Tag: Bloodstock

Pin Oak Stud in Versailles has been purchased by Jim and Dana Bernhard, BloodHorse reports.

Based in Baton Rouge, La., Jim Bernhard is the founder and partner of Bernhard Capital Partners, which manages various investments. He expertise comes in the energy services industry field.

The Bernhards are advised by Matt Weinmann of Equine Analysis Systems, and they have already been active buyers at this year's major Kentucky November mixed sales through the first three days of trade. Plans call for Pin Oak to continue as a racing and breeding operation, maintaining the same name.

Pin Oak Stud was founded in the 1950s, owned by Josephine Abercrombie and her father J.S. Abercrombie. Josephine Abercrombie died in January at age 95, leaving behind an operation that bred or raced over 100 stakes winners, including Peaks and Valleys and Broken Vow.

Read more at BloodHorse.

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Stakes winner Park Avenue, a 4-year-old daughter of Quality Road, sold to Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Equine for $1.45 million, and Sweet Sami D., who is in foal to Gun Runner and was purchased by Jim and Dana Bernhard's Pin Oak Stud for $1 million, highlighted today's second session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Park Avenue and Sweet Sami D. are the first horses since 2017 to sell for $1 million or more beyond Book 1 of the auction, and they increase the number of seven-figure lots this year to 12, compared to seven in 2021.

For the initial two sessions, Keeneland has sold 333 yearlings through the ring for $102,053,000, for an average of $306,465 and a median of $190,000. The gross was 15.31 percent higher than the figure from the same period last year, when the total was $88,500,000 for 344 horses. The average of $306,465 was 19.12 percent above last year's $257,267, and the median of $190,000 rose 2.70 percent from last year's $185,000.

On Tuesday, 197 horses sold through the ring for $35,073,000, a 7.38 percent dip from the corresponding session in 2021 when 226 horses grossed $37,866,000. The average of $178,036 was 6.26 percent higher than last year's $167,549, and the median of $140,000 was 7.69 percent higher than $130,000.

“Overall, it was a good, solid day of trade,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “We're very happy with the cumulative gross, average and median being up over last year. There's a really strong buying bench here. We saw more domestic activity today than we did yesterday: Jane Lyon, Determined Stud, Ron Winchell and Jim and Dana Bernhard adding to their bloodstock, among others. We had two horses that sold for $1 million or more and that hasn't happened in Book 2 since 2017, so that's another positive sign.”

“The metrics today were very much like last year Day 2, which was a good session,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said. “Gross is up about 15 percent overall. RNAs are up a bit, but people are probably being a little more selective.

“We feel like we're off on the right foot,” Breathnach said. “The energy is good; there are a lot of buyers here and a lot of people talking about the shows in the barn area for tomorrow and beyond. We know we've got a long way to go, but we are very pleased with the beginning.”

Park Avenue, who won this year's Ouija Board Distaff at Lone Star Park and was second in the Grade 3 La Canada at Santa Anita, was consigned by Lane's End, agent. Out of Remarkable, by Indian Charlie, she is from the family of Irish highweight Tomahawk and Grade 1 winners Golden Ticket, Well Chosen, Telling and Leofric.

“I've been outbid on several I've wanted, but I was pretty determined not to get outbid on her,” Lyon said. “I'm looking for good-quality mares, preferably if they've raced and been successful. I came here saying I was going to buy mares in foal; so far, I've bought two who aren't. We're going to debate (on whether Park Avenue will be bred to Flightline).”

“When two people want them, anything can happen,” Lane's End Director of Sales Allaire Ryan said. “In this group, (Park Avenue) was a standout for us. That was beyond our expectations and a super sale all the way around. She was a beautiful filly who obviously had plenty of talent and ability on the track. Her looks just surpassed that. She took your breath away when you saw her. She's a classy filly. She was popular at the barn, and people kept coming back to look at her multiple times. We knew we had the right players on her. It's nice to see everyone get rewarded.”

Lane's End was the session's leading consignor with sales of $5,717,000 for 23 horses.

Selling for $1 million to Pin Oak Stud, which the Bernhards recently acquired, Sweet Sami D. is a 5-year-old winning, Grade 3-placed daughter of First Samurai out of Treaty of Kadesh, by Victory Gallop.

“She's a gorgeous mare in foal to Gun Runner,” the Bernhards' adviser, Matt Weinmann, said. “She was probably my favorite physical of the day. Really high-quality mare in foal to one of the best stallions on the planet. We're extremely excited to have her. That was probably our last bid that we put in, so luckily we got her.”

Pin Oak acquired a total of four horses on Tuesday and was the session's leading buyer, spending $2.36 million.

