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Tapit Filly on Top as Vibrant Trade Continues at Fasig-Tipton October

LEXINGTON, KY – The Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings Sale, which produced a day of brisk trade during Monday's first session, saw activity tick up another notch during a vibrant day of trade Tuesday in Lexington.

“The first horse through the ring this morning brought six figures and the last horse through the ring brought six figures,” said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning. “There was brisk activity and great trade, literally from start to finish today. It was very similar to yesterday.”

Midway through the four-day auction, 524 yearlings have sold for $28,232,900. The average of $53,880 is up 19.5% from the same point a year ago and the median is up 25% to $25,000. The 2021 auction produced records for gross, average and median and, through two days, the 2022 renewal remains well ahead of those marks.

“Quality sells,” Browning said. “There is a great demand for quality and there is great competition for what are perceived to be the quality offerings. But you are also seeing depth of the market. I thought today was a little bit stronger in the middle market than yesterday. It was a very, very vibrant marketplace and great participation, not only from American buyers, but international purchasers as well. It was a very, very healthy marketplace today.”

The day's top 10 yearlings were purchased by 10 different buyers and were sold by 10 different consignors.

The Green family's DJ Stable made the biggest purchase of Tuesday's session, going to $600,000 to acquire a filly by Tapit from the Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services consignment.

The two-day results continued a season of strong returns at the yearling auctions, according to Hanzly Albina.

“I think all of the yearling sales this year have been super strong,” Albina said. “They have exceeded expectations on all fronts. If you had the right horse in the right sale, you got more money than you would have estimated if you put reasonable estimates on your horses. I think Maryland was terrific, Keeneland was terrific and July was great. The mixed sale they just had up in Saratoga was unbelievable. And then this sale has been great as well.”

The Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings Sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

DJ Stable Strikes Again

The Green family's DJ Stable, which purchased three yearlings during the first session of the Fasig-Tipton October Sale, was back in action again Tuesday in Lexington, going to $600,000 to acquire a filly by Tapit (hip 629) from the Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services consignment.

“Between Kim Valerio and Mark Casse, we looked at almost every single horse in the sale,” Len Green said. “If you have faith in your trainer, like we do with Mark Casse, and you beat the bushes, then all you have to do is put your money where your mouth is. And that's what this basically is.”

The gray filly is out of multiple graded-stakes winner Carolyn's Cat (Forestry) and is a full-sister to graded winner Mufajaah. She was bred by Newtown Anner Stud, which purchased the mare for $210,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale.

The yearling was making her second trip through the sales ring this fall after RNA'ing for $425,000 at last month's Keeneland September sale.

“We couldn't be happier with that result,” said Hanzly Albina. “We really thought a lot of her. That's why we didn't let her go the first time. I think she is a beautiful Tapit filly with pedigree. The mare has been very generous to us. I think she warranted the $600,000 and we are very happy that she is in good hands. Mr. Green has a great racing operation and it's good for us because hopefully our mare will get another stakes winner.”

Asked about the difference in sales results, Albina said, “It's hard to say–maybe a month of growth. You can't say the buyers weren't there. The buyers were there. So I don't know why she was overlooked. Maybe she just needed a little more time to grow.”

McCrocklin Swings for Into Mischief Colt

Tom McCrocklin took a big swing to acquire a colt by Into Mischief (hip 752) for $560,000 on behalf of a pinhooking partnership late in Tuesday's second session of the Fasig-Tipton October sale. The bay yearling was bred by John Oxley, who campaigned his dam, Canadian champion Delightful Mary (Limehouse). He was consigned by Gainesway.

“He's a beautiful, beautiful horse,” McCrocklin said. “All the usuals: a beautiful horse, athletic, by Into Mischief, out of a really good female family. He was bought for a partnership and is going to go to a 2-year-old sale. We are going to do the high wire act and we will see how it works out. Check with me in the spring.”

It was the second time of the yearling sales season that McCrocklin stretched to acquire a pinhooking prospect. He went to a sales-topping $700,000 to purchase a colt by Arrogate on behalf of Michael Sucher's Champion Equine at the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale just days after the yearling's 2-year-old full-brother Cave Rock broke his maiden at Del Mar. Since then, Cave Rock solidified his position at the top of his division with wins in the GI Del Mar Futurity and GI American Pharoah S.

McCrocklin confirmed that colt remains on track for the 2-year-old sales.

“Obviously, we are on the Cave Rock bandwagon,” the Ocala horseman said.

Asked the value of purchasing high-priced pinhook prospects, McCrocklin laughed and said, “There is zero value in buying these horses to resell, but there is a continued desire for people to have the best and we are trying to acquire those horses to resell. It's up to me to get the job done for people that are very eager to try to hit the home run.”

McCrocklin added there are options for the partnership if the pinhooking route doesn't prove successful.

“We're not opposed to keeping horses to race,” he said. “It's not like they are on a one-way ticket and we have no other options. We certainly have the option to race. We understand the more a horse costs, the more the market shrinks on the other end. So it's not like we are going into it uninformed, but it's a conscious decision to try and sell some of the very best horses that go to auction. So we will give it a go.”

