The COVID-19 crisis has claimed yet another horse-related event in Saratoga Springs. Due to New York State travel restrictions, Fasig-Tipton has canceled its Saratoga Fall Sale, which was originally scheduled to take place in the Spa City on October 20. It will instead combine the auction with its Midlantic December Mixed and Horses of Racing Age sale, which is to be held December 7-8 in Maryland.
This is now Fasig-Tipton’s second major Saratoga sale to be canceled this year, along with the famed Saratoga yearling sale that was supposed to take place this past July.
“The current travel advisory requirements make it virtually impossible for many buyers from out of state to attend an auction in Saratoga,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “We do not know what the duration or scope of the New York Travel Advisory will be in October. Combining our Saratoga Fall and Midlantic December sales into a two-day auction in Maryland is the prudent and logical course of action at this point in time.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has required all individuals traveling to New York, from 35 states and territories he’s placed under a travel advisory, to complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival in the state. These include many states that have an interest in horse racing, such as Kentucky, Florida, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, California and Texas.
The Midlantic sale is set to take place at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, MD.