The gross sales for the first session were $7,622,000, a 12.4% decrease from last year, when 64 horses went through the ring, compared to 63 this year. The average dropped from $130,281 last year to $120,894, while the median remained at $100,000.
Sweet Azteca won a pace duel with the speedy Thermal to take the Rancho Bernardo Stakes at Del Mar for the third straight year. Juan Hernandez was aboard the 6-year-old daughter of Sharp Azteca for trainer Richard Baltas.
The two horses with the least experience on grass were the top two across the Saratoga Race Course wire Aug. 16 in the $225,000 Mahony Stakes (G3T), with Stradale outlasting Oscar's Hope to win by a neck.
Michael Tabor's Survie earned a unique double by capturing two graded stakes at Saratoga Race Course just 13 days apart, completing the task with a flying finish Aug. 15 in the $750,000 Christophe Clement Turf (G1T).
Godolphin and Coolmore were back in their familiar positions, just as they had been when they clashed over a well-related son of Justify who went Godolphin's way at €1.25 million on Day 1.
It may be August with summer temperatures in the Adirondack Mountains, but it was the Big A at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 15 to Linda Rice, who duplicated her wintertime feat at the Big A by winning five races at Saratoga.
Francis Graffard added another group 1 success to his extensive CV when Classic winner Rayif roared back to form to down challengers from Britain, Ireland, and Japan in a cosmopolitan edition of the Aug. 16 Prix Jacques le Marois (G1)at Deauville.
G1 Racing's Diktaean, an 8-year-old gelding bred by Haruya Yoshida's Oiwake Farm, has accepted the invitation to the Korea Cup (G2) Sept. 6 at Seoul Racecourse.