Through two sessions, McCrocklin has signed for six yearlings. He went to $190,000 to acquire a filly by Good Magic (hip 283) and went to $145,000 to take home a son of Maclean's Music (hip 23).

Of the market in Lexington this week, McCrocklin said, “Selective and strong, as usual. Very little middle and almost no bottom. So it's difficult. These people I am competing with are very smart and they are very experienced and very saavy. It's a lot of fun competing with them.”

He paused and added with a smile, “You just want to beat their ass every chance you get.”

Another Gun Runner for Winchell

Looking to continue the success it is having with offspring of Gun Runner, Winchell Thoroughbreds acquired a son of the operation's champion (hip 685) for $550,000 during Tuesday's second session of the Fasig-Tipton October sale. Out of the stakes-placed Classy Dancer (Speightstown) and from the family of Paynter, the yearling was bred by Andrew Warren and was consigned by Lane's End.

“We have obviously enjoyed the run that Gun Runner has put us on and the only the way to continue that is to get more of them,” trainer Steve Asmussen said after signing the ticket on the yearling. “We felt this one was as similar to [Grade I winner] Gunite as anything that we've seen in a public auction.”

Of the wide variety of successful racehorses by the sire, Asmussen said, “I am extremely pleased with the variety of types that have a good amount of success. We felt [with this yearling] the cross was along the lines and that we could compare this one to Gunite. Obviously, with Wicked Halo and Echo Zulu and several of the others, he has other physical types and crosses that work extremely well as well.”

Winchell Thoroughbred pre-entered four horses in the upcoming Breeders' Cup, led by Epicenter (Not This Time) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and including a trio by Gun Runner: Wicked Halo, Echo Zulu and Gunite.

After adding another yearling by the stallion to the roster Tuesday, Winchell manager David Fiske said, “There is nothing like it, but more of it.”

Of the operation's four Breeders' Cup pre-entries, Fiske said, “The two that worked Sunday came out of the works well. And now we just cross our fingers.”

Speedway Makes Some Late Magic

Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner's Speedway Stables made its lone yearling purchase of the season when bloodstock agent Marette Farrell went to $400,000 to acquire a colt by Good Magic (hip 778) from the Hunter Valley Farm consignment Tuesday in Lexington.

“He was a stunning physical,” Farrell said. “We thought he was the most athletic horse we'd seen in a long time. What struck me the most about him was, the very first time we saw him, he came out and he moved like a cat. And every time I came back to see him, it was like he was bigger and he was more horse. And he was so composed. I love to see a horse that has class like that because the horses you see in stakes races act like that and move like that.”

The chestnut colt is out of Divine Escapade (A.P. Indy) and is a half to stakes winner King of the Court (Speightstown). His second dam is Grade I winner Madcap Escapade (Hennessy).

He was bred by Sun Valley Farm and was acquired by Hunter Valley Farm for $150,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

Tuesday's positive return was the result of good timing, according to Hunter Valley's Fergus Galvin.

“He was a really good-looking, good-moving colt,” Galvin said. “We had him in the Keeneleand [September] sale, but we took the view early on that he would mature a lot for this sale. And he has really matured in the last six weeks. We had a lot of faith in the stallion and he's come on a lot in the last month as well. That was a big help.”

This fall, Good Magic has been represented by Blazing Sevens, winner of the Oct. 1 GI Champagne S., as well as Curly Jack, winner of the Sept. 17 GIII Iroquois S. His daughter Vegas Magic won the GII Sorrento S. in August.

Uncle Mo Joins BSW/Crow Colts Group

The BSW/Crow Colts Group and partners Spendthrift Farm and Gandharvi continued to add to its 2022 roster with the purchase of an Uncle Mo colt (hip 425) for $350,000 Tuesday in Lexington.

“Obviously, the sire power is there,” Jake Memolo said after signing the ticket on the yearling. “Uncle Mo is as good a sire as you could ask for. And this yearling is a strong, fast-looking horse. We were happy to get him at that price.”

Out of stakes-placed Adore You (Tactical Cat), the yearling is a half-brother to multiple stakes winner and multiple Grade I-placed Piedi Bianchi (Overanalzye). The gray colt, who RNA'd for $320,000 as a weanling at last year's Keeneland November sale, was bred by Deann and Greg Baer and was consigned by Wynnstay Sales.

During Monday's first session of the sale, the group purchased a colt by City of Light (hip 249) for $260,000.

“We maybe will add a couple more throughout the week,” Memolo said. “We are at 15 now, so we will be hoping to add maybe two or three more and see where we go.”

The BSW/Crow Colts Group purchased 11 yearlings for $4,840,000 at the Keeneland September sale.

Liz Crow's long history of success buying out of the Fasig-Tipton October sale has continued this year with Grade I winners Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) and Jack Christopher (Munnings) and the plan was always to shop for colts for the group at the last yearling auction of the year, according to Memolo.

