Conor Foley | Horse Racing Free Tips

Robust Trade To Wrap Up Successful Return of Fasig NY-Bred Sale

by Joe Bianca & Katie Ritz

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY–The Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale completed a successful return Monday at the Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion in Saratoga, as a lively day of trading built on a strong Sunday opener to conclude the auction with average, gross and median numbers up and the RNA rate down compared to 2019 numbers.

“We got the sales superfecta: average was up, median was up, gross was up and the RNA rate's down. So we hit the super today and we're obviously very pleased,” said Fasig-Tipton President & CEO Boyd Browning. “We had significant bidding from a diverse buying group. We're fortunate enough that the consignors once again gave us outstanding horses and presented them in a very, very positive manner. The buyers continue to have more and more confidence coming to the sale.”

Fasig-Tipton was forced to cancel its 2020 renewal of the New York-bred sale as well as its Saratoga sale due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an interruption that Browning said affected New York-bred interests particularly harshly.

“I've said before, there was no segment of the marketplace more adversely affected by the COVID situation last year than the New York-bred yearling marketplace,” he said. “So it's nice to restore the marketplace for them; they can have confidence going forward. We've always been committed to this sale and marketplace, but any time you have a disruption, it's difficult. And there was a significant disruption for the breeders and folks who sell New York-breds last year. It's reassuring to be able to look at them and say, 'You can continue what you're doing with confidence.' I think the sale's going to continue to grow and grow, and people are going to be encouraged to both buy and breed New York-breds.”

A total of 141 horses changed hands Monday, grossing $12,069,000, compared to 120 horses selling in 2019 for a sum of $10,227,550. The average for the session was $85,596, roughly on par with the $85,229 from two years ago, while the median edged up from $55,000 in 2019's second session to $60,000. Only 35 horses went unsold Monday, a rate of 19.9%, compared to 49 in 2019, which accounted for 29% of horses offered.

Overall for the two-day sale, 203 horses sold for a gross of $18,566,500. In 2019, 186 sold for $16,200,000. The average for this year's sale was $91,461, an increase of 5% from 2019, while the median was $70,000 compared to $60,000 in 2019. In total, 55 horses were bought back from 258 offered, a 21.3% rate this year, compared to 80 out of 266 in2 019, a 30.1% rate.

The Fasig-Tipton sales calendar resumes with the one-day Pin Oak Stud Sale, in which Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Stud, one of the country's most successful Thoroughbred breeding and racing operations over the past six decades, will be offering its remaining broodmares, weanlings, and some racing fillies, Sept. 12 in Lexington.

Brand-New Partnership Strikes for Munnings Filly

Forming a partnership of GMP Stables, Vekoma Racing and West Paces Racing the morning of Monday's second Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings session, Oracle Bloodstock's Conor Foley came out on top for the group when the hammer dropped for a session-topping $350,000 for Hip 419, a filly by Munnings out of MSW Freudie Anne (Freud).

“She was one of the top fillies of the sale,” Foley said. “We were tickled to get her. A few partners got put together a few hours ago to get her and we're really excited. I thought she was one of the best athletes of the sale.”

Bought for $130,000 by Cherry Knoll Farm at Fasig-Tipton February earlier this year, the chestnut sold under the Hunter Valley Farm banner. She is the second foal out of Freudie Anne, a two-time stakes winner in her racing career and half-sister to MSW Frostie Anne (Frost Giant), following a thus-far unraced juvenile full-brother who sold to Pick View for $100,000 at last year's umbrella Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings auction.

Foley and the partners already were looking forward to bringing hip 419 back upstate next year, saying, “She's going to go to the races. She'll come back up here and be trained by Danny Gargan. Hopefully in about a year we'll be walking out of the winner's circle at Saratoga.”

D J Stable Pounces for Constitution Colt

Len and Jon Green's D J Stable was in the market for a potential Classic colt at Monday's Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale and came home with a popular prospect Monday in Hip 528, with Jon Green signing the winning ticket for $300,000 for a son of star third-crop sire Constitution.

