$600,000 Pioneerof the Nile colt sets record at Fasig-Tipton NY-bred Preferred Yearlings sale

A Pioneerof the Nile colt sold late in Sunday’s session of the Aug. 11-12 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Preferred Yearlings sale for $600,000 – the top price of the two-day auction and the most ever paid for a yearling at the annual sale held at Saratoga.

Consigned by Thorndale Farm as Hip 588, the sale-topper was bred by Jonathan Thorne and is out of the A.P. Indy mare Score, a daughter of Grade 1 winner Educated Risk, who has produced Grade 2-placed Timely Tally and stakes-placed Dattt Melody.

“(The price) was not higher than I expected, for that pedigree,” said winning bidder John Ed Anthony of Shortleaf Stable. “That’s about what I figured, and I knew we’d have competition. If you’re looking for stallion prospects and want to be relevant in the classic picture and Triple Crown trail, you’ve got to pony up sometimes and play the game.” 

“I feel very lucky to have bred such a beautiful horse, such an intelligent horse,” added Thorne. “I’ve loved every minute of being around him. The record sale price is great, but he deserved it. He’s a fantastic horse. The people that got him got a really good horse.” 

The sales-topper was the lone offering in the sale by Pioneerof the Nile, whose yearling have averaged a robust $428,571 in 2018.