Insanity reigned at Saratoga Yearling sale as 35 sell for over $1 million
- Details
- August 12, 2026
- By Staff Writers
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Records were toppled as 35 yearlings sold for over $1 million at the 105th Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale, Fasig-Tipton's flagship auction that ended its two night run on Tuesday , Aug. 11.
It seems totally crazy - 35 yearling selling for over $1 million with four selling for over $4 million.
How many of those will even make it to the racetrack, much less win and even much less win enough to go on to be a top stallion at stud, which is the only place where a horse can return that kind of investment.
Joe and Sean Clancy's Saratoga Special summed it up perfectly - "Crazy seemed somewhat apropos.....but plenty of other adjectives would fit the bill, too, like wild, ridiculous, zany and even daft. Sensible and normal need not apply."
Three yearlings from the Delaware Valley sold for more sane prices, with two fillies from Virginia, one by American Pharoah and the other by Epicenter, selling for $250,000 and $175,000 respectively.
A Maryland-bred, bred by Cynthia and Charles McGinnes' Thornmar Farm, by Vekoma,out of Coconut Cake, sold for $335,000.
"We were delighted with the sale because we bred every one of his four dams," said Cynthia McGinnes. "He is the great-great grandson of Muffies Muffin, the first broodmare we had. He is the result of 50 years of our breeding."
How many breeders can claim that distinction, breeding four generations of top race horses.
The 30 million-dollar horses equals the number sold last year and is the highest for the September Sale since 2007.
The sale certainly suffered from the rain from hurricane Ian that reached Maryland and Pennsylvania on Friday and hung on for five days.