“He reminded us of a lot the great colts that we've seen running on Saturdays,” Green said. “He's a big, scopey, two-turn type of horse. We came here looking to get a real top colt and he fit the bill and checked all the boxes for us. The plan is to ultimately have him at Mark Casse's barn. He'll head back to Kentucky and get a little R and R because [the sale] takes so much out of these horses. Let him eat a little green grass, give him six to eight weeks and then he'll head down for to Ocala and start getting into the program.”

Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the dark bay is the third foal out of five-time winner Rare Medal (Medaglia d'Oro), whose 2-year-old Unified colt named Combat Medal sold for $150,000 earlier this year at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic. His fourth dam is two-time champion Northernette (Northern Dancer), a full-sister to champion Storm Bird.

On the final number for the colt, Green said, “It surprised me a little that we had to go to the upper level of what we wanted to for a horse like this, but the sale has been so strong that if you want to come away with a good horse, you have to spend a little bit of money. The nice thing about it is that even though he's a New York-bred, that wasn't even part of the calculus. He's such a grand-looking colt that hopefully if he's running here in New York, it'll be in races like the Travers and the Belmont and not in a New York-bred other than. We felt that [regardless of] if he was a New York-bred, Kentucky-bred, Florida-bred, Peruvian-bred, he's just that kind of a horse. We came here specifically to buy a horse like this. We do have a couple more on the list, but he was our number one choice.”

Accelerate Speeds Ahead With $300K Colt

Lane's End's champion Accelerate, who made a splash Sunday night at the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred sale, kept the forward momentum going when his Hip 591, a colt consigned by Paramount Sales, sold for $300,000 in the waning moments of the auction Monday afternoon. Barclay Tagg signed the winning ticket along with longtime assistant Robin Smullen and owners Chris and Dave Stack.

“We liked everything about him,” Smullen said of the colt, who was led out unsold on a bid of $100,000 at Keeneland November last fall. “He was intelligent. We weren't happy with how he was acting in the back ring, but when he got in the ring he was fine. He's a nice colt. [The price] was a little higher than we wanted to go, but we bid on a filly earlier that we couldn't get.”

Bred by SF Bloodstock, hip 591 is out of the thrice stakes-placed Marquetry mare Ten Halos, who also produced GSW juvenile Cinco Charlie (Indian Charlie). Bought for $150,000 in foal to Candy Ride (Arg) at Keeneland November in 2016, Ten Halos is a half-sister to MGSW Bwana Charlie (Indian Charlie) and GSWs My Pal Charlie (Indian Charlie) and Bwana Bull (Holy Bull).

“We are very good friends with Barclay and Robin and admire and respect them and their opinions,” said Chris Stack. “When we saw him, we just thought he was the one. He looked me right in the eye though, I will tell you.”

Tagg and Smullen stayed in for a small piece of the horse, their first owning partnership with the Stacks.

“We trained for Chris and Dave a long time ago, but now we have one together,” Smullen said. “We just own one ear, Chris and Dave own the rest of her.”

Tagg and Smullen also bought another Accelerate progeny earlier in the day for Sackatoga Stable, going to $130,000 to secure Hip 460, a chestnut colt out of MSP Late 'n Left (Lucky Pulpit).

Asked to compare Hip 591 to that colt, Smullen offered, “The other Accelerate that we bought tonight for Sackatoga Stable looked a little more refined, a little smaller. But I don't know what to expect them to look like yet. We liked his dam side. When you're a half to a multiple stakes winner, you've got to be alright.”

Brown, Klaravich Pick Up Practical Joke Filly

The connections of hot-starting freshman sire Practical Joke showed their faith in his success continuing at Monday's Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale, as Chad Brown signed the ticket for Klaravich Stables for a bay filly by the Coolmore resident for $250,000. Consigned by Indian Creek, Hip 508 is the second foal out of Orient Moon (Malibu Moon) to sell for that figure this year after her 2-year-old Street Boss colt commanded the same number at OBS April.

“I trained the sire for Seth [Klarman] and she was definitely the best-looking dirt filly I saw here,” Brown said. “It was definitely our last bid. She will go down to Ocala and we'll see how she takes to training. She just happened to be a New York-bred, but she was as good-looking as any Practical Joke filly I've seen.”