“Liz has done so well at this sale and it's a sale she likes to target,” Memolo said. “This sale presents a lot of quality, so it's always nice to come here with a little bit of money to spend.”

Main Line Finds Some Fillies

Trainer John Servis and his partners in Main Line Racing worked the barns at Newtown Paddocks en masse over the weekend and enjoyed the fruits of their labors when securing three fillies during the first two sessions of the Fasig-Tipton October Sale. The group made its biggest purchase Tuesday when going to $300,000 to acquire a filly by City of Light (hip 578) out of Boodles (Mr. Greeley) from the Eaton Sales consignment.

“I just thought she looked awesome,” Servis said of the filly. “We chased a couple of other fillies that we didn't get, but we were really saving for this filly.”

The Main Line team got off to a quick start Monday morning when going to $220,000 for a daughter of first-crop sire Audible (hip 6). Consigned by Eaton Sales, the dark bay filly is out of Safwah (Medaglia d'Oro), a half-sister to GI Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming (Bodemeister) and to Grade I winner Hot Dixie Chick (Dixie Union).

“I always try to look at the younger stallions because we are breeding some now, so I pay attention to who the up-and-coming stallions might be and try to get lucky and get to them before they get too popular. I've seen quite a few Audibles that I really liked,” Servis said of the young WinStar stallion who has been popular in the sales ring all fall. “He seems to put a really good hip on all of them. But they all look athletic. I don't know that I've seen one that hasn't looked athletic.”

Rounding out the Main Line trio of October purchases was a filly by Not This Time (hip 203) purchased for $125,000 from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.

The group intentionally focuses on purchasing fillies.

“It's just for residual value,” Servis explained. “Hopefully, if they do some good, we have a shot to get our money back.”

Of the partnership, Servis said, “We have been together since, I'm going to say, 2005. It's Dr. Louis Bucky out of Philadelphia, William Schwartz, who owned a construction company that he sold a few years ago, and his son Drew, who lives in D.C. and does commercial real estate and myself. It's the four of us.”

The Main Line team won the 2019 GIII Dr. James Penny Memorial S. with Notapradaprice (Paddy o'Prado) and has been represented this year by stakes winner Love in the Air (Constitution).

Servis agreed competition at the October sale remained strong.

“I think we got lucky with the Audible filly on the first day because she was so early in the sale,” he said. “I knew it was going to be a strong sale because the pinhookers didn't get a lot accomplished at the September sale, so I knew a lot of those guys would be there, which they were. And I think we got really lucky. I think we did really well.”

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Spirited Bidding As Fasig October Sale Opens with Into Mischief Yearlings on Top

LEXINGTON, KY – The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale, looking to build on a record-setting 2021 renewal, opened with a day of competitive bidding Monday. A pair of yearlings by Into Mischief topped the day's activity, with a filly going the way of Ben McElroy for $425,000 and a colt selling to the Green family's DJ Stable for $400,000.

“It was a very good opening session to the 2022 Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale,” said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning. “There was very good trade. The parking lot was jammed pack, we saw lots of faces on the sales grounds, lots of trainers, pinhookers and end-users and lot of representatives from overseas.”

During Monday's session, 253 yearlings sold for $12,342,100. The average of $48,783 was up 21.3% from the same session a year ago and the median of $27,000 was up 58%.

The 2021 auction set records for both average and median–of $45,627 and $22,000, respectively–and the opening session of the 2022 sale was ahead of both marks.

“The 2021 sale was a quantum leap from previous year levels, so to be able to sustain that and potentially improve on that–I hate to get too far out because it's hard to judge the composition of which days are the best when there are 1600 horses on the grounds. But it was a very solid session with lots of activity.”

With 96 yearlings reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 27.5%. It was 19.6% during last year's first session.

The Fasig-Tipton October sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

McElroy, Ward Strike for Into Mischief Filly

Bloodstock agent Ben McElroy, sitting alongside trainer Wesley Ward, made a session-topping final bid of $425,000 to acquire a filly by Into Mischief (hip 336) at Monday's first session of the Fasig-Tipton October sale. The yearling is out of stakes winner Velvet Mood (Lonhro {Aus}) and was bred by Alpha Delta Stables, which purchased the mare with the filly in utero for $1 million at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November sale. She was consigned by Mill Ridge Sales.

“She's by a great sire, whether it's colts or fillies, and she's out of a precocious mare who was a stakes-winning 2-year-old,” McElroy said of the filly's appeal. “She just fit our model for getting them out early with Wesley and she looks like she could be turf or dirt, or even synthetic. She is a very nice filly. For me, she was the pick of the fillies today. We were happy to get her at that price and fingers crossed from here on out.”

McElroy said he expects to find partners for the yearling.

“We will put together a partnership on the filly and see how it goes,” he said. “That's good money for a horse, but by that sire, I think we did good.”

McElroy signed for four yearlings Monday and three were acquired with Ward. Keeping busy throughout the yearling sales season across the globe this fall, he also signed for eight yearlings at the Keeneland September sale and three yearlings at the Goffs Orby sale.

