Tag: Archie St. George

St George Looking For Summer Sizzle to Continue at Keeneland September

One month ago, Archie St George hit one out of the park, striking with a colt by Into Mischief who snagged $1-million from Elliott Walden, bidding on behalf of the partnership of China Horse Club, Siena Farm and Maverick Racing at Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga Select Sale. In fact, the operation sold all five of the yearlings it brought upstate, averaging $529,000 while realizing $2,645,000 in gross revenue. Hoping to carry on that momentum into Lexington next week, St George offers seven yearlings in Book 1 of Keeneland's September Sale.

“I go [to Keeneland–Book 1 and Fasig-Tipton Saratoga] pretty selective about what I bring,” said St George. “The bottom line is, the most important thing for me is the physical. Everything we sold in Saratoga were by good stallions and were good physicals and they all deserved to sell well. And they did.”

For this year's Keeneland September sale, St George is once again represented by several sires that have the potential to light up the board.

“I think we have some quality horses by some quality stallions,” he affirmed. “The goal is to have horses by the right stallions and the right physicals. Those are the types of horses that are supported by the market that is there. I try to bring a wide range of horses for every buyer out there.”

Among the St George yearlings sporting the powder keg-caliber sires that can ignite with the right buyers throwing their hats into the ring are a quartet of colts–Hip 3 (Uncle Mo); Hip 283 (Into Mischief); Hip 84 (by Quality Road) and Hip 368 (American Pharoah).

Out of Westside Singer, the Uncle Mo colt is a half-brother to MGSW and GISP Secret Message (Hat Trick {Jpn}).

“He's a big strong horse, very straight forward and he has a lot of Uncle Mo in him,” he said of the $450,000 Keeneland November purchase. “He has a nice walk, is correct and has a beautiful head on him.”

In regard to the colt's early appearance on Day 1, he added, “You never want to get that draw but we've got to deal with it. It just boils down to, if the horse is good enough, it will sell well. You just hope you have the physical that will overcome the early draw.”

Having proven so successful with Into Mischief in Saratoga last month, St George offers a pair of yearlings by the Spendthrift sire at Keeneland.

“Into Mischief is arguably one of the best stallions in the world and he's the leading sire in America. So, we got rewarded with that in Saratoga and we hope that is again the case at Keeneland,” he said.

St George's sole colt by the leading sire in Book 1 is out of Grade II winner Princess Haya (Street Cry {Ire}), dam of SW and GISP Lady Kate (Bernardini), in addition to the GSP duo of Prince of Arabia (Mineshaft) and Princess Theorem (Nyquist).

“He's a beautiful moving horse and he stands over a lot of ground,” he said. “He has a lot of quality and presence to him.”

Further underscoring the necessity of bringing the right pedigree highlighted by a 'now' stallion is the American Pharoah colt, out of Tepin Thru Life (Ire) (Curlin)–an unraced daughter of dual grass champion Tepin, in addition to a colt by Quality Road, who is out of unraced Daisy Miller (GB) (Smart Strike), herself a half-sister to GSW Mrs. Danvers (Tapit).

“He has a very good pedigree and should have an international appeal,” he said of the former. “He's a nice strong horse by a very versatile stallion.”

St George also presents a pair of yearlings offering a European flare to the catalog–Hip 183, a filly by Frankel (GB) out of MGSW and GISP Keertana (Johar) and a colt by Kingman (GB), catalogued as Hip 233. Both yearlings are offered on behalf of breeder Bryant Prentice.

“I'm excited about the Frankel filly,” admitted St George of the half-sister to GSW Ticonderoga (Tapit). “She's a very nice horse. Frankel is an amazing stallion and racehorse. Selling a Frankel is kind of unique over here.”

Offered at Keeneland in January of 2013, Keertana–a half-sister to GSWs Diversify Harbor (Curlin) and Snowtop Mountain (Najran)–sold in foal to Arch for $1 million.