Victor of the GI Hopeful S. GI Champagne S. as a juvenile in 2016, Practical Joke followed up with a score in the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. at Saratoga the next summer and won or placed in six other graded stakes before retiring with nearly $1.8 million in earnings. He ranks third among North American-based freshman sires with 10 winners and was represented by blowout GIII Sanford S. hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Wit earlier in the Saratoga meet.

“You can see the Into Mischief in [Practical Joke's progeny], so it's exciting.” Brown said. “We are very big supporters of the stallion. We have some 2-year-olds that we like and it's exciting that he's off to such a promising start.”

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KEESEP in the Books, but Numbers Slide as Expected

While there were bright spots and plenty of successes, Keeneland’s bellweather September Yearling Sale saw significant drop-offs in trade from last year’s strong renewal as the Thoroughbred industry and world at large reel from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conducted over 12 days this year compared to 13 last term and with strict safety protocols in place, the 2020 September sale grossed $238,454,300 from 2,346 head sold. The gross 12 months ago was $359,789,700 from 2,850 sellers. This year’s average dipped 19.49% from $126,242 to $101,643; the median dropped 18.68% from $45,500 to $37,000.

The buy-back rate was 29.29% this year and 24.24% in 2019. Outs were higher this time as well from a smaller catalog (954, or 22.3% of the catalog vs. 882, 19%).

“The September Sale can be measured as a success given that in these uncertain times, the market proved there is still tremendous interest and money for quality racehorses at all levels,” Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason said.

Keeneland President-Elect and Interim Head of Sales Shannon Arvin added, “Everyone who participated should be applauded for their unprecedented efforts to make this market a reality. Keeneland is fortunate, in the midst of a pandemic, to be able to not only hold the September Sale but do so on its originally scheduled dates. I’m so proud of the Keeneland team who, immediately after the Spring Meet was canceled and the lockdown in Kentucky was announced in mid-March, began collaborating with state and local health officials, breeders, consignors, buyers and others in the Thoroughbred industry, to plan for the September Sale even as the landscape changed almost daily. The success of this sale is a testament to the cooperation among everyone involved and the resiliency of our industry.”

The sale topper was a $2-million Tapit colt out of GISW and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Tara’s Tango (Unbridled’s Song) purchased during Book 1 last Monday for $2 million by a powerful partnership consisting of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bob LaPenta, Gainesway Farm and Winchell Thoroughbreds. He was consigned as hip 435 by Eaton Sales on behalf of Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Bred & Raised, which sold 30 horses for $9,911,000 through a variety of consignors.

There were a total of 15 seven-figure transactions compared to 22 last year, when a regally bred American Pharoah half-sister to Into Mischief, Beholder and Mendelssohn brought $8.2 million.

Among the positive 2020 takeaways was that the 15 million-plus sellers were bought by 14 different, mostly domestic entities, including some relatively new top-of-the market players who stepped in to fill the void left by the absence of Godolphin and relative quietness of Shadwell and the Coolmore contingent.

After a digital sale next week, Keeneland will shift its focus to its fall meet, then hosting a no-fans Breeders’ Cup Nov. 6 and 7, immediately followed by its November Breeding Stock Sale beginning Nov. 9.

“Given what we know today, we would anticipate that we will still be working under those same protocols [in November] that we’ve been working under in September,” Arvin noted.

Keeneland’s Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell added, “The November sale will be 10 days–it has been reduced by about a book this year, which we had anticipated going in. The difference between the September sale and the November sale is that the September sale [offerings are] the crop, and the November sale [offerings are] the factory. Breeders can retain their mares and weanlings and hope that 2021 will be a better market to offer that weanling as a yearling.”

Visit www.keeneland.com for more information.

Partnerships Step in As International Players Quiet

While Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin and Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Estate Company, Ltd. were first and second-leading buyers at the 2018 and 2019 September sales, the 2020 renewal saw different entities–and particularly partnerships–making the largest expenditures. Godolphin did not make a single purchase this September (vs. 10 buys for $16 million 12 months ago), and Shadwell spent $5,420,000 on nine buys compared to $11,070,000 on twice as many head in 2019.

“There were certain major players that weren’t playing in the market this year, and obviously that had a huge impact on Book 1,” Russell said. “We had been given an indication prior to the sale that Godolphin wouldn’t be playing at the level that they had been playing at last year.”