“It was really tough to buy what I wanted at Keeneland,” McElroy said. “In Europe, I think we got some really nice horses. We got four today and we are really happy with what we got. This sale always gets better day by day, so hopefully by Thursday these will look like good value.”

Greens Continue to Pick Their Spots

The Green family's DJ Stable, which purchased the co-toppers at the OBS October sale earlier this month, continued its yearling buying spree at Fasig-Tipton Monday, acquiring a colt by Into Mischief (hip 80) for $400,000 just minutes are purchasing a son of Gun Runner (hip 74) for $200,000.

“We are just trying to find a competitive advantage,” Len Green explained. “There are people with more money, so the idea is to try to find the spot and then buy them correctly. Because someone told me a long time ago, you run out of money before they run out of horses.”

Green admitted the team was searching for horses who might not be attracting the attention of heavy-hitting buyers.

“For example, there was an Uncle Mo (hip 197) that came in the ring later on and every big guy was on the horse,” he explained. “I looked at the list of who had visited him and they must have had 14 or so. So I said there is no sense to bid against those guys. Whereas on ours, we looked at the list and we said we have a chance to get this horse at the price we want this horse for.”

Of DJ Stable's buying process, Green said, “We have [trainer] Mark Casse, who certainly knows physical horses, and Jon Green knows what the value of horses is, he follows them all the time.”

Hip 80, bred by Emily and Oliver Bushnell and consigned by Lane's End, is out of Shysheisnot (Tribal Rule).

“This one looks like a runner,” Green said of the yearling.

DJ Stable is currently represented by a daughter of Into Mischief, Wonder Wheel, who is expected to go postward in next week's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

“It wouldn't make any difference,” Green said of the sire. “We don't look at the pedigree page. We look at the physical first. And then we look at the pedigree page to figure out a valuation for the horse.”

Hip 74, bred by Three Chimneys Farm and consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, is out of Shocking Fast (Distorted Humor), a half-sister to this year's GI Preakness S. winner Early Voting (Gun Runner).

“These are the kind of runners that, if they make it, they are worth a heck of a lot of money,” Green said. “You can say to me, 'Well, there are horses with no pedigree who win Grade I races,' but more likely the ones that win Grade I races are the ones that have the pedigree and the physical. So that's what we are looking for.”

DJ Stable purchased six yearlings at the OBS October sale, including a colt by Mitole and a filly by The Factor for matching $210,000 sale-topping figures. The operation also purchased the $600,000 sale-topping son of Curlin at the Fasig-Tipton July sale this year.

“We are also selling a lot right now,” Green said. “We were very heavy in fillies because we have a breeding program now. So we have the ability to do foal sharing. We never had that before. If you get a good filly, physically and with a pedigree and she does well on the track, then you have the opportunity to breed it and get into Book 1.

“We found that you can sell certain horses and then we have the advantage that, if we don't get the number we want, we can actually race them. So the number [of horses in the stable], believe it or not, is the same as it was last year.”

DJ Stable struck again late in the session to acquire a colt by Vino Rosso (hip 387) for $60,000.

Arrogate Filly Helps Kick Off October Sale

A filly by Arrogate (hip 7) will be heading west to the barn of that late sire's trainer Bob Baffert after bloodstock agent Donato Lanni made a final bid of $350,000 on behalf of John Rogitz to acquire the yearling early in Monday's first session of the Fasig-Tipton October sale.

The yearling was bred by Paul Tackett and his late son Phil and was consigned by Tackett. She is out of Saharan (Desert Party), a half-sister to Grade I winner My Conquestadory (Artie Schiller).

“She looks like a good Arrogate,” said Lanni. “She looks fast and she was light on her feet. She was a cool filly who did everything right.”

Lanni said of Rogitz, “He's a new guy for us and we thought this filly would suit him very well.”

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Audible Colt Tops Keeneland September Book 3 Finale

What was a solid final Book 3 session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale suddenly jumped into high gear in its final 45 minutes, producing its four highest prices in the span of some 80 hips, led by a session-topping son of Audible who sold for $725,000 to Flurry Racing Stables just six lots from the end of the all-day session.

Now midway through the 12-day auction, figures continue to be well ahead of 2021 levels. During the weekend's two Book 3 sessions, 586 yearlings sold for $92,258,500. The Book 3 average of $157,438 is up 14.5% from a year ago, while the median is up 20% to $120,000.

Through six sessions, Keeneland has sold 1,242 yearlings for $327,909,500. The average of $264,017 is up 10.67% from a year ago and the median is up 11.11% to $200,000.

A filly by Curlin brought the 2021 Book 3 section's top price of $800,000 and was one of 12 yearlings to sell for $500,000 or more during the two sessions. Curlin again had the highest-priced Book 3 yearling this year, with a colt selling for $900,000. That yearling was one of 19 to sell for $500,000 or over.

Asked to describe the action at Keeneland Sunday, Four Star Sales' Kerry Cauthen said, “Flipping incredible. It was just a great day.”

