SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The impeccably-bred son of Hall of Famers Curlin and Beholder sold for $4 million to Amr Zedan, ranking among the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale's top prices of all-time, as the sale, remarkably, improved upon its record figures established last year. "We've experienced some magical nights in Saratoga in the past – you've heard me talk about the Saratoga magic," Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning, Jr. said. "But we ain't seen nothing like tonight. It was spectacular." Fasig-Tipton reported 152 yearlings sold during the boutique two-day auction at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion on East Avenue, just down the street from Saratoga Race Course. That resulted in record reported gross receipts of $74,430,000. The figures do not include the $2 million sale of a share in prominent young sire Not This Time on Tuesday evening, with Fasig-Tipton providing a live auction platform for that offering. Last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale grossed a then-record $66,955,000 from 143 yearlings sold. Curlin and Beholder's son led 10 seven-figure yearlings at this sale – two during Monday night's opening session, and eight on Tuesday night with momentum established. Those expensive youngsters helped fuel a record average price of $489,671, jumping 5 percent from last year's then-record $468,217. The median, considered an important figure for market health because it is less affected by the outliers at the top of the marketplace than average is, was even with the record $375,000 established last year. The buyback rate in a highly selective marketplace for young horses finished at 25 percent, compared to 20 percent in 2022. "Electric," said bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, whose name appeared on five tickets, including the top two horses of the night for Zedan. "Fasig-Tipton did a great job bringing [top] horses here. It's a typical Saratoga sale. Everyone's here, and everyone's ready to buy good horses. It's good to see the market as strong as it is. Horsepeople are maybe the most resilient people in the world. They're unbelievable human beings. They're so resilient. After everything we've all been through, for this market to be as strong as it is is pretty remarkable." The sale pavilion was packed as Beholder's colt came to the ring. He provided the hoped-for fireworks, both before and after the hammer fell. Zedan, standing upstairs with trainer Bob Baffert and Lanni, prevailed in a lengthy bidding war, with bid spotters shouting out from various locations around the pavilion and parties bidding online as well. According to Fasig-Tipton records, the winning bid tied the colt for the third-highest price all-time in the 102 years of the Saratoga sale. Atop the leaderboard are a $4.6 million Northern Dancer colt sold in 1984; a $4.2 million Seattle Slew colt sold in 2000; and a $4 million Roberto colt in 1984. This chestnut colt, consigned by Taylor Made Sales as agent for breeder Spendthrift Farm, had been spirited on the sale grounds all week and showed that off in the pavilion to gasps, rearing twice, including after the hammer fell at the gaudy $4 million. Baffert, who will train the colt in California, said that reminded him of Beholder, who won 11 Grade 1 races, including three Breeders' Cup events, while winning four Eclipse Awards. "I was stabled next to Richard Mandella, and I watched Beholder go by our barn every day," Baffert said. "She was a handful, and it looks like he's a handful, too. . . . He looks like an athlete. I think he's an outstanding individual." Two-time Horse of the Year and perennial leading sire Curlin is now emerging as a sire of sires, with two of his sons in a row siring first-crop Kentucky Derby winners. Beholder, out of Broodmare of the Year Leslie's Lady, is a half-sister to Spendthrift's four-time reigning leading sire Into Mischief, as well as to promising young sire Mendelssohn, both also Grade 1 winners. Zedan alluded to this colt's pedigree as a potential stallion. "It's very difficult to find this kind of bloodline," he said. "It's a rarity at auction. . . . We just hope he makes us proud, and he becomes a stallion, and that he could actually be as impactful as his predecessors." This was the first foal out of Beholder to be offered at public auction. The mare is the dam of one winner from three starters to date, that being Teena Ella, a War Front filly who won the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes and was second in the Angels Flight Stakes this year on the California turf. Nearing the end of the sale, Zedan, Baffert, and Lanni struck again for a $3.2 million son of Into Mischief who finished as the sale's second-highest price overall. The colt, who is the first foal out of the American Pharoah mare All American Dream, was consigned by Indian Creek, as agent. "This was a pretty exceptional horse," Lanni said. "He had the best of both – he had the Into Mischief look and the American Pharoah look, and he was such a cool individual. Every time I walked by that barn, he was out [showing] for somebody. I don't think I ever saw him inside. But he did everything right, every time." All American Dream is a half-sister to stakes winner Wind Fire, dam of stakes-placed Air Force Jet; to stakes-placed Bloodline; and to A. P. Candy, dam of 2023 stakes winner Shidabhuti. All American Dream's granddam is multiple Grade 1 winner Dream Supreme, dam of Grade 1 winner and sire Majestic Warrior, graded stakes winner Evolutionist, and stakes winner Crystal Current, among others. Although Zedan made the two big-ticket purchases, Browning noted the diversity of buyers at the upper end. "It wasn't a one-man show. … The consistency of bidding throughout the evening was” strong, Browning said. “At times, the auctioneers and the bid spotters had trouble keeping up with the bidding . . . because there were so many bids coming, it was hard to keep up. It was just unbelievable energy and unbelievable atmosphere." Into Mischief also was represented by a $1.5 million colt sold to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and a $1 million colt purchased by the well-established partnership of China Horse Club, Siena Farm, and the WinStar Farm-affiliated Maverick Racing. Perennial leading sire Tapit was represented by a pair of seven-figure colts on Tuesday night, with one purchased for $1.2 million by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm and one purchased for $1.1 million by bloodstock agent Mike Ryan. Rounding out the night's top lots were a $1 million Twirling Candy colt, with Chuck Sonson partnering with West Point Thoroughbreds; and a $1 million Gun Runner filly to Randy Gullatt, Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks, and Rick Ortyl. "Your upper market is your most insulated segment of the market, and in recent years, there's been great vibrancy there with several different entities participating," said Conrad Bandoroff of consignor Denali Stud. "The cream of the crop, there's always healthy demand for, and there's no reason to think there wouldn't be. You've got great purse money, great purse structures around the country, and you've got owners that have an appetite for top horses that want to take them to the summit and the absolute peak of our game." For hip-by-hip results, click here. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.