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City of Light Book 3 Yearlings Keeping Busy at Keeneland

If City of Light was considered to be in demand after the close of Book 1 at the Keeneland September Sale, his yearlings were perhaps even more challenging to get ahold of by the end of Book 2.

First a colt by the first-crop stallion out of the graded stakes-producing mare Ghostslayer (Ghostzapper) brought $1.05 million late in the second session of the auction on Tuesday, selling as Hip 376, but then the next day another colt by the Lane's End sire, Hip 612 out of SP Anchorage (Tapit), brought down the house when he sold for $1.7 million. The purchase for Woodford Racing, Talla Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds marked the colt as the current sale topper after the first four sessions.

Through the initial pair of Keeneland September books, 28 City of Light yearlings sold for a gross of $12,535,000 and a $447,679 average. Eight of those offering brought at least $500,000.

So far this year, 42 of the 47 City of Light yearlings to have gone through the ring have sold to average $398,690.

“The September Sale results for City of Light so far have been astounding,” Lane's End's Allaire Ryan said. “I think it's a testament to the type of physical that he throws and the quality that he puts into all of his foals. The market is really reflective of the individuals that are out there. If you have a nice individual, whether it's in Book 1 or Book 5, you're going to do well with it. That sort of quality is what is sought after, whether it's by end users or people looking to resell. City of Light has had a fantastic sale so far and we're happy to ride on that momentum throughout the second week.”

Winner of the 2018 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and 2019 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S., City of Light has 19 sons and daughters slated to go through the ring this weekend for Book 3 of the catalogue with more to come in the following sessions.

Several consignors representing City of Light yearlings spoke on the quality they've seen in their offerings and the demand the youngsters have had from potential buyers since they stepped onto the sales grounds.

Hip 612, a City of Light colt out of Anchorage (Tapit), fetches $1.7 million at the Keeneland September Sale. | Keeneland

Hip 1393: City of Light colt out of Azure Spring (Open Forum)

Consigned by Columbiana Farm, Hip 1393 is a half-brother to MGSW Selcourt (Tiz Wonderful) as well as six other winners. As inspections started to slow in late afternoon on the first day the colt was available for buyers to visit, Columbiana's Kathy Berkey said the colt had already been shown 98 times that day.

“He's been very popular and we've always liked him,” Berkey said. “He's so well balanced, so athletic and such a lovely walker. Knowing the mare the way we do, we've raised all of her foals and when she gets a good one, you can tell from the beginning that it's going to be a good one. Selcourt was a superstar and this is a really nice colt too. We're thrilled to have him here and we hope he runs to his looks.”

Hip 1408: City of Light filly out of Betty Draper (Street Cry {Ire})

Hip 1408 is the second foal out of the Street Cry mare Betty Draper, a winner in France and a half-sister to stakes winners Modern (Tiznow) and City Plan (Street Sense).

Romain Malhouitre of Runnymede Farm said that the filly was foaled and raised at Runnymede before attending the 2020 Keeneland November Sale. After selling for $130,000 to Hubert Guy Bloodstock, she was sent back to their farm to prepare to go through the ring as a yearling.

“She's a lovely filly who stands over a lot of ground and she's very athletic,” Malhouitre said. “What we love the most is the way she moves. She's very fluid and efficient when she moves. She's been amazing all her life. She has plenty of bone and a good mind. She's got that look that most of the City of Light yearlings have, so we are very pleased to be able to present her to the market.”

Hip 1458: City of Light filly out of Dixie Victory (Dixie Union)

Presented by Lane's End, Hip 1458 is out of the winning Dixie Union mare Dixie Victory, a daughter of GI Prioress S. winner and stakes producer Friendly Michelle (Artax). Dixie Victory was purchased with this filly in utero for $240,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale.

“This filly is beautifully-balanced,” Allaire Ryan said. “She's a perfect package to look at. She moves well. She has a great range of motion and she's keen-looking, too, with a pretty head and eye. She's the type that I think would suit any end user or a pinhooker.”