“We came in with nice individuals that we thought would sell well,” Cauthen continued. “They had nice physicals that would probably suit a pinhooker or a higher-end racing stable. And we just found the competition for those individuals was incredible.”

The Keeneland September sale was strong out of the blocks last Monday and Cauthen agreed there was a carryover to the auction's later books.

“This sale started in Book 1 with a bang. We kept selling great horses above and beyond expectations,” Cauthen said. “But we were putting very good individuals in front of them. And that does tend to trickle down into the next books because if they keep getting pressed out of the market, they realize they have to adjust their sights and probably spend a little more.”

The domestic buying bench continued to dominate the results sheets through Book 3.

“The strength of the domestic market is directly related to the strength of our racing market,” Cauthen said. “You can go out with a racehorse and earn a horse's money back and continue to have enjoyment and have it make some sense. And that has led us to a very, very strong domestic market.”

Bloodstock agent Clay Scherer, who purchased Sunday's session-topper on behalf of Staton Flurry, agreed the country's purse structure has led to plenty of competition in the sales ring.

“There is still strong demand for a Thoroughbred,” Scherer said. “It's never been more profitable to own one on the racetrack with the purse money that we have now. You are almost at the point where you can run year-round for six-figure purses for a maiden special weight. That's incredible.”

The Keeneland September sale continues through Saturday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

A Late Flurry of Activity

Staton Flurry had already left Lexington when bloodstock agent Clay Scherer called to tell him about a colt by Audible (hip 1952) selling late in the day at Keeneland and, with Scherer's enthusiasm in high-gear, the owner went to a session-topping $725,000 to acquire the youngster from the Paramount Sales consignment as Book 3 came to a close Sunday.

“I've just seen pictures of him,” Flurry said Sunday night. “I left the sale yesterday morning and Clay hadn't looked at him yet. But I had the Wi-Fi on in the plane when I was flying home and he texted me, '1952 is a freak.' He said, 'We have to buy this thing.' He sent me some photos and I saw the walking video online. He has been driving me crazy all morning about this horse–he's probably called 10 or 12 times today and texts and similar pictures. The last time he was this hyped up about a horse was at the 2-year-old sale last year and we ended up buying what became Interstatedaydream. She has worked out all right for us. For him to get this hyped up about a horse, I said it must be something special.”

Interstatedaydream (Classic Empire), purchased for $175,000 at the 2021 OBS Spring Sale, won this year's GII Black-Eyed Susan S. and GIII Indiana Oaks.

Hip 1952 is out of Oh Boo Hoo (Kafwain), a half-sister to multiple Grade I placed Palacio de Amor (Dixieland Band).

“He was just a nice, beautiful horse,” Scherer said of the yearling's appeal. “He has a typical Into Mischief look to him and bred the same way as [champion] Gamine. He looks like a fast horse who can carry it around two turns, a Classic distance type horse.”

Asked if he thought he would have to go that high to acquire the colt, Scherer laughed and said, “Not even close. I was on the phone with Staton and, when you fall in love with one and you have the right people behind you, they don't want to lose when they think they have a shot to go win the biggest races.”

Asked what he thought about the session-topping price tag, Flurry said, “We knew he was going to be expensive. We were thinking probably in the $600,000 range. I actually told Clay to stop bidding, but he said, 'Let's hit it one more time.' It's rare for Clay to get this excited or this hyped up about a horse, so for him to really say that told me all I needed to know.”

Flurry admitted, among the many partnerships shopping for colts, it has been tough finding the Classic-type youngsters he is looking for in order to fulfill a lifelong goal.

“The top of my bucket list–everybody looks at me like I am crazy–but I want to win the Arkansas Derby more than anything,” Flurry said. “It's home. I grew up about 1/4-mile from there. So we are looking for something that can win us that and, if you win that, you've got a good shot at the Kentucky Derby.”

Flurry continued, “It's been especially tough at this sale. Normally you see a million-dollar horse sell. But this sale, it seemed like every other horse was a million-dollar horse. You've got the partnership groups partnering with each other where normally they go against each other and this year they are all forming teams to buy the big ones to go for the two-turn horses. It's like the whole dynamic of the sale has changed from last year to this year.”

Duignan Calls an Audible

Gabriel Duignan hit a pinhooking home run with the $725,000 session-topping son of Audible. The horseman had purchased the colt for $160,000 as a short yearling at this past Keeneland January sale.

“He was a beautiful foal when I bought him,” Duignan said, while savoring the late-session fireworks. “It seemed like a good price at the time. He's just done super. He's just an absolutely beautiful horse. He's a horse that there is nothing you would change about him.”

Of the colt's development from January to September, Duignan said, “I think maybe the market has changed a bit, too, but he came in and he did super. He was squeaky clean on the X-rays. He was just a marvelous horse. He was probably the busiest horse I've ever had at a sale. And he showed like a champ. He never got tired. Every show was a good one. He turned out beautiful. He did everything you dream of.”

