Tag: Auctions

Competitive Bidding Continues Into Book 3 at Keeneland

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis

LEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale moved into the first of two Book 3 sesssions Thursday with continued competitive bidding and figures through four days of the auction still tracking ahead of 2021 statistics.

For the session, 248 head grossed $20,988,500. The average of $84,631 was up 6.7% from the opening session of the 2021 Book 3 section, while the median remained constant at $65,000. The session's buy-back rate was 26.63%. It was 23.64% a year ago.

Jody Huckabay, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client, made the session's highest bid when going to $450,000 to acquire the broodmare Brockovich (Honor Code) from the Lane's End consignment.

“It's been good on both ends,” said Huckabay, who was also busy selling from his Elm Tree Farm consignment. “If you bring quality up here, it takes care of itself on both ends, selling and buying. But when you are buying, you have to get ready. Everybody has money for the good ones, it seems like.”

A colt by Twirling Candy was the session's top-priced weanling when selling for $380,000 to Bay Shore Stable. The foal was consigned by Nursery Place, another operation active on both sides of the ledger this week.

“We've been trying to buy mares all week and it's been impossible,” said Nursery Place's Griffin Mayer. “It's so strong right now. It's always a fun business to be in when it's like this.”

The competitive market has been fueled by a number of high-profile buyers who have been steadily acquiring mares for recently retired stallion prospects like Flightline and Life Is Good.

“The market is strong for what people perceive to be the good ones,” said Doug Cauthen. “The mares have been extraordinarily strong. I think we have had the perfect storm of a lot of people looking to buy nice mares for their stallion prospects. There is a high percentage of quality horses at stud and new ones going to stud.”

Still some consignors were recognizing a familiar polarization in the marketplace.

“I think it is the same as always,” said John Mulholland. “If you have what they want, you are going to get paid really well. If you have everything they want, you will get paid more than you should, but if you missed it slightly, there is no safety net.”

The Keeneland November sale continues through next Wednesday and is followed by a horses of racing age sale Thursday. Bidding begins daily at 10 a.m.

Brockovich on The Case

Jody Huckabay, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client, purchased the unraced 3-year-old Brockovich (Honor Code) (hip 1050) for $450,000 from the Lane's End consignment early in Thursday's fourth session of the Keeneland November sale.

“We bought her for a new client and a good friend of ours that I grew up with,” Huckabay said. “It's pretty special. They've stepped up and bought two very special mares at this sale. They are getting into it in a big way. He is buying some very, very nice mares.”

Brockovich is out of Miss Squeal (Smart Strike) and is a half-sister to GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner Spielberg (Union Rags) and from the family of Clear Mandate. She was bred by G. Watts Humphrey, Jr. and was purchased by Shadwell Estate for $150,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September sale.

“Obviously she's a half-sister to a nice horse, but also it's broodmare sires all the way down the page,” Huckabay said. “And that's what attracts me to them.”

Huckabay agreed the mare's covering sire, first-year stallion Charlatan, who has been popular all week, was another attraction.

“We've been trying to buy mares all week in foal to Charlatan and we could have, but we were kind of waiting around on this mare,” he said.

Of his clients, Huckabay, who will board the mares at his Elm Tree Farm, said, “We are planning to sell [the foals], but then we may race also. When you are into this deal, you have to be prepared to race.”

Also this week, Huckabay purchased Scarlett Lace (Medaglia d'Oro) (hip 523) for $475,000 and Pilot Episode (Speightstown) (hip 484) for $110,000. @JessMartiniTDN

 

 

 

Twirling Candy Colt Proves Popular

A colt by Twirling Candy (hip 1270) provided a tribute to his late breeder Mary K. Grum when selling for $380,000 Thursday at Keeneland. He was consigned by Nursery Place and John Moynihan signed the ticket as Boy Shore Stable on behalf of Richard Rigney.

The weanling is out of Ours to Run (Half Ours), who was bred by Grum's husband Clifford. Racing for Colonel Thoroughbreds and trainer Larry Jones, the mare was a seven-time stakes winner and graded-placed, while earning $524,488 on the track between 2016 and 2019. The Mayer family's Nursery Place purchased the mare back on behalf of Grum for $140,000 at the 2020 Keeneland January sale.

“This foal belongs to Mary K. Grum, who passed away in July,” said Nursery Place's Griffin Mayer. “She bred Ours to Run, the mare, and we bought Ours to Run here at the sale for her. So it was fantastic that we could do that for her family.”

Of the foal, Mayer said, “We breed three or four mares a year to Twirling Candy and he's one of my favorite Twirling Candys that we've had. Twirling Candy is a great sire.”

Mayer added, “[Keeneland's] Chip [McGaughey] just told me that Moynihan bought him for Rigney Racing, so no one is going to pinhook him on me. He's going to get a real chance.”

The weanling was proceeded into the ring by his 8-year-old dam, who sold for $145,000 to the bid of Rockridge Stud. She was offered in foal to Upstart. Her first foal, a colt by Kantharos, sold for $25,000 at this year's Keeneland September sale. @JessMartiniTDN

Mulhollands Get In On the Action

After being shut out earlier in the week, Mulholland Springs secured one of their top picks early in Thursday's session, going to $375,000 for Bicameral (Constitution) (Hip 1042). The racing or broodmare prospect was consigned by Mill Ridge Sales.

