earlier this year at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale. He owns
EZ Warrior, an easy winner of the Hollywood Juvenile Championship
for trainer Bob Baffert. Zayat purchased EZ Warrior for $1.2
million at this year's Barretts 2-year-old in-training sale.
Top Prices for Wednesday's Session
Hip – Sex – Pedigree – Consignor – Buyer – Price
146 – F – Empire Maker -- Sluice, (Seeking the Gold)
– Zayat Stables - $1,600,000
171 – F – Mineshaft -- Unbridled Lassie ( Unbridled)– Don Adam -
$1,450,000
122 –C – Unbridled's Song -- Queen's Lady ( Storm Cat) – – John
Ferguson - $1,300,000
99 – C – Elusive Quality -- Mermaid's Tale, (Boston Harbor) –
Gainesway, Agent – Zayat Stables - $900,000
160 – C – Pulpit -- Tempestina, (by Storm Cat )– Rick Porter -
$800,000
Date:
10 August 2006