Yearlings by first-crop sire Audible (Into Mischief) have been in demand all summer and Duignan is at the top of the list of the stallion's fans. Just prior to selling hip 1952, Paramount sold another colt by the sire (hip 1941) for $350,000 to Mike McLoughlin. Duignan's Springhouse Farm purchased Mrs Vargas (Bernardini) with the colt in utero for $200,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale.

“I do love them,” Duignan said of Audible's offspring. “I think he was a very good racehorse with a nice pedigree. I think he is making nice stock. He's been very good to me at this sale.”

Through six sessions, 35 yearlings by Audible have sold for $7,747,000. In addition to Sunday's session topper, the sire was represented by a $675,000 son (hip 1167) Saturday.

Into Mischief Colt Joins Lynnhaven Roster

Jim and Dana Bernhard's Lynnhaven Racing continued its shopping spree at the Keeneland September sale with a pair of purchases Sunday. The duo was led by a colt by Into Mischief (hip 1871) who the couple purchased for $650,000 from the Four Star Sales consignment. Bred by Susan Casner, the yearling is out of stakes-placed Kayce Ace (Tiznow), a full-sister to Colonel John.

“He was a super nice colt,” said Four Star Sales' Kerry Cauthen. “Probably in the spring when we first saw him, he toed in a little bit and we didn't think he probably belonged in Book 2. He was probably a little weedy at that time. But he just bloomed into what was a heckuva nice, racy body. And matured. And we couldn't have been happier with him. That was rewarded in the marketplace today.”

Also Sunday, Lynnhaven Racing purchased a colt by Collected (hip 1672) for $300,000 from the Stone Farm consignment.

Through six sessions, the operation has purchased 10 yearlings for a total of $3,820,000.

Gun Runner Colt Rewards de Sousa

Sergio de Sousa freely admits he forms an attachment to his broodmares and the Hidden Brook managing partner, was rewarded for his faith in Wedding Jitters (Broken Vow) when the mare's colt by Gun Runner (hip 1681) sold for $500,000 to Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm Sunday at Keeneland. De Sousa co-bred the yearling with Jonathan Mills from Cranford Bloodstock and in a foal share with Three Chimneys.

“He was a very straightforward colt and we always liked him at the farm,” de Sousa said. “He showed well and he got a lot of action. You always hope for them to do well–$500,000 was great. We were hoping he would do something in there, but you never know until they go through and the hammer drops.”

Wedding Jitters was bred by Hidden Brook and sold by the operation for $110,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September sale. She won twice in nine starts and set a track record at Gulfstream in 2017. De Sousa claimed the filly for $16,000 out of that 7 1/2-furlong record-setting performance.

“I have always been a huge fan of Broken Vow,” De Sousa said of his decision to claim the mare. “And she was a beautiful foal. We had her dam, Lightfoot Lane, and we sold her, I think she went to Saudi. But I like to buy back into our families.”

Of the mating to Gun Runner, De Sousa said, “He was a tremendous race horse. He was typey and that's kind of what I wanted to breed the mare to. She has a Nyquist who is very nice and very typey. It was a bit of a gamble on Gun Runner. Three Chimneys was good enough, through Doug Cauthen, to do a foal share with us on the mare. It was a gamble, but the body type was what we were looking for, we were looking for a stallion to complement her. And we obviously got lucky that Gun Runner is just a fantastic horse having a great start at stud. Everything kind of lined up the right way.”

De Sousa purchased back into another Hidden Brook family which was represented by a yearling in Sunday's sixth session of the Keeneland sale. Theory of Chance (Archarcharch) was sold by Hidden Brook for $95,000 at the 2014 Keeneland September sale and was reacquired by the operation for $45,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November sale. Her Collected colt (hip 1652) sold for $210,000 to John Brocklebank, as agent for Bill Peeples.

“I have a problem sometimes with some of these mares, especially some of the ones we sold,” De Sousa said with a chuckle. “It's hard for me to let them go. I really enjoy breeding horses because there is a connection and a story behind the ones we have. I can only imagine how people like Claiborne and Mr. Hancock, they go so far back on these families, it's very neat to be able to talk about the family that deep. Obviously, we want to make as much money as everybody else, that is what our business is, but I think there is also an attachment to the families or the horses as individuals.”

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Curlin Colt On Top As Keeneland Powers Into Book 3

LEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland September Yearling Sale might have taken a day off Friday, but the auction lost none of its momentum when bidding returned for the first of two Book 3 sessions Saturday in Lexington. A colt by Curlin paced another competitive session when selling for $900,000 to the BSW/Crow Colts partnership. For the session, 287 yearlings grossed $50,747,500. The session average was $176,821–up 5.69% from last year's corresponding session–and the median rose 3.7% to $140,000.

Through five days, 956 head have sold for $287,737,500. The average is $300,981, up 9.03% from the same point of last year's auction, and the median is up 12.5% to $225,000. The buy-back rate is 24.67%. It was 28.82% at this point in 2021.

