Keepmeinmind (Laoban–Inclination, by Victory Gallop), a Grade II winner at two and placed three times at Grade I level, will enter stud in 2023 at Sequel New York, where he will cover mares at a fee of $6,500.
Bred by Southern Equine Stables, Keepmeinmind was runner-up to future two-time Eclipse Award winner Essential Quality (Tapit) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and finished third to that rival in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile before breaking his maiden in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. Sixth in the GI Kentucky Derby and fourth in the GI Preakness S. after sluggish starts in those Classics, the bay was a running-on third in the GIII Ohio Derby before going down by a half-length behind Essential Quality in last year's GII Jim Dandy S. Originally trained by Robertino Diodoro, Keepmeinmind was conditioned at four by Todd Pletcher to a Saratoga allowance score in July and a third to Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in the GI Woodward S. this past October.
“Keepmeinmind is a specimen with a terrific disposition,” said Pletcher. “He competed with and beat the best of the best. A big boost for the New York breeding roster.”
Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 143 entries for its December Digital Selected Sale, which may now be viewed at digital.fasigtipton.com. Bidding is open as of Thursday, Dec. 8 at 12 p.m. ET and closes Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. ET.
The catalogue features selected horses of racing age, breeding stock, weanlings, and yearlings. There are offerings located throughout the United States, including California, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
“We have put together a very exciting catalogue for this inaugural December Digital auction,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton's Director of Digital Sales. “The interest from sellers has been tremendous and resulted in our largest digital auction to date. With quality offerings that fit breeding and racing programs throughout the country, buyers from coast-to-coast will enjoy working through this catalogue.”
Aaron added: “This is the last chance to buy at a major auction in 2022, and especially good timing for those that to need to buy before the end of the year for tax purposes. Finish your holiday shopping with us on Fasig-Tipton Digital.”
Entries include:
Mares in foal to more than 40 different sires, including Gun Runner, Authentic, Echo Town, Girvin, Mitole, Omaha Beach, Street Sense and Vino Rosso.
Half-sisters to Grade I winners Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and Stephanie's Kitten (Kitten's Joy), and to graded stakes winners Terra Promessa (Curlin), Totally Boss (Street Boss), and Super Steed (Super Saver).
Stakes performing racing and/or broodmare prospects.
In-form horses of racing age.
Reduction of Sheltowee Farm.
Fasig-Tipton's Lexington, Kentucky sales grounds will be available to consignors to present their horses to buyers on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 12 and 13.
Since 1958, the Head family has been raising champion Thoroughbreds at Haras du Quesnay, just a few kilometers from the Arqana sales ring. But now, with the passing of the family patriarch, Alec Head, and the sale of the historic nursery, the family's colors will fly for the last time at the December Breeding Stock sale, with the complete dispersal of the Heads' bloodstock interests.
Le Quesnay will offer 48 broodmares, fillies and foals during the sale.
“It's a big bunch of horses, and it's sad to see them going,” said Vincent Rimaud, Quesnay's Stud Manager. “On the other hand, it's nice to look after them. A decision was taken to sell them in Arqana because we're here, we're in France. We're 10 miles away from the site, and we've always sold there. And while a lot of these horses will stay in France, a few of these mares will attract international clients.”
In fact, the first through the ring, lot 31, Perle d'Auge (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), figures to be one of the stars of the dispersal. She is a half-sister to the 2022 G3 Prix Minerve winner Eternal Pearl (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Her third dam Pearly Shells (GB) was the G1 Prix Vermeille winner, who produced the dam of G1 Matron S. Winner Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Her 2022 filly by Intello (Ger) is also being offered as lot 329.
“Three years ago, we bought Perle d'Auge as a maiden in Arqana and we got her in foal to Intello (Ger) and she gave us a beautiful filly that we would sell. And the pedigree has moved a lot since we bought this mare with Eternal Pearl and with Pearls Galore.”
An emotional sale figures to come with the last foal from Trevise (Fr), the dam of two-time G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Treve (Fr), who died during this foaling. The filly by the late Le Havre sells as lot 166 on Saturday.
“Of course, we have Treve's family,” said Rimaud. “We have the sister to Treve by Le Havre and she's a very nice filly. She's a good mix of Le Havre and her dam. The mare died this year, giving birth to this filly, so she was raised under a nurse mare, and of course, Le Havre died also. So, it's a bit of a sad story, but there's also very beautiful potential there as a broodmare and hopefully a nice race mare before that.”
Treve's half-sister Toride (Fr), who has already produced the black-type runners Lady Day (Fr) and Maximus (Fr), is offered on Saturday as lot 197 in foal to Zarak (Fr), Europe's leading second-crop sire, who stood this year at Haras de Bonneval for €60,000.
“We have Toride, which is a sister that has already produced two black-type horses and she's in foal to Zarak, and it is the right time to be in foal to that stallion to go to the sales. She's a nice mare. And we are also taking down her fifth foal, which is a Persian King (Ire) colt, a very nice colt, and we've been very fortunate with this family.”
The exact future of Quesnay remains unclear; part of the land has been sold off to create the new Haras de Beaumont across the road from the main section of Quesnay, and Rimaud says that there will still be Thoroughbreds raised on the remaining land. But after 20 years of working for the Head family, he admits there will be more than a bit of sadness when the hammer falls on the final lot through the ring on Tuesday.
“There are plenty of people working here and some of them have been working here for a very long time,” he said. “And I think that we will have two different feelings. If they sell well, if they go with nice breeders into good hands, we will be happy about the job done. And I guess at the end of Tuesday night, when we sell the last number, we will feel a bit sad, of course. That will happen. All of these horses that are going to the sales, they were born here in those foaling stables over there,” he says, waving his hand across the iconic Quesnay yard. “And I was there for most of them.”
Champion Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song–Take Charge Lady, by Dehere), whose 13 black-type winners includes this year's GI Hollywood Gold Cup hero There Goes Harvard, will join the stallion roster at Darley Japan in 2023, according to a post on the nursery's website. Will Take Charge has stood his first eight seasons at stud at Three Chimneys Farm.
Campaigned by the late Willis Horton during his first two seasons at the races and trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Will Take Charge won the 2013 GI Travers S. and GII Pennsylvania Derby before dropping a heartbreaking decision in that year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic. A defeat of his elders in the GI Clark H. secured him the Eclipse Award for champion 3-year-old male. With Three Chimneys joining in as part-owner for his 4-year-old season, the blaze-faced chestnut won the GII Oaklawn H. at Horton's home track and was placed in the GI Stephen Foster H. and GI Whitney S. prior to his retirement to stud.
Overall, Will Take Charge is the sire of 224 winners from five crops to race and a dozen stakes winners in addition to There Goes Harvard, including this year's GII Phoenix S. upsetter Manny Wah and Grade III winners Will's Secret and Abaan. His four Japanese winners from five to race includes France Go de Ina, who participated in the 2021 GI Preakness S. and GI Belmont S.
Will Take Charge is out of the gifted MGISW Take Charge Lady, making him a half-brother to WinStar stallion Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy); GISW As Time Goes By (American Pharoah); and to Charming (Seeking the Gold), the dam of promising young Spendthrift sire Omaha Beach (War Front) and Horton's Eclipse Award winner Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway). This is also the family of GISP 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit) and of Japanese MSW Strong Souther (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), a son of Take Charge Lady's MSW/GSP half-sister Eventail (Lear Fan).
“We are delighted to be able to introduce this horse at a time when he has produced a Grade I winner in the U.S. and has further enhanced his reputation in Japan,” said Darley Japan CEO Harry Sweeney. “We are confident he will be a success in Japan.”
