American Pharoah Yearlings Star at Saratoga

The 2018 Fasig Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale saw the first yearlings by Triple Crown hero American Pharoah offered for sale and they lit up the ring with a filly and colt selling for $1.2 million and $1million to top the opening session of this prestigious sale.

Offered early in the sale as Lot 26 by Gainesway as agent, the filly from dual Grade I winner Life at Ten fetched $1.2million to the bid of Larry Bests’s Oxo Equine and is a half-sister to Grade II placed Singing Bullet. The filly had a big pedigree update just prior to the sale when her two year-old half-sister Bohemian Queen won at Woodbine on debut.

She was initially a $500,000 purchase for Blue Sky Stables at the Keeneland November Sale last year as a weanling so made a lot of people happy with this result.

“I didn’t have one,” said Larry Best, referring to his growing stable of horses which until now did not include an American Pharoah.

“I don’t think you can go wrong with an American Pharoah filly crossed with a Malibu Moon mare. The residual value, just on the dam’s side, is huge. I thought the price would actually go higher, but I wasn’t going to go any higher. So I was surprised I got her.”

Not far behind in selling for $1million was a colt from good producer Party Silks, the half-brother to Grade II winner Upstart bought by MV Magnier and Bob Baffert, who trained American Pharoah throughout his illustrious career.

"I like the sire. He made me famous," a jovial Bob Baffert told Bloodhorse, after signing the ticket for Magnier. "Of the ones I've seen, I really liked him. He's a late foal, he's going to change a lot, and it should be for the better, so I'm excited about it.

"They had him looking great. It was love at first sight. I see a lot of American Pharoah in him. He's stamping his foals pretty well. Their head, their demeanor. You never think you're going to go that high, but there's a lot of excitement here, and a lot of really good horses here. Hopefully he can follow in his daddy's steps."

The sale continues tomorrow.