Fireworks for Gainesway Consignment at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga

It was another big sale for Gainesway at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale when it saw two of the consignment’s offerings sold for seven-figures, led by two $1.1 million colts.

The first of those horses topped the first session when Alex Elliott and Ben McElroy won the bidding war on behalf of Amo Racing. The colt bred by Stonestreet is out of the Grade 3 winning I’m a Looker, whose foals include two-time winner Alpha Brooke. This is the family of dual Grade 1 winner Dortmund, who is out of a stakes winning half-sister to this colt’s granddam.

“I think Kia is looking for Derby horses in the States and he has size and scope and he’s by the right sire,” bloodstock agent Alex Elliott told Thoroughbred Daily News. “He’s got a great pedigree. Obviously, a lot of people wanted him for him to bring what he brought.”

The colt’s fourth dam is champion Lakeville Miss, who is also the dam of Grade 1 winner Mogambo.

Gainesway and Paola Queen have teamed up for million-dollar yearlings the last two years at this sale and 2023 was no different. This year, the mare’s colt by TAPIT brought $1.1 million from Mike Ryan during the second day of the sale.

“He’s a horse that we hope will be showing up on the big days,” Ryan said. “He has a great demeanor which is wonderful for a Tapit. He is an unbelievable stallion and a sire of sires, but you have to make sure you get the ones with the right character, personality and demeanor. He seemed to have all of that. Time will tell.”

The fifth most expensive yearling of the session, the colt is the fourth out of the Grade 1 winning Paola Queen. The mare’s 2-year-old filly sold for $1.2 million last year from the Gainesway consignment and placed in her debut on July 30.

Paola Queen is out of the stakes winning Kadira, that one out of the multiple graded stakes winner Raw Gold. Raw Gold is also the dam of stakes winner and multiple graded stakes placed Our Channel and stakes placed Hidden Value. Paola Queen isn’t the only Grade 1 winner on the page with Raw Gold’s half-sister Point Ashley also winning a Grade 1 during her racing career.

Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds went to $900,000 for a Rockingham Ranch-bred Not This Time colt consigned by Gainesway. The colt is out of the winning War Front mare Pammy Whammy, who has produced her stakes placed Pammy’s Ready from her two to race.

“We know we have to stay in the upper end of the market,” De Renzo said of the pinhook prospect. “For us, it’s easier because great horses do great things. And so, we will go to a 2-year-old sale and hope to do better.”

Three of the colt’s first four dams have produced stakes performers with his third dam the only one left out of that group but placing in a stakes herself and producing an eight-time winner.

The top priced filly from the Gainesway consignment was a Gun Runner filly purchased by Lauren Carlisle for $850,000.

Bred by International Equities Holding, the filly’s dam is Divine Dawn, a Grade 2-placed half-sister to Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed Divine Miss Grey. They are out of the winning Friends Like mare Seattle Grey, who produced five winners overall. Seattle Grey is one of five winners for her own dam with the group led by multiple graded stakes winner and Grade 1 placed Noble Court.

Gainesway was one of only two consignors at this sale to offer two $1 million yearlings. The consignment had the third highest gross of all yearlings with seven sold for a combined $4,700,000 with an average of $671,429.

Gainesway’s 26 sold so far this yearling season has grossed nearly $9.5 million for the second highest of all consignments with less than half offered than the Number 1 consignor. Gainesway’s $365,000 average is also the fifth highest of any consignment with 10 or more sold so far.

The next sale for Gainesway is next week’s Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Sale where it will have 13 on offer.