The other Prentice representative is out of Grade II scorer Midnight Crossing (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a half-sister to G2 Dubai City of Gold S. winner Excellent Results (Shamardal). Midnight Crossing was purchased by Prentice's Pursuit of Success for 400,000gns at Tattersalls December in 2018.

“Mr. Prentice bought the Kingman mare in Europe, so that's where she was bred,” St George explained. “The appeal of European stallions has risen [in America] and the demand is there. So they are presented as a more unique commodity over here.”

On behalf of Prentice, St George also offers Hip 300, a filly by Into Mischief out of GI Central Bank Ashland S. heroine Sailor's Valentine (Mizzen Mast), a $1.25 million purchase in foal to War Front at Keeneland November in 2019.

“Both of our Into Mischiefs here are big, strong horses,” he said. “The filly is out of a young, Grade I-winning mare. She's a big strong filly that covers a lot of ground. She is a very nice physical that we are also very proud to offer.”

When asked what factors into what he retains for Book 1 at Keeneland, St George explained, “The Book 1 horses are by proven stallions. They might need a little more time. I think the Saratoga horses need to be a little more precocious. August is early to be selling a [yearling] so they just need to be a little more precocious than maybe the September horses.”

He continued, “But the bottom line is they need to be top physicals in both Book 1 and Saratoga. So, I think we'll see much of the same this time. For the right horse that 'tick all the right boxes' and you have what buyers want, you get rewarded. At the end of the day, Fasig was a very good sale and I imagine that it would carry on to Keeneland.”

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Godolphin Mares Star as Keeneland January Continues to Produce Strong Results

LEXINGTON, KY – During a session dominated by offerings from the powerful Godolphin operation, the four-day Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale continued to churn out strong results as it entered its second half Wednesday.

Through three sessions, 721 horses have sold for $41,732,600. The average of $57,882 is up 5.31% from a year ago, while the median is up 8.00% to $27,000.

At this same point at the 2022 sale, 770 horses had grossed $42,320,400 for an average of $54,962 and a median of $25,000.

Mares from Godolphin occupied five of the day's six top spots, with Walmac Farm making the day's highest bid when acquiring Carella (Tapit) from Sheikh Mohammed's operation for $260,000. In all, 27 mares from Godolphin sold for $1,798,700 and an average of $66,619.

A colt by Vekoma was the day's highest-priced short yearling, selling to G1 Investments from the supplemental section of the catalogue. The youngster was consigned by Archie St. George's St. George Sales.

“I think the market overall is solid,” St. George said. “It's been a good January sale. Any quality stock sells well. It's the old saying, if you tick all the boxes, you do good.”

Hunter Valley Farm sold two of the session's eight six-figure offerings, with Juddmonte's 4-year-old Gilded Ruler (Into Mischief) selling for $130,000 to Shepherd Equine Advisors and a short yearling filly by Tiz the Law selling for $100,000 to Headley Bell's pinhooking partnership, Sycamore.

“I don't think there is too much wrong with the market today,” said Hunter Valley's Adrian Regan. “For what's on offer, I think they are selling pretty good. Anything with any little bit of upside or a weanling with any bit of scope and quality, they are selling really well.”

The Keeneland January sale concludes with a final session Thursday. Bidding begins at 10 a.m.

Godolphin Mares in Demand

As the Keeneland January sale moved into its second half, it was a group of 27 offerings from Godolphin that took center stage, occupying five of the session's top six five spots and accounting for five of its eight six-figure prices. Leading the way was Carella (Tapit) (hip 1140), who was purchased over the internet by Walmac Farm for $260,000. The 10-year-old mare is a daughter of Cara Rafaela and is a half-sister to Bernardini. She sold in foal to Kantharos. Also selling via an internet bid was Orchestrate (Tiznow) (hip 984), who sold to J.S. Company for $200,000.