Bicameral was a $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase purchase by Calvin Nguyen, who raced her in partnership with Joey Tran. Third to Grace Adler (Curlin) as a maiden in last year's GI Del Mar Debutante, she graduated by 10 1/2 lengths going a mile at Santa Anita this past April and added a turf allowance at Del Mar Sept. 4. Produced by a half-sister to Grade III-winning turf sprinter Around The Cape (Carson City), Bicameral has earned $146,586 to date.

“I think she is absolutely beautiful and you can never take away the fact that she was third in a Grade I,” John Mulholland said. “We have been shut out left and right. We have probably been shut out on 20 mares. Every time we come up here, there are 30 people following us to bid on the same horse. We decided to stretch a little bit and will put a few partners on her. I think she is lovely and one of the best I've seen in the sale so far physically.”

As for the future plans for the mare, Muholland said, “We will figure out someone nice for her or maybe we will send her back to the track. We will think about it. We are happy to get something of so much quality.”

Mulholland Springs has had a banner year on the racetrack with horses they either bred, raised or sold. Cave Rock (Arrogate), a graduate of their sales program, won a pair of Grade Is in California and was second as the favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Mulholland-sold And Tell Me Nolies (Arrogate) won a Grade I and Grade II on the West Coast, but was off the board in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Mulholland-bred Manny Wah captured the GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. this fall and was fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. The Mulholland-sold Awake At Midnyte (Midnight Lute) placed in several graded events this year and ran in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.

“I can't think of a better year as far as our horses on the track,” Mulholland said. “We had four runners in the Breeders' Cup that we either bred, sold or raised. I doubt we will every see anything like that again, but we enjoyed it a lot. Hopefully they will all be back again next year.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

 

 

 

Speightstown Colt Sparks Late Fireworks

A son of WinStar stalwart Speightstown (Hip 1370) sparked fireworks late in Thursday's session, bringing $360,000 from Mike Golden of Sycamore Hall Farm.

“He was very correct, very proportional,” said Golden, just before rushing off to catch a plane home. “I didn't really find any holes in him. He is by a great stallion and is the first foal out of a good racemare. He fit everything that we wanted in a weanling.”

When asked whether the weanling was a pinhook or would be retained to race, Golden said, “We are not sure at this point. We will see how he develops and go from there.”

Consigned by Taylor Made, the bay colt was bred by Mark Stanley. The breeder raced the colt's Grade II-place dam Tempers Rising (Bayern), who is a half-sister to SW Mac The Man (El Corredor). This colt is her first foal.

Volatile Colt Proves Popular at Keeneland

A weanling colt (Hip 1223) from the first crop of Grade I winner Volatile was in demand Thursday at Lexington, summoning $325,000 from XXY Stud.

Consigned by Taylor Made, the chestnut was bred by Three Chimneys Farm, which stands his young sire. The colt is out of the unraced Light of the Nile (Eskendereya), who is a half-sister to late MGISW Pioneerof the Nile, sire of Triple Crown hero American Pharoah. Her 2021 Uncle Mo filly brought $400,000 at this venue's September Yearling Sale just two months ago.

“He's just an athlete,” Three Chimneys Farm's Doug Cauthen said. “He has a great pedigree. It has Pioneerof the Nile right there. The mare threw a $400,000 Uncle Mo filly who was very athletic. Being a May foal, you can see there is a lot of potential.”

An $850,000 KEESEP buy, Volatile won five of his six starts, topped by the 2020 GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt S. at Saratoga. He has had 10 members of his first crop sell this week at Keeneland for $1.38 million with an average of $138,000.

“The Volatiles have been very athletic and a lot of people are coming up and saying how excited they are about them,” Cauthen said. “They look like racehorses. He was a heck of a racehorse himself. We have nine or 10 of them at Three Chimneys and every single one of them looks like a racehorse. The farm is excited about his potential. We think he will have another full book this year and that is always good in the third year for any stallion.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

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Gun Runner Filly Stars As Fasig-Tipton October Rewrites The Records Again

LEXINGTON, KY – With some 75 horses still to go through the ring, the 2022 Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings Sale overtook its record gross set just last year and, by the close of business Thursday, 1,100 yearlings had grossed $55,426,500. The 2021 gross was $52,607,500 for 1,153 yearlings sold. Also surpassing records set last year were the average of $50,388 and the median of $25,000. The previous marks were $45,627 and $22,000, respectively.

“Another remarkable sale concluded tonight,” said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning. “You are always thrilled when you set records for your gross, your average and your median price, particularly considering the 2021 sale had a dramatic increase from previous years as well. It was just a remarkable horse sale from start to finish.”

Trainer Wesley Ward made the biggest purchase of Thursday's session–and of the whole auction–when he paid $700,000 for a daughter of Gun Runner from the Claiborne Farm consignment. The yearling was the third most-expensive filly to ever sell at the October sale and the auction's fifth highest price.

The sale topper was one of 56 yearlings to sell for $200,000 or over. Forty reached that mark a year ago.

