By Maureen Werther
Construction is underway on new 2,580 square-foot barn being erected by the renowned thoroughbred auction company Fasig-Tipton.
The barn is being built on the corner of Case and George streets in Saratoga Springs, not far from Saratoga Race Course. The project is being managed by the LA Group. Officials said it will be ready for use at the 2018 yearling sales this summer.
The barn will contain 19 stalls and the building will compliment the existing structures across the street. The plans also call for sidewalks, street lights, trees and decorative fencing on the 0.43-acre lot owned by Fasig-Tipton.
According to Terence Collier, director of marketing for Fasig-Tipton, based in Kentucky, the additional barn will house high-end yearlings and demonstrate the organization’s ongoing confidence in the Upstate New York thoroughbred market.
He expects construction to go smoothly and on schedule.
Fasig-Tipton Co. has a long and storied history as an integral part of the thoroughbred racing industry. Founded in 1898 by Edward A. Tipton and William B. Fasig, it is the oldest thoroughbred auction company in North America, with its headquarters originally located in New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Initially, the company’s catalogue included high-end carriage and road horses, as well as standardbred and thoroughbred horses. Following the death of Fasig in 1903, Enoch James Tranter became Tipton’s new partner. Tranter made significant changes to the catalog.
The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga location is home to one of the most illustrious horse auctions in the world. Its roots go back to 1917, when some of the foremost breeders from Kentucky arranged with Fasig-Tipton to sell yearlings in Saratoga Springs.
The yearling sales at Fasig-Tipton have involved many famous horses, including Man o’ War who was sold in 1918 in Saratoga as a yearling and went on to become an iconic thoroughbred in the history of racing. Other notable horses include Belmont Stakes winners, Kentucky Derby winners and local favorite, Funny Cide.