“It was a fantastic sale for us,” said Godolphin's Director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan. “The response was exceptionally strong down at the barn yesterday. We ended up having as many people looking as we had in two days last year. So we were inundated with lookers. We thought the mares would sell well, but we were probably surprised how well they sold. There was a great appetite for our mares. There were a lot of nice, young mares in there that people want to have with great pedigrees. I understand why people want to get involved in mares that we are culling out of our program. People have done well with them before. They were all sold, they were all over their reserves and I think people will be very pleased with what they've got off us.”

Lynn Hancock acquired two Godolphin mares on behalf of her family's Stone Farm. She signed for the 4-year-old Omkara (Ghostzapper) (hip 980), in foal to Cairo Prince, for $160,000 and came back later to acquire the 4-year-old Brookwood Hills (More Than Ready) (hip 1127) for $52,000.

“Godolphin obviously has some really great families and they can't keep all of the fillies out of them,” Hancock said. “We thought they had some great physicals with some really good female families. It looked like a good opportunity to get in on some active families.”

Omkara is a daughter of stakes-winner Kareena (Medaglia d'Oro) and her half-sister Padma (Tapit) was second in the Cash Run S. at Gulfstream Park on New Year's Day. Her second dam is multiple graded-stakes winner India, a half-sister to the dam of To Honor and Serve and Angela Renee.

“It's a super active female family,” Hancock said of the mare. “There are so many daughters producing in that family. There are some good runners on the page and it's a great family. So we thought we would take a swing.”

Banahan admitted he had fielded some questions about why Godolphin would sell a half-sister to a recent stakes-placed runner.

“We own three more fillies out of the mare,” Banahan said. “You can't keep them all. We want to keep the quality as high as we can. So we are going to have ones that we have to offload.”

Of the popularity of the Godolphin mares at Keeneland Wednesday, Hancock said, “You can't hide a good horse from the market, no matter where they are placed or when they are selling. I think the people are keyed in and looking at those mares and some of them are selling very well.”

Godolphin has now dominated the third session of the Keeneland January sale for two years in a row. Last year, the operation sold three of the day's top four prices, including the $480,000 session topper.

“It's worked very well for us,” Banahan said of the day three placement in the January sale. “We had a group of them in November as well, but we feel we get them in here, everyone is at the sale, it's a four-day sale, everyone is going to be able to see them and we are not going to have to divide them up into two or three different books. We can group them together a lot nicer than we can in November. Maybe we are a bigger fish in a smaller pond in January. Our mares stand out here.”

The January consignment also gives students in Godolphin's Flying Start program the opportunity to participate in the auction.

“The Godolphin Flying Start group comes into town right around New Year's and they've helped us out in the last couple of years,” Banahan said. “They've enjoyed it. It's their only opportunity to work a sale. Not that we did it on purpose, but that was an offshoot of it. And they enjoyed it and we enjoyed having them helping us out as well.”

Vekoma Colt Leads Yearlings Wednesday

A colt by Vekoma was the top-priced short yearling of Wednesday's third session of the Keeneland January sale when selling for $180,000 over the internet to GI Investments. The chestnut colt is out of stakes winner and graded-placed Inconclusive (Include). Archie St. George purchased Inconclusive, with the colt in utero, for $75,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November sale and he co-bred the yearling with Lee Mauberret and Gary Joyner.

“He was a very nice colt, very straightforward,” St. George said. “We had him on the farm and he showed himself very well and he put on a good show in the back ring. We'd like to thank the buyers and everyone who was interested in him.”

The colt was originally slated to sell at the November sale.

“He was in November, but we scratched him just because I wanted to give him more time,” St. George said. “This was just the right spot for him.”

The colt became just the latest supplemented offering to the auction to be in demand this week.

“It's really nice to be able to supplement them,” St. George said. “Keeneland does a great job with promoting it. It's nice to have a horse in here. Any time you have more horses in front of buyers, it's a good opportunity.”

McKinzie Leads First-Crop Sires at Keeneland Book 1

Four-time Grade I winner McKinzie (Street Sense–Runway Model, by Petionville) was represented by four six-figure short yearlings this week in Lexington and was the leading first-crop sire during the two-session Book 1 section of the Keeneland January sale.