“We were optimistic coming in, a) because of the market, but b) because we knew the consignors and sellers had supported us with better horses than in the past,” Browning said. “Probably the most gratifying thing is that, for many sellers, the October sale has become a first option, not a last option. I think the men and women who brought quality horses here were really rewarded by bringing horses that had great appeal across the market. I think the confidence level that this sale has now achieved amongst buyers and sellers is tremendous. When you look at the catalogue cover and you see the three [Grade I winners] on the front and you see a horse like Hot Rod Charlie on the back cover, that's what makes a sale. Buyers can come and expect to buy horses that can compete next weekend in the Breeders' Cup and sellers can bring quality horses here and get rewarded for bringing them, whether they bring $50,000, $75,000 or $700,000. I think there is a high level of confidence amongst both buyers and sellers. The October sale has become a staple in the marketplace. ”

A Gun Runner Filly for Ward

Wesley Ward was at nearby Keeneland saddling the winner of the day's second race when a filly by Gun Runner (hip 1364) went through the sales ring at Fasig-Tipton, but with bloodstock agent Ben McElroy handling bidding duties, the trainer secured the yearling for a sales-topping $700,000 Thursday. The filly was consigned by Claiborne Farm on behalf of her breeder, Rich Santulli's Colts Neck Stables. When Ward first saw the filly, he told Claiborne's Walker Hancock that he had found his GI Kentucky Oaks winner, but the trainer admitted Thursday the yearling reminded him of sprint champion Judy the Beauty (Ghostzapper), whom he purchased for $20,000 at the 2010 Keeneland September sale.

“When Ben brought me over to see her, what she really reminded me of was Judy the Beauty,” Ward said. “She has a lot of the physical attributes she had when I bought her, except it was a difference of $20,000 versus $700,000.

“That's a big difference,” he added with a laugh.

The chestnut filly is out of the unraced No More Parties (Speightstown), who is a full-sister to Santulli's Grade I winner Force the Pass.

“She's a great physical by a sire who is off to a sensational start from a really nice family,” McElroy said. “I loved the bottom side of the family, too. Mr. P with Roberto on the bottom side and the dam is a full to a good horse. Regardless of whether she was by Gun Runner, she was a really top physical. She ticked all of the boxes.”

Asked who he bought the filly for, Ward said, “For myself. Right now anyway. I hope to [add partners], of course, or it's going to empty out everything I've got. But this is what I do, it's the only thing I've ever done my whole life. You've got to invest in what you believe in.”

Ward purchased five yearlings at the Fasig-Tipton October sale. In addition to hip 1364, he also acquired a filly by Into Mischief (hip 336) for $425,000.

“I only got three total horses at Keeneland,” Ward said. “Everything that Ben showed me that I got excited about, they were just unattainable for what I put to my clients. We went way higher than we should have on a lot of them trying to chase them up there. So only having three horses and me being a 2-year-old guy, I really didn't have anything. I was lucky enough Ben bought some nice horses for Barbara [Banke] and some other clients of mine in Europe, but here in the States, at Keeneland, I just didn't get anything. I think [October] is a great sale for me and I think I got some really nice horses.”

Hip 1364 had originally been expected to sell at last month's Keeneland September sale, according to Hancock.

“She was a Book 1 scratch at Keeneland a couple of days before the sale,” Hancock said. “We thought she could be doing better and we didn't want to sell her at what would maybe be a discount, so we decided to try her here figuring she could be a big fish in a small pond. And sure enough it looks like she is. We are thrilled with the result and very excited for the owners.”

Hancock admitted Claiborne was making an unusual appearance at the October sale.

“We are not really familiar with the October sale,” he said. “We just had an overflow of yearlings this year. We only sell what we raise, yearling-wise, and we didn't have enough stalls to sell them all in September, so we had to choose some to come to this sale. The first three days were definitely not as good for us. But this filly stood out. She's a very classy filly.”

 

Carlisle Makes Solid Contact

Lauren Carlisle waited all week for a filly by Uncle Mo (hip 1429) to stride into the Fasig-Tipton sales ring and the bloodstock agent would not be denied Thursday, going to $485,000 to secure the yearling on behalf of an undisclosed client.

“First of all I am feeling relieved,” Carlisle said after signing the ticket on the yearling. “I saw this filly on Sunday and I haven't stopped thinking about her since. She was my favorite filly. I haven't bid on any other horse besides her. So it's been a long week.”

Carlisle admitted bidding at the Keeneland September sale last month felt like sledding uphill.

“I took some pretty big swings in September and I felt like the Yankees in the post-season,” she said. “I just couldn't connect on anything. So I am pretty relieved and very happy. She's a lovely filly.”

Hip 1429 is out of Pearl Turn (Bernardini) and is a half-sister to Canadian champion Gretzky the Great (Nyquist). She was bred and consigned by Anderson Farms, which purchased Pearl Turn for $310,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale.

“We pointed her to this sale,” said Dave Anderson. “I had two Uncle Mo fillies to sell this year and I put one in Keeneland and this one here. She just thrived in the prepping process and exploded into the type of filly that we thought she was all along. She is very athletic, never had a pimple on her. She's a half to a Grade I winner and a champion horse. She just kind of ticked all the boxes. I am thrilled that Lauren got her. I know how much she loved her.”

Anderson sold the filly's half-brother Robitaille (Quality Road) for $560,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton October sale.

“Fasig-Tipton has done an amazing job with this sale and they have proven that you can get a lot of money for the right horse,” Anderson said of the October sale. “I've been fortunate enough to do it for several years now, so I am not afraid to bring the right horse here. I know I will get the money and this was an example of that.”