Saturday's session began on a familiar note when Jacob West, bidding on behalf of the omnipresent Repole Stables, signed for the very horse through the ring and, by the end of the session, Mike Repole's name was on the tickets of 67 yearlings for the entire sale for a gross of $25,420,000.

St. Elias Stables, a partner on many of the Repole purchases this week, is named on the tickets of 44 head for a gross of $18,210,000. Bloodstock agent Michael Wallace was in action for four yearlings purchased soley for Vinnie Viola's operation Saturday, led by a $725,000 son of Omaha Beach.

“Obviously, we've been a big part of the market, but it's been incredibly strong across the board and we haven't had things all our own way either,” Wallace said Saturday. “Everybody still has a lot of horses to try to buy and people still have plenty of money in their pockets. I think what we've seen here is a push-down in the market and we will see into today and tomorrow and probably into the next week. Probably if you had asked me three weeks ago, would it be this strong, I would have said no. But after seeing Book 1 and knowing people were getting pushed back to the next day, it was always going to end up like this.”

Peter O'Callaghan's Woods Edge Farm continued to enjoy strong results in the sales ring at Keeneland. The operation sold 10 horses Saturday for $2,787,500, led by a $700,000 colt by Arrogate.

“The market is excellent, but you've got to be good,” O'Callaghan said. “It's so hard for breeders and pinhookers to breed or purchase a very nice foal. So when we do have one, it's just so gratifying to get rewarded like that. Because believe me, we go through enough of the ones that don't qualify. When it all falls into place, it's extremely gratifying, but also there is a lot of relief involved.”

O'Callaghan continued to see a polarization in the marketplace, with leading buyers all landing on the same horses.

“Everybody is very selective in what they want,” he said. “They really know what they want. Most of these guys are almost all on most of the same horses. They can't all buy the same ones. They win one, they lose one, they just have to keep going. They want to buy in the top 10% of each session. And so those horses are so highly sought after and they sell very well, but the next ones down don't quite hit the headlines.”

The Keeneland September sale continues through Saturday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

BSW/Crow Partnership Stretches for Curlin Colt

The BSW/Crow Colts Group/Spendthrift/Gandharvi made its biggest purchase of the Keeneland sale so far when going to $900,000 to acquire a colt by Curlin (hip 1232). The yearling was consigned by Elm Tree Farm as agent for his breeder, Barbara Banke's Stonestreet.

“It's been very hard to buy this sort of horse,” admitted Brad Weisbord after signing the ticket on the yearling. “Obviously we stretched a little bit.”

The high-profile colt-buying partnerships of Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola and SF/Starlight/Madaket have dominated the marketplace at Keeneland this week. That domination forced Weisbord and team to modify its approach Saturday.

“We try to buy them a little cheaper, but Liz [Crow] and [Spendthrift's] Ned [Toffey] said to keep going, so that's what we did,” Weisbord said. “We try to stay in the $500,000-$600,000 range, but he was, for us, the top colt today, so we stretched a little bit. I believe the breeder is going to stay in for a piece, so we love to have them. We think they are one of the top breeders in the game. For us, all of the stars lined up. And hopefully we will see him next year in the big races.”

Hip 1232 is out of Tangere (Malibu Moon), a half-sister to Grade I winner Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song) and Visionaire (Grand Slam). The 9-year-old mare, in foal to Hard Spun, sold for $52,000 at this year's Keeneland January sale.

The BSW/Crow Colts Group has now purchased 11 yearlings through five sessions of the 12-day auction for a total of $4,840,000.

McElroy Strikes for Bolt d'Oro Colt

Bloodstock agent Ben McElroy, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client, acquired a colt by Bolt d'Oro (hip 1320) for $775,000 midway through Saturday's session of the Keeneland September sale. The yearling, consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency on behalf of breeder George Krikorian, is out of the unraced Beautified (Congrats) and is a half-brother to 2021 GI Del Mar Debutante runner-up Dance to the Music (Maclean's Music).

“He is by Bolt d'Oro, who is off to a very good start to stud,” McElroy said of the yearling's appeal. “He's already had a graded stakes winner and a lot of winners, whether in Europe or Saratoga. He's just winning at all the top tracks and it looks like, as they go further distances, they are going to get better.”

Dance to the Music sold for $575,000 following a :10 flat work at last year's OBS April sale.

“I remember this colt's sister at the 2-year-old sale,” McElroy said. “She was a really nice filly who breezed great. I remember when she broke her maiden at Del Mar, she was very impressive and subsequently she was second in the Del Mar Debutante. So that gave us a bit of extra confidence. We just really believed in what the mare had thrown so far.”

McElroy said he has seen an increased focus on sire power in the sales ring in recent years.

“I think, on the ones who are by the right sires and vet, it's extremely strong,” he said of the market. “There are obviously spots where people have trouble with vetting and maybe do not have the right sire. There is a huge emphasis on sire power. I think in the last two years, if you have the right sire, you are getting double, if not triple, what you probably should.”

Krikorian purchased Beautified's dam Makeup Artist (Dynaformer) for $250,000 at the 2001 Keeneland September sale and the mare won the 2003 GIII Senorita S. in his colors.