McKinzie won the 2018 GI Pennsylvania Derby and GI Malibu S., as well as the 2019 GI Whitney S. and the 2017 GI Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity. He was second in the 2019 GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

On the board in 14 of 18 starts for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman and trainer Bob Baffert, McKinzie earned $3,473,360 on the racetrack and retired to Gainesway where he stood his initial season in 2021 for $30,000.

During Book 1 at Keeneland this week, the 8-year-old stallion had seven yearlings sell for $910,000 for an average of $130,000.

Peter O'Callaghan and Brian Graves purchased the sale's top-priced short yearling by McKinzie, going to $250,000 to acquire a colt (hip 835) from the Four Star Sales consignment.

“Obviously, it's redundant to say it was an awfully nice horse, but we thought it would hit the market well,” said Four Star Sales' Kerry Cauthen. “We were thinking in the $150,000 to $175,000 range, but when you bring up the really good ones, and two people obviously thought he was a really good one–you get rewarded.”

Cauthen continued, “I have seen quite a few McKinzies and quite like them as a whole. I think he's been fairly consisistent in producing a good-looking animal.”

Also during the January sale, South Carolina horseman Peter Pugh purchased a filly by the sire (hip 190) for $220,000 from the Hunter Valley Farm consignment.

While Pugh said he hadn't seen many of the McKinzie foals, he was impressed by the filly he plans to pinhook later in the year.

“She was very smooth,” Pugh said. “She was a very pretty filly who looked like she was going to frame out nicely. All the stuff you want.”

Mckinzie bred 214 mares in his first season and 180 in his second.

“I am really excited about what we are seeing in the market with McKinzie,” said Graves, who serves as Gainesway's general manager. “Before the sales started, I thought that McKinzie was really stamping his offspring and now he has left no question on that matter. They are all very leggy with streamlined shape and athleticism, which is my favorite type. They have sold at the highest level, to the best judges, and it's rewarding to see. I think he's going to be a huge presence at the yearling sales later this year.”

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Strong Start to Fasig February

The two-day Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale got off to a strong start Tuesday with 15 six-figure horses, topped by the $450,000 racing/broodmare prospect Bodhicitta (GB) (Showcasing {GB}).

The yearling market was especially strong Tuesday with youngsters accounting for half of the top 10, led by a $260,000 colt by City of Light. That yearling was the only offspring in the catalogue for his sire, who was very popular last year, topping Keeneland September with a $1.7-million colt.

Last term's champion freshman sire Gun Runner continued to be in demand on the back of a stellar first season and strong weekend at Aqueduct, where he had two new stakes winners. He sired the second-highest-priced yearling Tuesday, a $225,000 filly and a pair of mares in foal to the Horse of the Year summoned $150,000 and $135,000.

“Yearlings were stronger this year than last year for one simple reason… we had better yearlings,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “It has become a very viable market. We saw a healthy demand for weanlings/short yearlings during November and January. We appreciate sellers for bringing high-quality short yearlings and they were very well rewarded.”

A total of 198 horses changed hands Tuesday for a gross of $6,598,800. The average was $33,327 and the median was $14,500. There were 38 horses led from the ring unsold for a buy-back rate of 16%.

During the equivalent session in 2021, 207 Thoroughbreds brought $3,956,330 with an average of $19,113 and a median of $8,000. Fifty-seven horses failed to meet their reserve that day for an RNA rate of 21.6%.

“Last year's first session was overshadowed by the second session, probably due to the supplements,” said Browning. “I don't know if the difference will be as dramatic this year as it was last year, but there are a lot of good horses tomorrow as well. Clearly, we are trending in a very favorable direction. The numbers are great, but even better is the level of interest and level or activity. Consignors were having horses blowing past their reserves. We are seeing a legitimate marketplace for all types of horses. The most encouraging thing is there a vibrancy even at the $50,000 level.”