 

Broks Not Too Busy for First Breeders' Cup Starter

Glenn and Becky Brok ended two decades of breeding Thoroughbreds in Pennsylvania with the sale of their Diamond B Farm earlier this year, but the couple will be celebrating their first Breeders' Cup starter as breeders when I'm Very Busy (Cloud Computing) goes postward in Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. The colt was co-bred with Mark Toothaker in a partnership designed to take advantage of Pennsylvania's breeders awards program.

“Mark and I have done mares before. He always supports Spendthrift stallions and he breeds mares, some of which he keeps and foals himself, and some he and I partner on because he wants to get them in a state program,” Glenn Brok said. “He would send the mares to Becky and me and the deal was, we would foal the mares and the foal was a registered Pennsylvania-bred. When we sold that foal, we were halfsies on the proceeds and we got to keep the mare. We did that on a couple of mares, hoping the foals run in Pennsylvania and we are the recipients of breeders' awards.”

As part of the partnership, Toothaker sent the mare Two Kisses (Kissin Kris) to Diamond B Farm while she was carrying a foal from the first crop of GI Preakness S. winner Cloud Computing. While most of the partners' foals were sold privately off the farm to local trainers and owners, Two Kisses' colt was considered to have enough commercial appeal to head to public auction.

“I sent him to my son-in-law Carlos and my daughter Sarah in Kentucky and they finished prepping him for us and sent him back to Maryland and we sold him with Blake-Albina,” Brok said. “Ronnie [Blake] did a great job selling him to James Layden, who gave $50,000 for him and later took him to an OBS sale. He sold him [for $135,000] to Lauren Carlisle for her client who has horses with Chad Brown.”

I'm Very Busy, racing for Team Hanley, Richard Schermerhorn and Paul Braverman, made an immediate impact on the racetrack, graduating on debut at Saratoga going 1 1/16 miles on the lawn under Flavien Prat and earning the 'TDN Rising Star' nod.

“I happened to be there for the race after his when he won so impressively first time out,” Brok recalled. “I was in the paddock for the next race and Jose Ortiz is riding a horse for a friend of mine. Jose says, 'Oh, Glenn, congratulations on your horse running so well. We love that horse. We tried him on the dirt and he seemed to like the turf better.' I said, 'Jose you didn't even ride the horse and you know everything about him.' He said, 'We pay attention.' That was a real eye-opener.”

I'm Very Busy earned his spot in the Breeders' Cup with a runner-up effort in the GII Pilgrim S. last time out.

Ironically, the Broks are less busy these days after making the move to Kentucky.

“Right after COVID, it was difficult getting help. My wife was doing all the work and getting burned out,” Brok said of the decision to sell Diamond B. “I wasn't getting any younger and she wasn't going to get any healthier with me working her to death. It just seemed like a good time. The PA program was amazing to us. We were the leading breeders, we made a lot of money and we still have horses in the pipeline that are bringing us breeders awards–it's kind of like an annuity. You need to know when to hold them and when to fold them, so we did.”

The move to Kentucky brings the Broks closer to daughter Samantha, who runs Ron Wise's Four Pillars Farm, as well as Sarah and Carlos and their grandchildren.

“We bought a little place down here, 22 acres with an indoor for my wife to ride in,” Brok said. “I partner with Sarah and Carlos, who own and operate C & S Thoroughbreds, and our farms adjoin. It's just been a new page and a good one. We are enjoying living here in Kentucky. We have a lot of friends here and there are a tremendous amount of things to do in the horse community.”

Brok also remains in his position with Brook Ledge Horse Transportation and the move has given him more time to devote to his clients.

“I get to spend more time with my Brook Ledge clients then I did when I was living in Pennsylvania,” he said.

The move has also meant the Broks have the time to stop and enjoy the moment ahead of the Breeders' Cup.

“My wife was so inundated with work with the farm in Pennsylvania, she would never have been able to get away and enjoy this experience of having a Breeders' Cup horse,” Brok said. “Now I said to her, 'Hey we were invited to a party here and seats at the Breeders' Cup.' And she said, 'That's great, let's do it.'”

Diamond B was the leading breeder in Pennsylvania in 2017 and was ranked second in the state in 2018-2020. But what would a win in the Breeders' Cup mean to the longtime breeders?

“In our industry, is there anything other than the Derby that is bigger than those two days of racing and being a part of it?” Brok asked. “Nobody is flying under the radar here. When you have success and luck and you are the leading breeder or your horse wins a stakes, or your horse runs in the Breeders' Cup, people notice. And that's a good feeling. That's a feeling of accomplishment and acceptance.”

When it was pointed out that the partnership designed to take advantage of a state-bred program had produced a colt who made his first two starts in New York before heading to Kentucky for the Breeders' Cup, Brok laughed and said, “It has worked out in the past. This time, it's the good news and the bad news. He's a pretty nice horse and he's going to the Breeders' Cup. Which isn't in Pennsylvania.”

 

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Keeneland To Auction Off Fractional Interest in Flightline

A 2.5% fractional interest in 'TDN Rising Star' and likely GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic favorite Flightline (Tapit) will be auctioned off at the start of the 2022 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in Lexington, the auction house and Lane's End have announced. Flightline will enter stud as the property of a syndicate at Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, upon the conclusion of his racing career.