City of Light filly out of Flatbow sells as Hip 1884. | Woodford Thoroughbreds

Hip 1884: City of Light filly out of Flatbow (Broken Vow)

Beth Bayer of Woodford Thoroughbreds is high on City of Light after a son of the young sire was a popular offering for their consignment in Book 2. Hip 1059, a colt out of SP Fashion Runaway (Old Fashioned), sold for $485,000 to Whisper Hill Farm.

“We love all our City of Light yearlings,” Bayer said. “He's stamping his horses and it seems like every one of them has a great walk, great attitude and a good body and shape. Everything about them is spot-on racehorse attitude.”

Hip 1884 sells in the sixth session of the Keeneland September Sale with Woodford Thoroughbreds. The April-foaled filly hails from the family of MGISW Classy Cathy (Private Account).

She's a very nice, precocious filly,” Bayer explained. I really like her attitude. Every time you bring her out to show her, she's always on. She wants to do her job and go forward. She stands up nicely, has a big walk and does everything perfectly for us.”

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City of Light Ready to Shine in Saratoga with First Yearlings

First-crop yearling sire City of Light (Quality Road – Paris Notion, by Dehere) was a physical standout long before he joined the Lane's End stallion roster.

In 2015, the son of Quality Road bred by Ann Marie Farm topped the sixth session of the Keeneland September Sale by a landslide when he sold for $710,000 to Mark Reid of Walnut Green. It was the largest ticket price for a Keeneland Book 3 horse since 2007.

Allaire Ryan recalls watching City of Light develop at Lane's End Farm in the days leading up to his purchase.

“Physically, by the time the sale came around, he was a stunning individual,” she said. “He started out with a big, rangy, raw frame and truly blossomed as he came into himself over the course of sales prep. By the time Book 3 rolled around, he was in prime placement to be received by end users and pinhookers. Anybody that looked at him, he was a horse that stayed on your short list.”

A similar thought was had by breeders a few years later when he first began his stud career at Lane's End in 2019. The Breeders' Cup champion and multi-millionaire filled a 146-mare book in his first year off a $35,000 stud fee. When his fee was increased to $40,000 the following season, he bred the same number of mares.

“He's been overwhelmingly supported at stud,” Ryan said of the young stallion who was just as popular this year holding a $40,000 stud fee. “As far as getting off to a good start, we couldn't be happier with how he's done thus far.”

And just as City of Light blossomed during sales prep as a yearling, Ryan said the eye-catching bay has bettered himself physically as he's let down as a stallion.

“He's a better-looking version of himself now and I also say quite frequently that he's a better-looking version of his sire,” she said. “He's got Quality Road's size, substance and frame, but he has a lot of style and presence to himself as well. He has really matured into a beautiful-bodied stallion.”

Campaigned by Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren Jr., City of Light captured the GI Malibu S. as a sophomore in his first start against stakes company. The Michael McCarthy pupil returned at four to annex consecutive wins in the GI Triple Bend S. and GII Oaklawn H. After placing in two Grade I competitions in his next starts, he took the 2018 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and then capped off his career the following January with a 5 3/4-length victory over a sloppy track in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S.

“The fact that he's a Grade I winner at three, four and five is pretty remarkable,” Ryan said. “He was just a classy individual from the get-go. He had the drive, determination and class factor to rise above the competition.”

City of Light's first crop of weanlings were well received last year with 20 of 23 sold to average $190, 875 and place their sire at the top of the first-crop stallion ranks behind only Triple Crown winner Justify in terms of weanling average.

His top lot, a colt out of the Into Mischief mare Breaking Beauty, was the highest-priced weanling of the Fasig-Tipton November Sale when he was purchased by Oxo Equine LLC for $600,000. Larry Best's Oxo Equine purchased another top-priced member of City of Light's first crop at the Keeneland January Sale, going to $400,000 for a filly out of I'll Show Me (Bernardini) from the family of champion Proud Spell (Proud Citizen).

