The team with Columbiana Farm couldn't believe their good fortune when they purchased the winning Elusive Quality mare Condi at the 2021 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for $40,000. Imagining how the good fortune would escalate less than two years later would have seem almost far-fetched at the time.
Condi sold to Columbiana Farm in foal to Violence at the November Sale, and the ensuing filly sold to Mayberry Farm for $485,000 on Wednesday at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Kathy Berkey, longtime bloodstock agent for Columbiana Farm, said the team foresaw a solid return on investment in even their most conservative estimates, but they didn't allow themselves to dream about the kind of result that came with Wednesday's fall of the hammer.
“We had a poll beforehand,” Berkey said, describing the moments before the Violence filly went through the ring. “I said $300,000, the farm manager said $325,000, and [Columbiana Farm owner Robert Ochocki] said $190,000, but we've learned over the years not to get ourselves hyped. She wasn't an Into Mischief, she wasn't an Uncle Mo.
“One of the things you learn is just because you have a lot of people that are interested in a horse, and a lot of people vetting the horse, that doesn't mean the price automatically goes up,” she continued. “$485,000 was a very pleasant surprise. It's one of those home runs you don't get very often. It's like winning a Grade 1.”
Six-figure commerce hadn't been associated with Condi for quite a while when Berkey signed the ticket for her in the fall of 2021. The mare was pregnant with her second foal, and her first, an Outwork colt, sold immediately after her as a weanling for $22,000.
Regardless, Condi had the things Berkey was looking for. Out of a stakes-winning Dixie Union mare, Condi was a half-sister to a graded stakes producer, and there was plenty of graded black type further down the page, with license for more to come.
Berkey and Ochocki have been working together for about four decades, and Ochocki said the two have gotten good at finding a similar wavelength when shopping for broodmares.
“I rely on her, and she's doing a fantastic job,” Ochocki said.
They once again found themselves in lockstep after examining Condi.
“We're always buying on a budget, so we're looking for families that have shown that they have enough ability to grow, and we also look for families that have things under them that are coming along that can help the family grow,” Berkey said. “With our limited budget, that's how we sometimes get lucky.”
Berkey and Ochocki watched Condi walk into the ring, expecting they'd have to fight for the mare, and perhaps accept that she might be out of their range. Then, the hammer fell and the Columbiana team still had some arrows in the quiver.
“We were probably going to $60,000,” Ochocki said. “We didn't think we'd get her.”
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If you appreciate our work, you can support us by subscribing to our Patreon stream. Learn more.Condi joined the Paris, Ky.-based Columbiana broodmare band that numbers about 12, over about 400 acres. The farm also boards mares for several clients. Among the high-profile residents for clients is Ce Ce, the champion female sprinter of 2021, who is boarded for owner/breeder Bo Hirsch.
The Violence filly arrived on Feb. 25, 2022, and when the time came for yearling inspections, she impressed the Keeneland sales team so much, they placed her in Book 2. Just one level between the boutique Book 1, placement in Book 2 still puts a yearling in the upper echelon of their crop by pedigree and physical, but the Columbiana team wasn't quite aiming that high.
“We asked for Book 3, and they put us in Book 2,” she said. “Now, I'm okay with it.
“We just figured in Book 3, they might stand out a little bit more,” Berkey continued. “In Book 3, a really good physical will stand out more because it's more of a transitional book in my mind, but I don't know she would have brought that in Book 3, so I'm happy we ended up here.”
The Violence filly certainly didn't get lost in the shuffle as a Book 2 horse. Offered as Hip 478, the chestnut filly was the most expensive offering by her sire at the Keeneland September sale through the late stages of Wednesday's session.
“Beautiful physical, very correct, very athletic looking,” Berkey said. “Really good mind on her. I had several people commenting how smart she was and how well she was handling everything. On top of that, she had a clean X-ray page, so it was like all the stars aligned.”
Unfortunately, Columbiana Farm won't have much of an opportunity to capitalize on Condi's newfound commercial appeal. The mare died earlier this year while foaling a colt from the first crop of Independence Hall.
Ochocki said they'd be shopping at the November sales to find a horse to fill her stall, especially after Wednesday's home run. Even after the windfall, he said they'd be sticking to the budget strategy that's gotten them this far.
“We're continually upgrading,” he said. “We're not standing still, we're not on a plateau. We're going forward.”
The post Bargain Broodmare Purchase Leads To Big-Selling Violence Filly For Columbiana Farm At Keeneland September appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