The auction will be conducted with a first-of-its-kind Metaverse experience which intends to replicate the excitement of the November Sale. This user-friendly virtual experience is hosted on Spatial and accessible via Oculus headset, desktop computer, or mobile phone. Participants will have a front-row seat in a virtual sales ring modeled after Keeneland's and will also have the opportunity to learn about Lane's End, Keeneland and the Thoroughbred industry through a series of pre-event activations.

The fractional interest is subject to Keeneland's Conditions of Sale. Interested bidders must register in advance, have established credit with Keeneland Sales, and meet such additional requirements as Keeneland or Lane's End may request. Qualified bidders may bid on the fractional interest in-person at Keeneland, via Keeneland's online auction platform, or by phone. The fractional interest is being offered by West Point Thoroughbreds, one of five ownership groups in Flightline, who races the world's top-rated racehorse in partnership with Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC and Woodford Racing LLC.

“Bill Farish and Keeneland have been talking about trying to stay ahead of the curve from a technology standpoint and increasing outside participation and interest in the industry,” said West Point's Terry Finley. “We are just really happy we are in a position to participate. We are excited about it. The attention has been incredible over the last couple of hours. It is very unique way for someone to have an opportunity of a lifetime. We don't know what to expect, but it could be very good for the partners.”

It is expected to be the only opportunity to buy into Flightline before he retires to stud. Should Flightline continue to race beyond the Breeders' Cup, the purchaser of the fractional interest will also be a part of his racing ownership. At the conclusion of the auction, the winning bidder will own 2.5% of Flightline and have all rights, benefits, and obligations of a co-owner of the horse pursuant to the Syndicate Agreement. All racing and breeding decisions will be made as provided in the Syndicate Agreement available for inspection by qualified bidders.

A decision on Flightline's future will be made following the Breeders' Cup.

“Flightline's stud fee has yet to be determined,” said Bill Farish of Lane's End, “but he will surely retire as one of the most valuable Thoroughbred stallion prospects in recent memory. He'll be an historic addition to the Lane's End roster and the syndicate model is an exciting way for more people to participate in a sport that otherwise has a high barrier to entry.”

Shannon Arvin, President & CEO of Keeneland, said, “With these trailblazing firsts–a chance to own a portion of the world's best racehorse and the opportunity to experience the world's leading Thoroughbred auction house in the Metaverse–Lane's End and Keeneland are once again proving their commitment to evolving the horse racing industry and welcoming a new generation of fans to its timeless traditions.”

For additional information or to pre-register to bid, visit www.keeneland.com/flightline or contact Bill Farish at Lane's End at (859) 873-7300 or Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach at (859) 254-3412.

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Into Mischief Colt Tops Another Banner Day at KEESEP

By Christie DeBernardis and Jessica Martini

A $1.4-million son of super sire Into Mischief (Hip 604) led a sextet of seven-figure sellers during the opening session of Book 2 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Wednesday. Consigned by Summerfield on behalf of Stonestreet Stables, the colt was purchased by Larry Best of OXO Equine.

With six horses eclipsing the million-dollar mark Wednesday, the sale total now comes to 28. During the equivalent session last year, just two yearlings brought seven figures, including the $1.7-million sale topper.

“It was a great session,” said Tony Lacy, Keeneland's Vice President of Sales. “When you are seeing six million-dollar plus horses in session three, getting us up to 28 for three days, you are bringing it back to 2006, 2007 levels, which is really encouraging. The average and median have ticked up again over last year. Overall, it was a really, solid competitive session. There was diversity in the buyers. It was great to see the money spread.”

Book 2 opened Wednesday with 219 head bringing $66,695,000 with an average of $304,543 and a median of $250,000. There were 77 horses that failed to meet their reserves. During the same session in 2021, 211 horses summoned $60,996,000 with an average of $289,081 and median of $230,000. There were 72 RNAs.

Through the first three days of selling, 439 yearlings have grossed $180,355,000 with an average of $410,831 and median of $325,000. A total of 139 yearlings have been bought back. During the first three days in 2021, 419 youngsters grossed $151,618,000 with an average of $361,857 and median of $290,000. There were 180 horses led out of the ring unsold.

The top 20 yearlings were all purchased by domestic buyers. The powerhouse group led by SF/Starlight/Madaket bought three of the six seven-figure sellers. All three colts–one each by Gun Runner, Quality Road and Into Mischief–were purchased for $1.05 million.

“A lot of domestic buyers participated and we are very grateful to them,” said Cormac Breathnach, Keeneland's Director of Sales. “The current purse structure in racing and their involvement in the sale just speaks volumes. We are very excited about it. We still have international buyers here on the grounds and they aren't finding it as easy as expected to fill orders. The energy from Book 1 continued into Book 2 and we look forward to it continuing into the next nine sessions.”

Gainesway had a great day Wednesday, selling a pair of million-dollar homebreds in Hip 603, a $1.3-million Tapit filly, and Hip 740, the $1.05 million Into Mischief colt. Antony Beck's operation was the session's leading seller by gross receipts, with 27 yearlings bringing $9.78 million with an average of $362,222.

The second of two Book 2 sessions gets underway Thursday at 11 a.m.

