When Amr Zedan placed the winning bid of $3.4 million for at Not This Time colt Monday at the Saratoga Sale, he had a clear goal in mind for the regally-bred yearling.

“He’s a beautiful horse by a really hot sire, from a good family,” Zedan’s trainer Bob Baffert said. “We knew he was going to be expensive, but we didn’t know he would be that expensive. We came here trying to buy a horse that you could get to the Derby with, so that’s why we bought him. We loved him. He stood out pretty well. Hopefully, he works out.”

The colt eventually would be the sales topper by a wide margin, coming in $1 million more than the second-highest price of the sale.

Consigned by Nardelli Sales, agent and catalogued as hip No. 72, agent Donato Lanni was doing the bidding for the Kentucky-bred out of stakes-placed Kayce Ace, who is also the dam of Schuylerville S. (G3) winner Comical. Kayce Ace is a full sister to Travers S. (G1) and Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Colonel John and Grade 1-placed Mr. Hot Stuff.

Hip 72 was the star of the sale for his sire, but Not This Time had no shortage of stellar results, with another six lots bringing at least $500,000 each. Overall, Not This Time’s average price of the two-day auction was $846,000.