Meanwhile, “The Avengers”–the stallion-making group consisting of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and others–made the most purchases of any one entity, with 28 for a gross of $11.25 million. The conglomerate was responsible for purchasing GI Kentucky Derby winner Authentic (Into Mischief) for $350,000 at the 2018 September sale.

Agent Donato Lanni, representative for the Avengers and known for his close association with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, signed for a total of 33 purchases for $12,732,000.

While the bulk of purchases by the Avengers will eventually be heading to Baffert in California, an East Coast counterpart emerged this year, as Todd Pletcher clients Repole Stables and St Elias Stable took home 15 head for $6,380,000.

Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola’s stables co-campaigned last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso (Curlin), who was a $410,000 September grad himself.

“For that group of sought-after horses that several people might land on, I thought it was very strong. Just like any sale in the past, if you brought a really nice horse, you got rewarded,” said agent Conor Foley, whose Oracle Bloodstock was involved in 24 purchases for $3,673,500, ranging from $1.1 million down to $1,500. “It felt competitive–it probably would’ve been an unbelievable, off-the-charts sale if foreign buyers had been allowed. I thought it was competitive all the way through. I think that shows strength and belief in our industry, as 2020 has changed everything.”

Taylor Made Top Consignor Once Again

Taylor Made Sales Agency took up its usual spot as the leading September consignor by gross, selling 252 horses for $29,783,400 at an average of $118,188. Unsurprisingly, its overall numbers followed the same trends as the market at large. Last September, Taylor Made sold 307 head for $42,650,900.

When reached for comment midday Friday, breeder and consignor Carrie Brogden–formerly of Select Sales and selling for the first September under her family’s Machmer Hall banner–admitted that, despite some solid results for her own offerings including a $1.025 million Into Mischief filly (hip 405), it was difficult not to be somewhat discouraged by the statistics and current industry landscape. She specifically cited the front page of Friday’s TDN, which featured Sid Fernando’s Taking Stock column on the left (see Keeneland Numbers are Troubling) and Kentucky Supreme Court Ruling Could Put End to Historical Racing on the right.

“Our farm was really lucky–we had some homebreds who hit all the targets,” she said. “But, of the homebreds I had who didn’t hit the target, they sold. If I didn’t want to go through the 2-year-old sale or bring them home to race, I put them through with no reserve… When I’m putting these yearlings through with no reserve, it’s because in the back of my mind I’m thinking, ‘Okay, from the September sale to the 2-year-old sale in April–as long as I still have them–it’s going to run about $30,000. Do I want to put that much more into this horse to find out if he’s fast or slow or sound or unsound?’ If I have questions myself, I’m probably going to let someone else find out.”

Brogden said she expects more of the same heading into the final yearling sales of the season and the breeding stock auctions beginning in November.

“It’s a domino effect,” she said. “The 2-year-old pinhookers got crucified [in the spring], then it’s the [weanling to yearling] pinhookers who got crucified. Then it’s the breeders. Then, it’s coupled with the fact that we have no unity in our industry–it’s a perfect storm. The foal crop [will be down 7.3% for 2021], and it’s going do be down another 20% in record time. Until we get together and have a unified voice, it’s going to be more of the same… Our sport is being fractured left and right, and then when you put the economic part on to a fractured organization, it just slowly chips away at everything. People always say the same thing–everyone fights over the same shrinking piece of pie–and that’s exactly right.”

Into Mischief in Huge Demand

Spendthrift super sire Into Mischief has been responsible for plenty of high-dollar yearlings and 2-year-olds in the past, but 2020 has seen demand for his progeny reach another stratosphere. The nation’s leading sire, represented by the likes of aforementioned Derby winner Authentic and brilliant MGISW sophomore filly Gamine, started off yearling season with 17 sellers at the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase grossing $6,745,000 ($396,745 average). His 57 yearlings to sell at Keeneland racked up receipts of $25,401,000–more than double the next sire–and his average of $445,632 was behind only that of Medaglia d’Oro (18 sold for $10,795,000 at an average of $599,722).