Best on Top for Into Mischief Colt

Larry Best found a colt by Into Mischief (hip 604) who checked all the proverbial boxes and the owner outlasted a phone bidder to take the yearling home for a session-topping $1.4 million at Keeneland Wednesday. Out of stakes winner and multiple Grade I-placed Dawn the Destroyer (Speightstown), the bay was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield on behalf of Barbara Banke's Stonestreet. After signing the ticket on the colt in the pavilion, Best rushed off to watch his Fortin Hill (Mucho Macho Man) win an optional claimer at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

“It's always good when the breeder, after you buy him, offers to partner with you on the horse,” Best said after speaking with Banke. “I love Into Mischief. I have all these filters that I use and rarely does a horse meet all the filters when it's a colt. That's why you don't see me buying many colts. My filter is pretty stringent. Believe it or not, this one cleared them all. And I thought, 'why am I not buying the horse when I bought all of these others Into Mischiefs and done well with most of them?' So I waited until I saw him in the ring again and I said, 'If I am going to roll the dice at a big number for a colt, I am going to stick with Into Mischief and this one looks as good as I've seen.”

Best said the odds were against him when he was looking ahead to hip 604 making it as a stallion.

“In racing, it is so hard to win one race,” Best said. “The likelihood of getting a horse that becomes a sire is remote, but this is my shot. I'll give it a shot because I love the bloodlines.

He is magnificent. He looks like Into Mischief, he is just well-balanced and a beautiful horse. But I can't emphasize enough, when you are buying colts, the risk is very high. And you almost have to be willing to lose on colts. With fillies, if you buy good fillies, you can love those horses for 10 years plus. ”

Best's broodmare band is still in its early stages, but he has already enjoyed plenty of success as a seller.

“My first horse that I ever bought was Moi (Medaglia d'Oro),” Best recalled. “I paid $750,000 and I thought I was nuts. She didn't do very well on the racetrack, but her third foal I sold for $570,000 as a weanling and Archie St. George's just sold him for $1.05 million [as hip 344 Tuesday at Keeneland]. I think maybe I'm doing something right.”

Best concluded, “So, do I need luck on this one? I need a whole lot of luck, but he's a beautiful horse.” @JessMartiniTDN

 

 

 

Stonestreet Yearlings Shine Wednesday

Barbara Banke's Stonestreet helped Book 2 get off to a strong start when selling a colt by Curlin (hip 410) for $925,000 to Don and Donna Adam's Courtlandt Farm and the operation came back later in the session to sell a colt by Into Mischief (hip 604) for a $1.4 million to Larry Best.

“We loved him,” Banke said of the Into Mischief session topper, who is the first foal out of the Stonestreet homebred and multiple Grade I-placed Dawn the Destroyer (Speightstown). “He's a great colt out of a great race mare. He was definitely one that I would love to stay in on, but I know Larry doesn't take partners. I may ask him anyway. He is a really good colt.”

Dawn the Destroyer, who finished second in the GI Ballerina S. and third in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint in 2019, was bred to Curlin this year.

Hip 410 is out of Road to Victory (Quality Road), winner of the 2017 GII Golden Rod S. Stonestreet purchased the mare, in foal to War Front, for $1.45 million at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

“I thought he would be very well received,” Banke said of the yearling. “He was a beautiful colt out of a good mare and by Curlin. He should be a very nice two-turn type horse.”

After a quiet Book 1, Stonestreet made its mark on the first session of Book 2, with seven yearlings sold for $3.8 million.

“We are just getting into the thick of it now,” Banke said Wednesday morning. “We sold four at Saratoga and we have six or seven to sell today and a lot more coming up.”

Through three sessions, Courtlandt Farm has purchased 11 yearlings for $8,235,000. The farm's new yearlings include three seven-figure purchases: a filly by Into Mischief (hip 359) for $1.35 million; a colt by Into Mischief (hip 344); and a son of City of Light (hip 73) for $1 million. @JessMartiniTDN

Gun Runner Colt Draws a Crowd

A trio of high-profile owners teamed up to acquire a colt by Gun Runner (hip 694) for $1.15 million late in Wednesday's third session of the Keeneland September sale. Bloodstock agent Justin Casse signed the ticket on the yearling on behalf of John Oxley, Coolmore's M.V. Magnier, and Breeze Easy.

“Everybody loves Gun Runner these days,” Casse said of the Woods Edge Farm-consignee. “They all seem to have very good walks and tremendous movement. He has a very good topline. He was a class act on the end of the shank from day one. He comes from a good nursery–they raise a good horse.”

After watching the strength of the market this week at Keeneland, Casse admitted he was not surprised by the colt's seven-figure price tag.

“If you had asked me three days ago, I probably would have said it wouldn't go that high,” Casse said. “I would have said maybe in the $600,000 range, but the way that things have headed, I have a hard time distinguishing what makes a horse like that bring over $1 million, other than the two right people are on him.”

The chestnut colt is out of multiple stakes winner and multiple graded placed Kathballu (Bluegrass Cat). He was consigned by Peter O'Callaghan's Woods Edge Farm, which purchased him for $185,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“He was vetted nearly 20 times,” O'Callaghan said of the yearling's popularity at the barn. “I would say all the big money was on him. It seemed like they all followed him up here. He was just a lovely, lovely colt, very much in the mold of his sire. He was very straightforward. He was a very nice colt when we bought him and did fabulous. Wonderful temperament. Very solid.”

O'Callaghan admitted he was a big fan of exciting young stallion Gun Runner.

“All these Gun Runners are easy to train,” he said. “They take the hardships. We've never had a stallion like this guy. We've had some great sires–Tapit, Into Mischief, Uncle Mo–but Gun Runner is a little bit extra. It's incredible.”

