2022 Mill Ridge Yearling Showcase at the Saratoga Sale
Lexington is known among horse enthusiasts as thoroughbred horse country. With a rich family legacy and a successful history of producing champions, it should be no surprise that Mill Ridge is a trusted Kentucky horse farm to partner with if you are considering the experience of owning a thoroughbred racehorse.
Whether you are a spectator or a seasoned pro, the allure of thoroughbred horse racing is exciting. Horse racing fans love to travel for Lexington, Kentucky horse farm tours to see firsthand how horses live and train. If you are new to the horse racing industry, buying a thoroughbred racehorse is easier than you might think. Four significant annual sales for yearlings are held in the United States through esteemed auction houses like Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, and Fasig-Tipton in Saratoga Springs, New York.
101st Saratoga Sale
The 101st Saratoga Sale occurred on August 8-9, 2022, in Saratoga Springs, New York. The highly anticipated meet race and yearling sale shattered records this year, with 143 yearlings sold and $66,955 million in revenue generated over the two-day sale.
The Mill Ridge team was at the Saratoga Sale with eight cataloged yearlings and experienced the energy and excitement of buyers and sellers. The horses from Mill Ridge were selected for this particular sale around the time they were weaned and prepared for auction the Mill Ridge Way. A variety of horses at different price points were showcased at the sale to appeal to buyers' diverse interests.
Below are the results for the sales of the yearlings raised by Mill Ridge Farm and sold at the 2022 Saratoga Sale. During our Lexington, Kentucky horse farm tours, you can meet yearlings like these.
Hip 28 Vino Rosso - MONEY MADNESS by Rahy
Money Madness was purchased for $100,000 in November of 2021 for our pinhooking partnership. We were drawn to his strength, athleticism, and confidence. He is a true workhorse and enjoys his job. Recently, buyers have shown an interest in offspring from first-crop sires, and Vino Rosso was a solid first-crop prospect. Curlin, his sire, won two races, the Wood Memorial and the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Money Madness sold for $175,000
Hip 38 Ghostzapper - ONE NIGHT by Distorted Humor
One Night was purchased for our pinhooking partnership in November of 2021. He was our most significant investment at $190,000. Ghostzapper, his sire, was an exceptional racehorse and considered the most talented racehorse trained by Bobby Frankel. As a weanling, One Night was leggy with good angles, and we hoped he would continue to grow and stretch out. He was confident and strong in the fields and played hard with the other weanlings. He is a very relaxed horse and very easy to be around.
At the Saratoga Sale, his $220,000 reserve was not met; therefore, he did not sell.
Hip 67 Omaha Beach - SAVANNAH SKY by Sky Mesa
Savannah Sky is a handsome colt purchased last year during the "Night of the Stars" sale at Fasig-Tipton from Brookdale Farm's Consignment. We paid $140,000 for him and were thrilled to add him to our Pinhooking partnership. His sire, Omaha Beach, was an accomplished racehorse with impressive credentials. Savannah Sky gave us quite a scare the day we bought him. He caught his eyelid on something in the stall, causing a significant laceration that needed surgery. Thankfully he healed quickly with no long-term complications. Savannah Sky is a strong, elegant horse with a long stride.
Savannah Sky sold for $200,000.
Hip 79 Arrogate - SMART SHOPPING by Smart Strike
Smart Shopping is the third foal bred from Shop Again, owned by our longtime friends and clients, the Otto family. Smart Shopping had tremendous skill and was trained to race in the Kentucky Oaks before she injured herself. Smart Shopping's first foal is a talented horse named Shoppingforpharoah. Her second foal, an Uncle Mo filly named Yard Sale, sold at the Saratoga Sale in 2021 for $435,000.
Smart Shopping sold for $300,000.
Hip 86 Flatter - SPLASH HIT by Flower Alley
We were drawn to Splash Hit for our partnership when she was just a weanling, and we purchased her for $90,000. She was athletic with excellent strength and balance. She was a big filly with good angles and a lovely hip. Her sire, Flatter, was a talented racehorse who passed away earlier this year. After his impressive racing career, he was retired to stud, producing 59 stakes winners. Splash Hit exudes the class and confidence we strive to instill in all of our horses.
Splash Hit sold for $375,000.
Hip 118 Oscar Performance - WILD SILK by Street Sense
Wild Silk is a filly from Oscar Performance’s second crop. She is a little bigger and has more hip than her full sister, who was sold at the Saratoga Sale in 2021 for $180,000. She is a beautiful and elegant filly with a lovely hind leg and way of walking. Wild Silk was not expected to sell for as much as her sister because she is a result of Oscar Performance's second crop, and her sister has not yet participated in any races that would indicate Wild Silk's performance in a race.
Wild Silk sold for $65,000.
Hip 182 Oscar Performance – FASTBRIDLED by Unbridled's Song
Fastbridled is the son of Oscar Performance and has developed into a nice, leggy confident colt with swagger. His sire had a strong start as a stud, producing eight winners and a stakes-placed colt on dirt in addition to several second-place finishes. It was important for Mill Ridge to showcase a yearling from Oscar Performance at the Saratoga Sale before other horses from his crop are sold at Keeneland in September.
Fastbridled sold for $120,000.
Hip 208 Accelerate - INDIAN WILDCAT by Indian Charlie
Indian Wildcat is a filly bred from Indian Charlie; a famous broodmare sire known to pass speed along to his foals. We purchased her in our partnership for $65,000 and questioned if she would be ready for the sale in August. We were drawn to her hip and forearm even though her hips were well above her withers, she was going through a growth stage, and we did not know how she would develop during the prep months. Indian Wildcat blossomed into a beautiful yearling with a lovely attitude.
Indian Wildcat sold for $115,000.
About Mill Ridge Farm
Mill Ridge Farm is located just outside Lexington, Kentucky, the world's horse capital. We are a thoroughbred horse farm with a long tradition of raising and selling thoroughbreds. We offer various services, including boarding, sales, and consulting through Nicoma Bloodstock. Many horse fans who have been on one of our Lexington, Kentucky horse farm tours have become interested in ownership and how to get started in the horse racing tradition.
Its history spans generations, from Alice Chandler, who founded Mill Ridge in 1962, to her son and grandson, who now help oversee the farm. Mill Ridge has produced some of the world's best racehorses and has raised or sold 36 Grade 1 winners since 2000. By delivering the highest quality of care, we work diligently to nurture the athlete while preserving the intimate nature of the horse and take great pride in the results they produce.
Finding the right Kentucky horse farm to raise your thoroughbred racehorse doesn't have to be a complicated endeavor. Contact Mill Ridge Farm, 2800 Bowman Springs Road, Lexington, Kentucky, for more information about boarding your racehorse, or call us directly at (859) 231-0606.