The breeding stock market was exceptionally high during the November sales and numbers remained strong at last month's Keeneland January Sale. Sellers and buyers alike saw that trend continue at the February sale.

“It seems pretty solid,” said Archie St. George, who sold the day's top horse Bodhicitta. “It seems like the January Sale and before [in November]. If you have the right product, everyone wants it. There seems to be a buzz around the grounds and the market appears solid.”

Bodhicitta Headed to Japan

Grade II winner and MGISP Bodhicitta (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) (Hip 177) sparked some midday fireworks at Fasig Tuesday, hammering for $450,000 to Japan's K I Farm, which did its bidding on the internet.

“I think that is a fair price for her,” said Archie St. George, who consigned the racing/broodmare prospect. “I think everyone is happy. She is going to go to Japan. I'd like to thank the owners and Richard Baltas the trainer. We wish the new owners the best of luck with her. She is a beautiful filly and she deserved to bring money with her race record and physical. She is an exciting prospect for her new owners down the road.”

Owner Calvin Nguyen bought Bodhicitta for 60,000gns at the 2019 TATMAY sale and brought her to California. She was still a maiden of seven starts with several in-the-money finishes. She captured four races during her first year in California, including the 2020 GII Yellow Ribbon H. She placed in consecutive renewals of the GI Gamely S. and RNA'd for $775,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. The chestnut made two starts this term, finishing second in the GIII Robert J. Frankel S. on New Year's Day and fourth in the Jan. 29 GIII Megahertz S. The 6-year-old mare's record currently stands at 23-4-5-3 with $370,808 in earnings.

“I had a great run with her,” Nguyen said. “She won a lot of races for us and to be able to sell her at this price was very exciting. My trainer [Richard Baltas] advised me that it is probably best to take some money off the table. We set a pretty good reserve on her. We wanted to test the market since all of the sales had been so strong. She is sound and still can do a lot of things going forward, but we wanted to capitalize on the market.”

Bodhicitta's second dam is stakes winner Klarifi (GB) (Habitat), who is the dam of MGSW & G1SP Fracas (Ire) (In The Wings {GB}).

City of Light Stays Hot at Fasig February

Offspring by City of Light were flying off the shelves at the yearling sales last year. He even produced the $1.7 million Keeneland September topper, which was the first time a first-crop sire had achieved that feat in at least a decade. With first 2-year-olds this year, the Lane's End resident's yearlings remained popular at Fasig February with a City of Light colt (Hip 42) bringing $260,000 from Peter Pugh, agent for Cherry Knoll Farm.

When asked what he liked about the colt, Pugh said simply, “A lot!” He added, “He is just a gorgeous horse.”

Buyers will get another chance at this colt as Pugh plans to send him back through the auction ring later this year. Pugh enjoyed pinhooking success with a young sire last year, selling a Practical Joke filly he purchased for just $90,000 at KEENOV for $520,000 at KEESEP.

Out of Spoken Not Broken (Broken Vow), the dark bay colt is a half to SP Eloquent Speaker (Flatter), who was supplemented to this sale as Hip 536. This is also the family of SW & GSP Bridgehampton (Bernardini) and stakes winners Stormy Novel (Bernardini) and Amundson (Curlin).

Consigned by Taylor Made, Hip 42 was bred in New York by Fred Hertrich and John Fielding, who had a sensational 2021. The duo bred last term's NY-bred GI Cigar Mile winner Americanrevolution (Constitution), GI Gamely S. heroine Maxim Rate (Exchange Rate) and GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity S. winner Pinehurst (Twirling Candy). They teamed up with Rob Tribbett to breed GI Hollywood Derby winner Beyond Brilliant (Twirling Candy) and Hertrich also bred 2021 Grade I winners Hit the Road (More Than Ready) and Juju's Map (Liam's Map).

Hertrich, Fielding and Tribbett also bred Hip 180, a $180,000 yearling filly by Speightstown.