China Horse Club paid $750,000 for Ragged Rose, a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Strike Charmer in foal to Quality Road. The 4-year-old mare is out of stakes winner Cat Charmer, by Storm Cat, and from the family of champion Gold Beauty.

“She'll stay here,” Michael Smith of China Horse Club said. “Beautiful mare from a great family in foal to Quality Road, who's one of the best stallions in America. She'll go to Life Is Good next year. Very clean, strong, good limbs, good action – everything you can look for in a mare. She'll complement him beautifully.

“(The market) is strong, but if you do your homework you can find value,” Smith added. “I think we've bought really well today. Across the board (we've purchased) some really nice race fillies as well as this mare in foal.”

Another Pin Oak purchase was Querelle, a 6-year-old winning, Grade 3-placed daughter of Violence in foal to Constitution, who sold for $700,000.

“She's a gorgeous Violence mare, really speed-biased physiology,” Weinmann said. “Speed is a dangerous weapon to have in a broodmare, so there's a lot of interesting matings we can do with her. We really thought Constitution was a great mating. She was an exciting mare for us, and I'm glad we got her. I didn't think I'd have to stretch that far, but I'm glad we got her and I'm happy to have her. The market's strong.”

Both Ragged Rose and Querelle were consigned by Grovendale Sales, agent, which ranked second among consignors, selling 14 horses for $3,752,000.

“We thought they would sell well, but they exceeded expectations,” Grovendale partner Chance Timm said about the two top-priced mares. “We had a solid draft here that we felt confident in. Those mares were superstar physicals. Black cats throw black kittens. That's what buyers want.”

Also bringing $700,000 was Song of Mine, a 7-year-old half-sister to champion Songbird in foal to Curlin purchased by Gage Hill. Consigned by Buckland Sales (Zach Madden), agent, the daughter of Ghostzapper is out of Grade 2 winner Ivanavinalot, by West Acre.

“She was beautiful,” said Will Farish, representing buyer Terry Finley. “We were excited to get her and at the price that we got her. The market is tough to buy; it is really strong, but it's great.”

Don'tforgetaboutme, a 10-year-old mare by Malibu Moon in foal to Blame, sold to Matt Dorman's Determined Stud for $550,000. Dam of Grade 3-placed Royal Spirit, she is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Red Ruby, Grade 3 winner Mo Tom and multiple Grade 1-placed Beautician.

“When the first dam fills the page with graded stakes horses and black type, it's very commercial,” said Phil Schoenthal, trainer and adviser to Determined Stud. “Her foals have sold very well, and she is a graded-placed producer, so it's all the boxes we're trying to check in trying to put together an elite broodmare band. We're also big fans of Blame. When we saw she was in foal to Blame, it was a bonus for us. She was the whole package. For the nice mares you've got to spend for them.”

Out of Caroni, by Rubiano, Don'tforgetaboutme was consigned by Claiborne Farm, agent.

Pin Oak also paid $500,000 for Broadway Lady, who was third in the Oct. 22 Ontario Matron (G3). The 5-year-old daughter of Constitution, who is out of stakes winner Livi Makenzie, by Macho Uno, is a half-sister to 2022 multiple Grade 3 winner Tawny Port.

“We've got the new farm and have plenty of stall space there,” Weinmann said. “We figure we might as well get as many good ones (mares) as we can. (Broadway Lady) is a lovely filly who ticked all the boxes for us. Being Grade 3-placed in her last race gave her black type in a really important race. A beautiful, really nice mare.”

Broadway Lady was consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent.

Lane's End, agent, also consigned the session's top-priced weanling, a colt by Quality Road sold to Brookstone Farm for $425,000. Out of Daisy Miller (GB), by Smart Strike, he is from the family of leading sire War Front.

The November Sale resumes Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET with the second session of the two-day Book 2. The auction continues through Wednesday, Nov. 16, with all sessions beginning at 10 a.m.

On Thursday, Nov. 17, Keeneland will present the November Horses of Racing Age Sale.

The post Two Seven-Figure Horses Lead Second Session Of Keeneland November Sale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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By just about any metric, Liza Hendriks had a good day at the office during Saturday's Breeders' Cup card at Keeneland.

She had a seat in one of the owner's boxes. Good seat, good day.

Her mother, Elizabeth Merryman, bred the Pennsylvania-born Caravel, and they sat together to watch the mare upset the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at odds of 42-1. Good day.

Hendriks had $50 across the board on Caravel's nose. Really good day.

It might not have been as immediately exciting as hitting a big ticket, but Caravel's Turf Sprint triumph also provided the biggest graduate update in the young history of Wanamaker's online auction platform, co-founded by Hendriks. That could lead to more good days ahead.

Caravel was offered in the 2020 Wanamaker's October Sale, the company's fourth-ever auction, where she finished under her reserve with a final bid of $330,000.