“It's always tough to sell, but it's better to sell the dream then to buy the dream,” Krikorian said after watching the colt sell Saturday. “That's why we sell.”

He continued, “I probably have about 90 [mares]. And we breed mostly to sell. We couldn't afford to race them all.”

Of Saturday's result, Krikorian said, “We thought he would be well-received. I didn't know that he would be that well-received. I am grateful for that. Typically in Book 3, they don't go for that much. So this was a nice surprise to have him bring that much.”

Omaha Beach Colt for St. Elias

Vinnie Viola's St. Elias Stables, which has accounted for a huge portion of the market this week at Keeneland in its partnership with Mike Repole, as well as with other various partners and on its own, added a colt by Omaha Beach to its roster when bloodstock agent Michael Wallace, seated with St. Elias advisor Rory Babich, made a final bid of $725,000 to acquire hip 1370.

“We've been looking for an Omaha Beach and looking at them pretty hard and he was the one that got the attention of the whole team,” Wallace said. “We were determined to try to get him if we could. Obviously, we didn't think we would have to be pushed as far as we were by WinStar, but that's the nature of this week, it seems.”

Yearlings from the first crop of Omaha Beach (War Front) have been in demand all week at Keeneland, with Repole and St. Elias purchasing a colt (hip 336) by the multiple Grade I winner for $900,000 from the Clarkland Farm consignment and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm purchasing another son of the stallion (hip 123) for $775,000. In all, 38 yearlings by the sire have sold at Keeneland September for $9,705,000.

“They all seem to have good brains,” Wallace said of Omaha Beach's yearlings. “Walking around the grounds, they are handling things well. They have good strength across the back. I am liking the look of them. I think they are good, athletic horses and bigger than you'd think with the War Front line.”

Bred and consigned by the Cleary family's Clearsky Farms, hip 1370 is out of Color Me Flying (Distorted Humor), a half-sister to graded winner Teresa Z (Smart Strike) and from the family of My Flag and her daughter, champion Storm Flag Flying.

Clearsky purchased Color Me Flying for $250,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November sale. St. Elias purchased the mare's Into Mischief filly, Colorful Mischief, for $300,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase. Her Quality Road filly sold for $700,000 to Juddmonte at last year's Keeneland September sale. The 10-year-old mare has an Audible weanling filly and she was bred back to Munnings this year.

Also Saturday on behalf of St. Elias, Wallace acquired a colt by Liam's Map (hip 1362) for $500,000; a colt by Mendelssohn (hip 1432) for $210,000; and a son of Ghostzapper (hip 1260) for $175,000.

Lynnhaven Racing Stays Busy at Keeneland

The fledgling Lynnhaven Racing of Baton Rouge businessman Jim Bernhard and his wife Dana was in action early in Saturday's session of the Keeneland sale, purchasing a son of Audible (hip 1167) for $675,000, and the operation kept right on buying throughout the day. The couple had quick fire action later in the session when going to $700,000 to acquire a colt by Arrogate (hip 1436) from Woods Edge Farm and came back just hips later to pay that same price for a Street Sense colt (hip 1441) from Gainesway, as agent for Bonne Chance Farm.

Hip 1436 is out of Ghostslayer (Ghostzapper) and he is a half-brother to graded winner Biddy Duke (Bayern). The yearling was bred by Peter and Jenny O'Callaghan's Woods Edge Farm, which purchased Ghostslayer, in foal to Street Sense, for $110,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale. The mare's Street Sense filly sold for $215,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September sale before the O'Briens hit it out of the park with a $1.05-million City of Light colt out of the mare at last year's September sale.

“He was probably the most vetted horse we've had a in a couple of years,” Peter O'Callaghan said. “I have two pages of vettings on him. It was incredible. My wife Jenny and I bred him and he was a fabulous foal from day one. The mare is a beautiful, robust mare with a big hip on her and it was a great mix with Arrogate. It was a great result and we are delighted.”

The Bernhards, who did their bidding sitting alongside Equine Analysis Systems CEO Matt Weinmann, ultimately purchased eight yearlings for $2,870,000 to be the leading buyers Saturday.

Audible Colt a Score for Kinsman

The Steinbrenner family's Kinsman Farm made the most of a limited number of pinhooking prospects when selling a colt by Audible (hip 1167) for $675,000 to Jim and Dana Bernhard's Lynnhaven Racing early in Saturday's session of the Keeneland September sale. The team had purchased the colt for $85,000 at this year's Keeneland January sale.

“He did everything right for us,” said farm trainer Emily Dawson after watching the yearling sell alongside Jessica Steinbrenner and farm vice president Kevin Adler. “He was a little weaker when we bought him and he just really flourished on the farm. He got big and strong.”

About the colt's appeal in January, Dawson said, “He had a big, ground-covering walk. That's really why we bought him.”

“We do very little,” Dawson said of Kinsman's pinhooking program. “We bought three short yearlings this year. We just sort of dabble in it.”

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