Goff Fights for Cocktail Party

Dash Goff refused to be denied for the 7-year-old mare Cocktail Party (Mizzen Mast), determinedly fighting off a stubborn internet bidder to take home the gray for $240,000. Consigned by James Keogh, Hip 218 sold in foal to Liam's Map.

“I'm looking to buy three or four really nice mares and build up my broodmare band,” Goff said. “I bought two in November and three in January.”

The Arkansas businessman continued, “Some will go to Arkansas and some will stay here. This one will stay in Kentucky with the Welkers. The Welkers and I have done business for 35 to 40 years. I did business with his dad. We had a great night last night. We had two nice foals last night, a Mitole and an American Pharoah. So, I'm having a great day.”

Bred by the Herbener family, Cocktail Party won two of 10 starts for Michael Foster and was purchased by Fords Run Farm for $28,000 at the 2019 KEENOV sale. She has one previous foal, a 2021 colt by Connect. Cocktail Party is a full to MSW & GSP Barrier Reef and a half to stakes-placed Arctic Party (Eskimo) and Kissin Party (Kissin Kris).

“I liked everything about her,” Goff said. “Her former owner Jim Herbener was a good friend of mine. She may be the nicest mare on the grounds. I am real pleased with her.”

Goff struck earlier in the session for a pair of mares, securing Sweet Magic (Quality Road) for $14,000 (Hip 63) and A Change of Heart (Unbridled's Song) for $120,000 (Hip 124).

Gun Runner Filly Proves Popular

On the back of a stellar freshman season and two new stakes winners over the weekend, a filly (Hip 38) by champion freshman sire and Horse of the Year Gun Runner was in high demand during Tuesday's opening session, bringing $225,000 from Pick View's Joe Pickerell, who signed the ticket as Stock Thoroughbred LLC.

“She was probably the best filly in the sale,” Pickerell said. “For what we are looking for, she is the right kind. She is by the hottest young sire in the world. The kind that look like her and move like her are hard to buy.”

As for future plans for the filly, Pickerell said, “She will be a pinhook. We are not sure where yet. We will let her develop and make a plan for her.”

Bred in Pennsylvania by Christian Black's Forgotten Land Investment Inc., Hip 38 is the second foal out of the Discreetly Mine mare Sororitysweetheart, who is a full-sister to GSW Classy Class and GSP Full House. She was consigned by Taylor Made Sales.

“Anytime you sell a short yearling for $225,000, you have to be happy,” Black said. “She has been straight forward from the beginning. We are very happy she ended up in good hands with Joe Pickerell. We are looking forward to seeing her in another sale in the future.”

Black experienced success with Gun Runner in the past, selling a colt by that stallion to Lael Stables for $550,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale in one of the final consignments of his good friend, the late Mike Recio's South Point Sales. Black also sold Secret Quality (Elusive Quality) (Hip 7) in foal to Gun Runner for $135,000 to Hunter Valley Farm Tuesday.

Gun Runner topped the freshman sire list last year with 30 winners and six black-type winners, two of which were Grade I winners, including soon-to-be champion Echo Zulu. The dual Eclipse winner had another incredible weekend prior to this auction with his son Early Voting capturing Saturday's GIII Withers S. at Aqueduct and his daughter Shotgun Hottie taking that venue's Ruthless S. Sunday. The latter was catalogued to this sale as Hip 18, but was scratched following her breakout score.

“We were trying to take advantage of the fact that Gun Runner is a once in a generation stallion,” Black said. “You only see a sire like him maybe once every 50 years. She fit the bill. We are very happy with what we got. She was brought here to sell and showcase the mare a little bit too.”

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Bernardini Filly ‘Pops’ Late at Keeneland November

Pop a Choc, a daughter of the increasingly influential broodmare sire Bernardini, was hammered down for $265,000 as the last few grains of sand were passing through the hourglass during Monday's opening session of Book 4 at the Keeneland November Sale in Lexington.