At the time of the sale, the daughter of Mizzen Mast raced as a homebred for Hendriks' mother. Also trained by Merryman, the filly had won each of her first three starts, including a victory in the Lady Erie Stakes at Presque Isle Downs.

“She was running really well, and I had just launched Wanamaker's, and she wanted to support it,” Hendriks said. “She was thinking about selling her, just because she was doing so well, and she was a big advocate for online auctions, so she really trusted it.”

Wanamaker's debuted in June 2020 at a time when COVID-19 made buying things online especially appealing, and meeting one person at a farm or stable to inspect a horse seemed more attractive to many than sharing the oxygen of a sales pavilion with hundreds of other people. There were a handful of online-only Thoroughbred auction companies in the space, but the major North American auction houses were still figuring out their online bidding blueprints on the fly.

Wanamaker's had scored an early success with the $400,000 sale of the Friesan Fire gelding Fiya during the July 2020 renewal of its monthly auctions, displaying proof of concept that buyers would spend serious six-figure money, even if the fall of the hammer was virtual.

After she was announced for the catalog, Caravel finished third in the Hill Top Stakes at Pimlico. Even though she finished the sale as an RNA, Hendriks said the timing of the filly's entry, the timely black type update, and the logistics of it all served as another high-profile proof of concept for how the auction platform could work.

“Caravel didn't end up selling, but we thought that was a reasonable price for her,” Hendriks said. “It just really proves that for proven horses, it's a great place for them because you can sell them at any time. At that time, there wasn't a sale for her. She ran during the sale. They can run the weekend they're in the sale, and you don't have to ship anywhere.”

Celebrity chef Bobby Flay later joined Merryman as a co-owner in a private transaction, and the filly earned a victory in the Grade 3 Caress Stakes before finishing last of 12 in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar. A few days later, she went through the ring at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale and sold to the partnership of Qatar Racing and Mark Detampel. Madaket Stables later joined the group, as well.

Caravel was moved from Merryman's barn to Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox, and she tallied victories in the G3 Intercontinental Stakes and G3 Franklin Stakes prior to her Breeders' Cup victory, reversing her fortunes from a year earlier.

“I was just so happy for my mom, because she still has the whole family,” Hendriks said. “She has the dam and five siblings. My brother trains two of the siblings right now.”

Hendriks said she has kept close with Caravel since the she moved from her mother's barn.

“She's very feisty,” she said. “I've gotten to see her in Saratoga through the summer, and then I saw her yesterday after her big win. It's incredible to see how good of a race filly she is. ”

Caravel was cataloged for this year's Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, but she was scratched following her Breeders' Cup win. She currently resides at Hunter Valley Farm, where she will rest up for a 2023 campaign.

Having a Breeders Cup-winning graduate is a game-changer for any fledgling auction house, but the online marketplace has grown just as quickly as Wanamaker's resume.

Both Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton have hosted online-only auctions, on top of offering live online bidding during its brick-and-mortar sales. Fasig-Tipton has even taken the concept as far as offering single-horse flash sales for connections that want to take quick advantage of a big update.

“I think it's really starting to catch on now,” Hendriks said. “Fasig-Tipton's also doing it now, and I think it proves that online auctions are working and the market's going in that direction. It's awesome to see the sales market changing to be more year-round, rather than set times throughout the year. If a racehorse jumps up, or a sibling, you can sell them at any time, and it doesn't have to be through the private market. It's exciting to see that change.”

Even so, the Thoroughbred industry is one that can be notoriously resistant to change, especially when it comes to technology and the bloodstock sphere. Hendriks said that education for both buyers and sellers has been paramount.

“It's been a slow process, but people are coming around to it quicker than I actually thought,” she said. “I think COVID did help with that, for moving people online. People buy everything else online, so why not buy horses online?”

In addition to its monthly auctions, Wanamaker's has also expanded into hosting regional sales for state breed organizations, including groups in New York and Pennsylvania.

Caravel is the biggest star to come out of a Wanamaker's sale, but Hendriks pointed to the Laoban gelding Be the Boss, who sold to Morning Star Farm for $35,000 during the company's New York-Bred Horses of Racing Age Sale in July, as an example of just what the online bidding platform can offer.

“We sold the horse, and the seller actually paid the next morning, we transferred the papers to Saratoga, and they entered the horse the next day, and ran that Sunday,” she said. “So, the horse sold on Thursday, and entered on Friday for Sunday. Then he ended up winning on one of the last days of the meet.”

The post ‘It’s Really Starting To Catch On Now’: Caravel’s Breeders’ Cup Win Gives Online-Only Wanamaker’s Its Biggest Graduate appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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