Online Bidding and Other Protocols Deemed Successful

Keeneland, in conjunction with Fasig-Tipton, introduced a series of protocols and policies for the September sale to increase safety and promote social distancing, including limiting attendance, adding bid spotters in the show barn, increased capacity for phone bids and the offering online bidding.

For the sale, Keeneland received 1,857 bids on the internet and sold 126 horses electronically for gross receipts of $12,165,900. The top-priced horse to sell online was an $825,000 Tapit–Stopchargingmaria colt (hip 410) purchased by Japan’s Yuji Hasegawa out of the Gainesway draft.

“Any time you try something new–we held our breath a little bit to be sure the technology would work,” Arvin said. “We really were very happy with our technology partner on that, Xcira, it felt like all of that went just as smoothly as we could ever have hoped. The participation was really significant.”

Russell added, “The whole experience we had through these last two weeks with having three different bidding areas on the sales grounds; having telephone bidding; having internet bidding, we threw everything at it. It was very well received by everybody. Having three bidding sections here, and on the internet, probably slowed down the sale a little bit more than we would probably like, but the buyers were happy to stay [later] and buy, and that’s what we’re here for.”

Among the buyers active on the internet was the Green family’s D.J. Stable, which signed for 12 head for $1,975,000.

“I thought the bidding process was relatively seamless,” said D.J.’s Jon Green, who placed his bids at home in New Jersey while relying on agents on the grounds for physical inspections. “Certainly, when we were interested in bidding on a horses, the bid was accepted and I won’t say it was exactly like being in the pavilion–there’s a certain energy you miss out on by being 1000 miles away, online–but as far as the process of bidding, having the bid accepted and ultimately buying horse, it was as close to buying the horse in person as it could be.”

D.J. bought five horses who RNA’d in the ring.

“For the most part, once a horse went through the ring and didn’t bring the reserve–especially earlier in the sale–I think the consignors and sellers were much more readily interested in negotiating and working out a sale,” Green noted. “I think as the sale went on, consignors and sellers did a much better job of reacting to the marketplace and lowering reserves.”

Cupid Colt Tops Final Session

A colt from the first crop of GISW Cupid topped Friday’s final KEESEP session on a winning bid of $45,000 from Scott Gelnger, agent. The son of MGSP turfer Long Approach (Broad Brush) was consigned to the sale by his breeder, Stonehaven Steadings, as hip 4116.

A total of 167 yearlings changed hands on the sale’s final day for $1,163,400 in gross receipts at an average of $6,884 and median of $4,500. The RNA rate was 11.5%.

What They’re Saying

“I’m just happy that the sale was able to be completed. I’m blown away day by day by the amazing horsemanship of the grooms and the show men and show women–it’s inspiring. Without them, the sale wouldn’t go on.” —Conor Foley, Oracle Bloodstock

“It’s a really good crop of yearlings, by some young and exciting stallions. For the pinhookers, they have no choice–they have to play in Books 3, 4 and 5 [and look for] good physicals, by commercially viable stallions that look to have bright futures… They probably weren’t so comfortable in Books 1 and 2 as they have been in years past just because of how tough it was at the 2-year-old sales this year.” —Keeneland Director of Sales Development Mark Maronde

“Because of COVID, there was a lot of uncertainty–not just in the Thoroughbred market, but in everything. After COVID really took hold in April, we adjusted our projections on what we thought our yearlings would bring. Fortunately, we had a great sale. We’ve not only exceeded our revised projections but we’ve exceeded our original projections.” —Tom Hinkle, Hinkle Farms

“I think that there’s definitely value in the older stallions. People get very excited about the newest sires and the top freshmen. Personally, I was surprised that so many new sires were producing higher-than-average sales when there were very viable, proven stallions like Bernardini and Hard Spun–basically every older stallion besides Into Mischief–where you could find value in their yearlings… There was a value play for the tried-and-true sires who had 40 or 50 horses in the sale and you could pick up some of them at a much more reasonable price.” —Jon Green, D.J. Stable

“I definitely think with the vetting, sesamoiditis was viewed even more harshly than it ever has been. But, the buyers are getting very sophisticated now, where they’re doing scanning a lot more scanning of sesamoiditis. I think that they’re learning that that is a good way to identify a horse who’s either going to have a problem or not have a problem.” –Carrie Brogden, Machmer Hall