The million-dollar transacation continued a big day for both Woods Edge's pinhooks and homebreds.

On the pinhooking front, Woods Edge sold a filly by Flatter (hip 403) for $425,000. The filly had been purchased for $190,000 from the Pin Oak Stud dispersal held at Fasig-Tipton last September. Also Wednesday, Woods Edge sold a yearling full-sister to GISW Consumer Spending (More Than Ready) (hip 434) for $650,000 to Mike Ryan. The operation had purchased the filly for $240,000 at the Keeneland November sale last fall; and a Twirling Candy colt (hip 739), acquired for $175,000 at Keeneland November, for $400,000 to M.V. Magnier.

Hip 621, a Twirling Candy filly bred by Woods Edge, sold for $925,000 to Rigney Racing, and hip 520, a homebred son of City of Light, sold for $400,000 to CRK Stable.

Woods Edge sold 11 horses Wednesday for $5,205,000.

“The market is great, but it's the same story,” O'Callaghan said. “You have to be good. It has to be the right sire and it has to vet. If you want to break out, you have to be squeaky clean.”   @JessMartiniTDN

 

 

 

Pope Returns to the Well For Tapit Filly

Mandy Pope went to $1.3 million to secure MSW & GSP Danzatrice (Dunkirk)'s Tapit colt at this auction last year and she returned to the well Wednesday, buying his full-sister (Hip 603) for $1.1 million. Trainer Chad Brown, acting on behalf of client Peter Brant, was the underbidder.

“We bought the brother [Tapit Trice] last year,” Pope said. “We have him in training. Gainesway stayed in for a little part of him. He is with Todd Pletcher right now and we have high hopes for him. We are going to make a nice family here.”

As for the filly, the Whisper Hill Farm owner said, “I thought she had a nice hip, a nice heart girth and moved really well.”

Danzatrice is a half-sister to champion juvenile filly Jaywalk (Cross Traffic). Gainesway bought the mare for $105,000 as a 2-year-old at the OBS April sale. Her first foal, a now gelding named General Strike (Union Rags), sold for $250,000 at this auction and Tapit Trice was her second foal.

“It was Antony [Beck]'s strategy” said Gainesway's Brian Graves. “He had several Tapit fillies and he wanted to split them up a little bit. I really wouldn't have been able to pick between them honestly. They both had things to like about them. I preferred this one a little bit and the price showed it at the end of the day, but they were pretty close.”

—@CDeBernardisTDN

 

 

 

SF/Starlight/Madaket Strike Early

The powerhouse colt partnership led by SF Bloodstock, Starlight and Madaket Stables made their presence felt early in Wednesday's Book 2 opener, going to $1.05 million for a colt by young sire standout Gun Runner (Hip 383). The bay was consigned by Pope McLean's Crestwood Farm on behalf of breeder Ann Fostock.

“He is a beautiful horse raised by really wonderful people,” said SF's Tom Ryan. “Gun Runner is a sensation. There is no other way to describe him. He has five Grade I winners from his first 120 runners. It is an amazing feat. Bob loved this horse. Donato loved this horse. John Moynihan is part of this horse. Everybody that saw him [liked him]. It was a consensus vote. We are happy to land him.”

Out of Perfect Flute (Pleasantly Perfect), Hip 383 hails from a deep Juddmonte family. His second dam is MGISW and Kentucky Oaks-winning millionaire Flute (Seattle Slew), who is the dam of MGSW & MGISP Filimbi (Mizzen Mast). This is also the female family of GISW Weep No More (Mineshaft) and GSW Current (Curlin).

“He was a special horse,” said Crestwood's Marc McLean. “He's a horse we thought could break through and it happened. It was a nice surprise. He was bred by a client, he was foaled and raised at our farm. He has always been a standout. He has such good scope and size and that's what made him special. We got lucky and got him in the right spot. We were pretty busy this morning; buyers kept coming back, which is a good thing. He was early in the session, which made us nervous, but I believe everybody had done their homework. Hopefully he was one of the standouts on the day, but you don't know until you get here.”

The SF/Starlight/Madaket team sparked fireworks late in the session, securing a son of Into Mischief (Hip 740) for the same $1.05 million.

“We love Into Mischief. We've bought seven of them now [at KEESEP],” Ryan said. “How could you not love Into Mischief? He is out of a very good racemare and is by a very good sire. He is a horse Bob Baffert loved immediately, so we are happy to own him.”

Consigned and bred by Gainesway, Hip 740 is out of GSW & MGISP More Chocolate (Malibu Moon).

“This is where I thought the horse belonged,” said Gainesway's Brian Graves. “The mare is getting a bit middle-aged. I am especially proud of that one. Antony [Beck] let me do that mating during the Covid times. We thought he was a really nice colt physically.”

In between those colts, the partnership once again paid $1.05 million for a Quality Road colt (Hip 574) who is a full-brother to the stakes-winning Stillwater Cove.

The SF/Starlight/Madaket team, guided by bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, have purchased a total of 14 yearling colts for a sale-best $9.88 million through the first three days of bidding. —@CDeBernardisTDN

 

 

 

Million-Dollar Score for Hancock

Rowland Hancock, who has been breeding Thoroughbreds for over four decades, had his first seven-figure sale when Tom Ryan signed the ticket at $1.05 million on a colt by Quality Road (hip 574) on behalf of the SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership. The dark bay colt is out of Celibataire (Broken Vow), a full-sister to graded winner Interactif and dam of stakes winner Stillwater Cove (Quality Road). Hancock purchased the mare, in foal to Union Rags, for $180,000 at the 2018 Keeneland January sale.