The 4-year-old filly was consigned to the sale by Meg Levy's Bluewater Sales LLC and topped yet another day of exceptional trade in the Bluegrass. A total of 271 horses sold for $10,507,100 Monday, an increase of 67.4% over last year's COVID-affected sale, while the average of $38,772 represented a gain of 63.4% over 2020. The median price of $26,000 was ahead by 73.3% over last year. Twenty horses realized six-figure sums as opposed to six last November.

Cumulatively, Keeneland reports 1391 horses sold through six sessions for turnover of $176,713,100, an improvement of 30.9% from last November. The average of $127,040 bettered last year's corresponding figure by 17.4%, while the median of $75,000 was up by 36.4%.

Noel Murphy's Castle Park Farm consigned and co-bred Monday's weanling topper, selling a colt by Not This Time to Hunter Valley Farm for $200,000.

The Keeneland November Sale continues through Friday with daily sessions beginning at 10 a.m. ET.

Pop a Choc Sneaks In Under the Wire…

With just six horses left to sell during the Book 4 opener Monday at Keeneland November, Clear Ridge Stables paid a session-topping $265,000 for hip 2242, the Bluewater Sales-consigned Pop a Choc (Bernardini).

A $330,000 purchase by Justin Casse at Keeneland September in 2018, Pop a Choc was trained by the agent's brother Mark for John Oxley and Gary Barber, breaking her maiden at third asking over the Belmont main track in July 2020 before adding a three-length success sprinting over the Woodbine Tapeta July 17. Levy thought that her placement with time ticking away in the session was actually a positive.

“I think quality has been sticking out, in particular, and I think actually being at the end of the day may have helped her,” Bluewater's Meg Levy offered. “Everybody right now seems to be looking for something they can have a little fun with, run with and not risk too much, hopefully buy something with a bit of residual. She was faster looking than a typical Bernardini with a big hip and straight hind leg. It seems like the stars aligned.”

Levy continued: “She was a really well-balanced filly, deep hip, beautiful neck, very correct. She was a very nice mover and out of a Cuvee mare, so she looked more like that side in terms of her physical. She has a good blend of speed and stamina and Bernardini is such a good horse, for a broodmare prospect especially.”

Through six days of trade at the November Sale, Bluewater has sold 31 horses for $5,364,000, topped by the $775,000 Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}), who was bought by Doug Cauthen on behalf of Roy and Gretchen Jackson's Lael Stable.

“It's gone quite well,” Levy said Bluewater's success through six days of trade. “I was saying to people today that I look like a bad appraiser today, but I'll take that any day on the under side. It feels good right now. I don't know what's driving the market right now, in particular for the broodmares, because I do feel like it's slanted towards the broodmares. I feel like I see fewer people bidding on the weanlings than I've seen in the past years. Maybe the tax situation is spurring some of the broodmare buying in terms of the ability to depreciate them immediately.”

Gainesway Farm's Sean Tugel signed the winning ticket on Pop a Choc and said they would consult with partners on a potential mate. Given the commercial nature of her pedigree, Pop a Choc could return to a sales ring in the near future or they could elect to sell from her, he said.

Repartee Does Recio Proud…

The late Mike Recio acquired the newly turned 9-year-old Repartee (Distorted Humor) for $35,000 after she failed to meet her reserve when carrying to Not This Time at the Keeneland January Sale earlier this year. Offered in the first half-hour of trade Monday, Repartee paid tribute to the popular horseman when hammering to Pitlochry Partners for $215,000.

“I'm sure he'd be looking down on us today and smiling,” said consignor Archie St. George after selling the Repartee on behalf of Recio's South Point Sales, who owned the mare in partnership.