“In last year's market there were a lot uncertainties, but we were certainly encouraged by the support buyers showed for his first-sale yearlings,” Ryan said. “Consistent support from end users and pinhookers is always encouraging, especially for a new stallion, so to receive that kind of support certainly made us feel like we were heading into the right direction coming into the yearling sales season.”

At last month's Fasig-Tipton July Sale, four of five City of Light yearlings sold, fetching $230,000, $180,000, $170,000 and $80,000, with another failing to meet her reserve at $120,000. His top-priced yearling, a filly out of Grand Sofia (Giant's Causeway) from the family of Grade I winners Rail Trip (Jump Start) and Palace Malice (Curlin), was the highest-selling yearling of the auction of any first-crop sire.

City of Light colt out of stakes winner Adorable Miss sells as Hip 33 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. | Lane's End Farm

Ryan said the physicals City of Light is throwing lend to the yearlings' commercial appeal in the sales ring.

“City of Light is a very dominant stallion from a physical standpoint,” she said. “He's extremely consistent in what he's throwing. Like him, they have size and beautifully-balanced frames. They have scope and a bit of style and elegance to them. A City of Light yearling comes out and they have presence. They catch your eye. On top of that, they use themselves beautifully. They have a tremendous range of motion and they cover the ground effortlessly with their stride. So from a commercial aspect, they have everything you want in a yearling prospect.”

The young sire has seven first-crop yearlings cataloged for the upcoming Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Sale on Aug. 9 and 10. Lane's End will be representing two of those youngsters.

The first, a colt selling as Hip 33, is a son of dual stakes winner Adorable Miss (Kitten's Joy), a full-sister to GIIISW Noble Beauty.

“He's a homebred here for the farm and has been a forward individual from day one,” Ryan explained. “He's got size, length, scope and a quality frame. He has a handsome head and eye, beautiful length to his neck and a nice range of motion. He carries himself effortlessly for a big, two-turn sort of colt.”

The second Lane's End-consigned City of Light, a filly selling as Hip 154, is out of the A.P. Indy mare Modesty Blaise, a daughter of Group I winner and Grade I producer Chimes of Freedom (Private Account). The filly is a half-sister to stakes winners High Noon Rider (Distorted Humor) and Poupee Flash (Elusive Quality).

“This filly oozes class and quality,” Ryan noted. “She has the residual value in her female family to back her up so I think heading into the sale, she'll be very well-received.”

Full brother to dual graded stakes winner Travel Column sells as Hip 209 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. | Chris Welker

Chris Welker has been on the ride of a lifetime over the past year as the co-breeder of dual graded stakes winner Travel Column (Frosted). The filly's half-brother by American Pharoah, now named Corton Charlemagne, brought $1.25 million at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase. This year, Welker is looking forward to offering their half-brother by City of Light as Hip 209 at the upcoming Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

“What don't I like about him?” Welker asked about the colt that will be consigned with Denali Stud. “As he's gotten older, he reminds me a lot of City of Light. This colt has a very good mind, a beautiful walk and he's very smooth. He has a beautiful head on him and is everything I had hoped he would be.”

In addition to producing MGSW Travel Column, the colt's dam Swingit (Victory Gallop) is also responsible for MGISP millionaire Neolithic (Harlan's Holiday).

Regarding the decision to send Swingit to City of Light, Welker said, “We loved the way he was bred and the races he won were brilliant. He was a brilliant horse. The first time we saw him run, I got really excited about how beautiful he was. At that time Swingit wasn't what she is now so the timing was perfect that when he went to stud, her offspring had done what they've done and we were able to [breed to him].

With just one week until her colt is set to go through the ring in Saratoga, Welker is growing more and more excited to find out how he will be received by the market.

“I feel really, really good but at the same time I want to be realistic because you can't start thinking crazy,” she said. “He's a little bit of Travel Column, a little bit of the American Pharoah colt and a lot of City of Light. You just see more and more of the City of Light in him, which to me is really, really exciting. I think City of Light is such an exciting stallion prospect and it will be fun to see what his babies will do.”