“I had seen her yearling the year before and I fell in love with the yearling,” Hancock said of the mare's appeal. “Anybody that could produce something that beautiful, I wanted to own.”

Of his first million-dollar yearling, who was consigned by Crestwood Farm, Hancock said, “This colt was something. He is one of the most balanced, classy horses I've ever seen. I've bred some fairly good horses, but he was just special. You always read about these classy horses who want to walk and never get mad, keep their demeanor. He exemplified that. He loved to walk. He loved to get out.”

Celibataire's first foal for Hancock was a $100,000 Keeneland September yearling in 2019. He retained the mare's Gun Runner filly, Cause Celebre, who ran at Kentucky Downs just after her half-brother lit up the board at Keeneland. Celibataire's 2-year-old daughter of Justify sold for $215,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November sale. The mare was bred to Mendelssohn this year.

Hancock has eight mares in his broodmare band.

“I've been doing this for 47 years,” he said of his breeding operation. “This is the culmination of doing it for a long time.”

Hip 383 was the second seven-figure purchase of Wednesday's session for the SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership, which struck early in the day to acquire a Gun Runner colt, also consigned by the McLean family's Crestwood Farm, for $1.05 million.

“We love Quality Road, he's a great, proven stallion,” Ryan said of the purchase. “It's a very nice family. He's a half to a stakes-winning filly. He's a very straightforward colt.”

Of the colt's final price tag, Ryan said, “The market is very strong, it's carried through from Book 1 to Book 2 very nicely. But he's a big, strong Quality Road colt who was well-raised and with a proper pedigree. It's not that surprising.”

Enjoying the dual $1.05-million sales, Marc McLean said, “It's been a great day; unbelievable really.”

He added of the Quality Road colt, “He was not a huge colt, but just a beautiful mover. We wouldn't dream he would go that high. It was a good job by the sales team. Both of these were for clients and were raised and foaled at our farm. It is rewarding.” @JessMartiniTDN

 

 

 

Into Mischief Filly A Fitting Tribute to Late Dam

Stakes winner Steelin' (Orientate) was very good to the team at Jeff and Chiquita Reddoch's Stonehaven Steadings during her 14-year tenure with them, producing a champion in her very first foal Shanghai Bobby (Harlan's Holiday). Sadly, the Reddoch family lost Steelin' last year, but her final foal, a filly by Into Mischief (Hip 459), paid fitting tribute to her late dam Wednesday, bringing $900,000 from WinStar's Maverick Racing and Siena Farm.

“We loved her physique,” said WinStar's Elliott Walden. “She is a really strong filly. The pedigree works with Shanghai Bobby and another daughter has already had a graded stakes winner, both are by Harlan's Holiday. She is something we can put in the broodmare band as well.”

The Reddochs' daughter Leah O'Meara was first to congratulate Walden after he signed the ticket with her parents and husband Aidan O'Meara not far behind her.

“This is her last foal,” Leah O'Meara said. “We lost the mare before we weaned her. This was kind of her swan song. We didn't really want to bring her to the sale, but we have every other filly out of the mare. We still have the family and have sold well out of the family. This was a beautiful result.”

Stonehaven Steadings purchased Steelin', who was coincidentally bred by WinStar, for $155,000 at the 2009 KEENOV sale. The resulting colt sold for just $105,000 at KEESEP, but became champion and sire Shanghai Bobby. They have not offered many of Steelin's foals at auction, but her 2015 Tapit colt brought $500,000 from Winchell Thoroughbreds at this auction. The Reddochs sent Steelin' through the ring in 2015 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in foal to Medaglia d'Oro, but RNA'd her for $1.775 million. Her daughter Miz Kella (Harlan's Holiday) is the dam of MGSW Canoodling (Pioneerof the Nile).

Stonehaven Steadings has been having a strong Keeneland September Sale thus far, selling seven yearlings for $6.975 million with an average of $996,429, including the current sale topper, a $2.5-million colt by Quality Road (Hip 97). The nursery also produced recently retired champion and OBS April sale topper 'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road).

“It's been unbelievable,” O'Meara said. “This is the perfect storm. This is the best crop we have ever brought to a sale and to be this well received in a market so strong is just unreal. There are no words. I am thankful. Everyone will benefit. It will trickle down to everybody.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

Coolmore & Breeze Easy Team Up on Gun Runner Colt

Coolmore's M.V. Magnier teamed up with Mike Hall of Breeze Easy to acquire a son of the red-hot Gun Runner (Hip 640) for $825,000 Wednesday.

“Gun Runner is obviously doing very well as a stallion,” said Magnier. “Three Chimneys is a very good breeder and all the guys really liked the horse. Hopefully he is good.”

He added, “We are partnering with Breeze Easy. They are very nice people and we enjoy doing business with them.”

Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, Hip 640 was bred by the Torrealba family's Three Chimneys Farm, which stands Gun Runner. The operation purchased the colt's GSP dam Flatter Up (Flatter) for $300,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale in foal to the late Arrogate. She hails from the family of MGISW and stallion Midnight Storm (Pioneerof the Nile).  —@CDeBernardisTDN

 

 

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