Cataloged as hip 1849, Repartee is out of the stakes-winning Dubai Dancer (A.P. Indy), a full-sister to GI Ashland S. winner Little Belle, whose daughter Dickinson (Medaglia d'Oro) was victorious in the GI Jenny Wiley S. The mare's second foal, Munnyfor Ro (Munnings), has made the investment look shrewd. Runner-up for a $35,000 tag over the winter, the chestnut filly broke her maiden in Keeneland maiden special weight company in April and was runner-up in the GIII Selene S. before taking down fellow Ontario-breds in the Woodbine Oaks Aug. 1. Since the catalog, Munnyfor Ro was a close fourth against the boys in the Aug. 22 Queen's Plate, took out the grassy Wonder Where S. Oct. 2 and the Ontario Damsel S. on the synth Oct. 31. To add further luster to the family, Repartee's yearling filly by Unified made $200,000 from Peter Brant's White Birch Farm at Keeneland September two months ago.

“Physically she is a nice, strong mare,” St. George commented “The fact that she's produced a very nice horse that's won over $500,000 obviously helps and the yearling sold very well this year. Unfortunately, she had a bit of bad luck with her produce this year, but on the whole, she produces very nice horse. She'll be a very nice mare for her new owners. It's a nice family and she's a nice, strong mare by a good stallion in Distorted Humor. John Moynihan bought her and apparently she's going to go to Charlatan. I wish them luck and thank them very much.”

St. George reported that the Not This Time foal Repartee was carrying at the time of her purchase suffered a setback and died earlier this year. He added that the mare did not cycle thereafter and was not bred this year.

St. George said he was humbled by the opportunity to consign horses to the November sale on behalf of South Point.

“It's obviously wonderful to sell these horses for the family,” he said. “It's very nice that [Recio's wife] Nancy chose me to represent Mike and his estate and I'm just so happy that the whole thing has gone well. Mike was a good friend and it's very gratifying. The way his horses have been received shows just how well-liked he was in our game. The results show that he bought some really nice horses and it's great to see him reap the rewards.”

Repartee's 6-year-old full-sister Tijuana Dancer (hip 1946) sold later in the session for $140,000 in foal to Vino Rosso.

Castle Park Colt Sells At the Right 'Time'…

It was a case of love at first sight for Castle Park Farm's Noel Murphy and his partner Dermot Joyce when the appropriately named Worth a Chance Mo (Uncle Mo), a daughter of the talented Grade III-winning 2-year-old Just Louise (Five Star Day), went through the ring at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton February Sale. The mare the partners were able to secure for a mere $9,000 some 21 months ago was responsible for the Monday weanling topper at the November Sale when her colt by the in-form Not This Time (hip 1988) fetched $200,000. Hunter Valley Farm was the successful bidder.

“Great result, delighted,” the Irishman enthused. “I knew he was going to sell well, but that was way beyond our expectations. He was a lovely colt, very popular, had lots and lots of vetting.

“The sire is doing very well, he's a very good stallion,” Murphy added. “He's very popular at the moment. He was an exceptional 2-year-old, a beautiful-looking horse and we thought we'd take a chance on him. My partner, Dermot Joyce, was the one to come up with the idea.”

Uncle Mo filly. Solid black-type family. Nine-thousand dollars?

“Dermot pointed her out to me. He manages Springhouse Farm, they bred her,” said Murphy. “He loved the family and he loved all the progeny out of Just Louise, so that's why we did it. She's not the most correct horse in the world, but she is a beautiful-bodied mare, a great-walking mare with a lovely head on her. When Dermot pointed her out, I said, 'we have to buy her, she's a lovely mare.'”

The proverbial cherry on top came less than 24 hours prior to the colt's sale, when Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah), the 2-year-old half-brother to Worth a Chance Mo, completed the exacta behind 'TDN Rising Star' Messier (Empire Maker) in Sunday's GIII Bob Hope S. at Del Mar. Forbidden Kingdom won his maiden at first asking at the seaside oval Aug. 21 and was third in the grassy Speakeasy S. at Santa Anita Oct. 1 prior to his effort over the weekend.

Worth a Chance Mo was bred to Global Campaign earlier this year, Murphy said.

 

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