City of Light's other yearlings at the upcoming Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Sale include a half-brother to GISP Mr. Crow (Tapizar), a half-brother to GIISW Merneith (American Pharoah) out of SW Flattermewithroses (Flatter), a half-sister to GIIISW Share the Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) out of three-time stakes winner Belle of the Hall (Graeme Hall), as well as a son of stakes-placed Sca Doodle (Scat Daddy).

View City of Light's full Saratoga Select Sale roster here.

The Lane's End sire also has three yearlings cataloged for the upcoming Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Sale. View their pedigrees here.

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Industry Voices: Revised Schedule for KEESEP Sale

Two weeks ago, the TDN reported the news that Keeneland would offer a two-day Book One with Day One RNAs offered at the end of Day Two. Tuesday, Keeneland revealed the entire schedule for the sale, including a shift of the dark day from after Book 1 to after Book 2. We checked in with a mix of industry participants to see what their reaction to the schedule changes were.

Meg Levy, Bluewater Sales
I am very proud of the CBA, and the president, Allaire Ryan, who was instrumental in gathering consensus among consignors and telling Keeneland about it. I think Tony Lacy has been great. He has been very “boots on the ground,” and able to listen. This is something we have been wanting to happen for many years. It's great that the whole place wants to listen and wants to hear your opinion. I've been personally frustrated over how they kept changing the format over the past few years. From a momentum standpoint, this used to be the way that it was done many years ago. The most important thing, I told Allaire, was that the momentum for the buyers be preserved and the way they're doing their business is preserved. The motto of the CBA is “your seat at the table,” and it really feels that way. So, I'm proud of Allaire for doing this. It's so nice to have fresh air in the CBA and fresh air at Keeneland.

Sean Tugel, Director of Stallion Recruitment, Gainesway Farm & Board Member, Consignors and Breeders Association
I think it shows that Keeneland is being more flexible with the industry as a whole. I think it shows the commitment that Keeneland now has in working with the people who fuel the sales. As a member of the CBA board, I know that the CBA is working closely with them and they are listening to what the CBA is telling them as far as what consignors and breeders are wanting to see. So they have their ears open.

Liz Crow, BSW-Crow and Elite Sales
I think it's great. I think Keeneland would have preferred a three-day Book 1, but that's a hard balancing act, getting the right amount of horses between Book 1 and 2. We'll see how it goes. I think they're doing the best they can. I love the dark day being moved between Book 2 and 3, because it goes from around 200 a day to 400 a day really quickly. You get really backed up because it's ship in, show, sell from Book 2 on. As an agent or owner, you only have one day to look at a horse before you have to decide if you're going to buy them the following day. So moving the dark day is a really good idea. A new set of buyers come in after Book 2, so having that dark day makes sense. It's like a shift of one sale to the next. It's a totally different vibe from Books 1 and 2 and Books 3 to 6. It feels really good from my perspective to feel like we're all in this together to make this sale as good as it can be from a buying and selling standpoint. So that they're willing to listen and pivot is really important. I think they want to get to the point where we get a totally set format, but we're not there yet, and I think it's great that they're tinkering. Ideas like the RNAs from Day 1 at the end of Day 2 were tossed around at the CBA meetings, and they took that idea and ran with it. So props to Keeneland for listening and trying. It's so nice to see collaboration between consignors, buyers and the sales company.

Chad Schumer, Schumer Bloodstock
While always happy to see forward thinking and innovation, I'm somewhat unsure about the RNA resale move. I wonder if it would be better to offer these horses late afternoon on the dark day, after buyers have finished looking at Book 3 horses for the day.

Lesley Campion, Paramount Sales
We are very pleased with the new schedule for the Keeneland September Sale. Having the dark day after Book 2 makes complete sense and we welcome it. We would love to see consistency going forward and will do all within our means to make this format work for everyone. We recognize that Keeneland has an arduous task each year with placement, but consistency will help sellers better place and target their horses for their optimal book. We look forward to a strong market this year and can't wait to get started.

