When a $15,000 stallion achieves a sale average of $387,000 at one of the leading boutique yearling sales in North America, you’ve got to suspect something special is going on.
Newgate Farm’s exciting young shuttle sire The Factor (USA) enjoyed 100 % clearance with all six of his yearlings offered at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale being sold, highlighted by his top selling colt that made $750,000.
A gorgeous grey colt from Street Scene, he was bought by leading trainer D Wayne Lukas on behalf of his client Willis Horton.
“For me, he was probably the most athletic colt that I’ve seen,” Lukas said.
“I liked the way he walked, I liked his movement and everything. I just though he was an athlete.”
One of North America’s most revered horse trainers, Lukas was also impressed with The Factor yearlings in general.
“I think he’s going to be very good [as a stallion],”Lukas said.
“They’re very athletic horses and very attractive horses. War Front is making a name for himself and he could be a sire of sires. The Factor looks like he’ll step up to the bat pretty good. I liked three or four of The Factors in the sale. This one was my first choice, so we waited for him.”
The star colt was bred by Frank and John Penn and consigned by Jimbo and Torie Gladwell’s Top Line Sales.
“He really exceeded our expectations, but we knew he was a really nice individual,” Torie Gladwell said.
“He’s a good-moving colt, everyone seemed to like him and he vetted 100%, so we’re happy. We have three [The Factors] on the farm and they all have a similar body type to him. They’re not all as big and as scopey, but they all look really fast and racy.”
An explosive dual Group I winning sprinter, The Factor covered 115 mares in Australia last year and is back at Newgate Farm now in preparation for the new season and stands at a fee of $16,500.