Conrad Bandoroff, Denali Stud
As far as the format goes, I have to tip my hat and give Keeneland credit. When they announced they were consolidating a three-day Book 1 into a two-day Book 1, there was a lot of feedback from sellers and buyers about having a dark day after only selling two days. I think buyers were pretty vocal about putting more horses in front of them before taking a break and letting them crack on with it. It affects us because we sell in the first session of Book 2. It affects people in Book 1 and the first part of Book 2. You still have a very important group of horses and you don't have that much time to be with those horses in the barn. We're fortunate that we can divide and conquer, whether it's my dad with one group and me with the other, and I think at the end of the day, even though it puts a little strain on you, it's the right thing to do and it's going to establish some momentum for the sale and keep it going. They listened to the feedback from their customers, both their sellers and their buyers, they took our opinion on board and they made a change after they heard that feedback. We all have the same goal–to put on the best show when you're selling and if we feel this is a change that will establish momentum and help commerce, we're all trying. The fact that they were willing to make that change is a positive sign.

Allaire Ryan, Lane's End
I'm pleased with the schedule for this year's September sale. I know I am not alone when I say I appreciate being able to put our best horses in front of buyers for four consecutive days before a break takes place in the sale. This momentum is vital to everyone involved in the sale process including sellers, purchasers and the auction company. The delayed start times of these four sessions are equally as valuable in my mind. This allows consignors, like us, who sell in back-to-back sessions to effectively manage multiple barn setups and it ensures that potential buyers have time to inspect and vet a range of horses on the sales grounds. I hope that it also translates to longer stays for those buyers, be they domestic or international, who intend to travel to the sale.

Marette Farrell
I am in favor of the new format because it allows people to see more horses over the four days. There are many good horsemen out there who don't need to be shown what Keeneland thinks are the best horses, because as we all know, good horses come from anywhere and everywhere. It is my belief that the more horses we put in the front of the book the better. Therefore, I am a big believer in thinking about a week one and a week two, like in England. The trainers/owners can go home and race their horses on the weekend or attend to their various affairs. Training horses is seven days a week and it's hard to get away for an extended period of time. This move is definitely a step in the right direction.

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CBA Unveils New Officers and Board Members

The new lineup of officers and board members of the Consignors and Commercial Breeders Association (CBA) were unveiled at the latest meeting, the organization announced on Tuesday. Lane's End Farm's Allaire Ryan is the new President, replacing outgoing President Gray Lyster, who will continue to serve the CBA as a Past President. Claiborne Farm's Walker Hancock is the new Vice President, while Mark Taylor of Taylor Made Farm is the Treasurer.

“The CBA owes a debt of gratitude to outgoing President Gray Lyster for the time and service he dedicated to this organization and I'm delighted he will continue to contribute to our cause as Past President,” said Ryan. “The CBA is a vital body in today's marketplace, and I am motivated to achieve the goals we have set in order to maintain the best sales environment possible for consignors and breeders.”

In total, the CBA board consists of 15 members: eight from the top 20 consignors and seven from other consignors and commercial breeders. Each year a portion of the board rotates off and new members are appointed to fill the vacant positions.

The current members of the CBA Board from the top 20 consignors are as follows: Conrad Bandoroff, Denali Stud; Carrie Brogden, Machmer Hall Sales; Neal Clarke, Atlas Farm/Bedouin Bloodstock; Liz Crow, ELiTE Sales; Walker Hancock, Claiborne Farm; Adrian Regan, Hunter Valley Farm; Allaire Ryan, Lane's End Farm and Mark Taylor, Taylor Made Farm.

Board members from other consignors/commercial breeders are: Tom Hamm, Three Chimneys Farm; Ben Henley, Airdrie Stud; Derek MacKenzie, Vinery Sales; Zach Madden, Buckland Sales; Gray Lyster, Ashview Farm; Mark Toothaker, Spendthrift Farm and Sean Tugel, Gainesway Farm.

For more information on the CBA, please visit www.consignorsandbreeders.com.

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