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Brisk Trade as Book 4 Concludes at Keeneland

The two-session Book 4 portion of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale concluded Monday in Lexington with spirited action at the top of the market. Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, the most prolific buyer of the auction, made the day’s highest bid when going to $320,000 to acquire a colt by hot freshman sire Not This Time (hip 2739) for an undisclosed client. For the session, 255 yearlings sold for $11,832,500 for an average of $46,402 and a median of $25,000. The buy-back rate, which was as high as 40% during sessions last week, was 23.88% Monday.

For the two-day Book 4 section, 492 yearlings sold for an aggregate of $23,349,000. The average was $47,457 and the median was $32,000. The book’s $320,000 top price was one of 11 to sell for $200,000 or over for the two days.

During last year’s two-session Book 4 section, 562 yearlings sold for $28,329,200 for an average of $50,408 and a median of $37,000. The top Book 4 price in 2019 was $310,000 and 10 horses sold for $200,000 or over.

“The good ones are tough to buy, they are really tough,” Lanni said. “You just have to bid extra and push a little bit more and hopefully you get them.”

Hip 2739 was one of two yearlings to bring over $300,000 Monday. The chestnut colt, bred by Stelly Stables and consigned by Stuart Morris, is out of Ready at Nine (More Than Ready) and is a half-brother to stakes-placed Drummer Boy (Parading).

“He is a neat horse, a cool dude,” Lanni said of the yearling, who will be trained by Bob Baffert. “He was one of the standouts today. Every day there are good horses coming through, you just have to find them. He was easy to find. He’s a nice horse. And the sire helped. The sire has been on a roll and people believe in the sire. They are willing to pay extra for them. Not This Time is a horse that came under the radar. You never know who is going to make it, but it looks like he’s going to do well.”

Also topping the $300,000 mark Monday was a filly by Nyquist (hip 2419), who sold for $305,000 to Nicoma Bloodstock. Consigned by Candy Meadows Sales, the yearling was one of five by the GI Kentucky Derby-winning freshman sire to bring six figures during the session.

“I think yesterday was a little light, but the quality of horses is a bit better today in day two of Book 4 and there certainly seems to be a little more high-end trade today,” said Nicoma’s Ben Gowans.

Oracle Bloodstock, bidding on behalf of Zilla Racing Stables, struck late in the day to acquire one of three fillies by Nyquist to sell for $200,000 Monday. Hip 2772 is out of Soarwiththebirds (Giant’s Causeway), a half-sister to Canadian champion Up With the Birds (Stormy Atlantic), who was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

“I loved her,” said Oracle’s Conor Foley. “She had a coltish body, but a feminine way about her. I don’t think she’s done improving. I thought she fit the mold of the nice Nyquists. I’m excited that Zilla Racing was able to get her. This was their first time to Keeneland and they were the underbidder several times over the last several days and we just decided this filly ticked all the boxes. We were lucky to get her.”

Of Nyquist, who was represented by his second Grade I winner when Gretzky the Great won the GI Summer S. at Woodine Sunday, Foley said, “I’m really impressed with them. Obviously they are showing themselves to be the real deal on the track. The Grade I win maybe cost my client a little bit more money than I would have liked, but I am happy for Darley that they stand the horse. I used to work there and I’m a big fan of the stallion.”

Oracle Bloodstock has been active at all levels of the market during the first week of the Keeneland September sale, purchasing horses from $1.1 million to $15,000. In all, the operation has signed for 19 yearlings for $3,534,000.

“I am shocked at how strong the market is with everything that is going on in the world,” Foley admitted. “It’s been punishing because I’ve been outbid a lot. There is still a strong desire for people to get really nice horses to compete all over the world. I still have barely even bought for my foreign clients. I am nervous–I would be shocked if I was going to be able to fill all their needs at this sale. But that’s great for everybody in the business. It’s been a weird year, but I’m relieved for the breeders. They need to do well, they are the synergy and the strength of our industry.”

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

Nicoma Strikes Early for Nyquist Filly

A day after earning his second Grade I winner from his first crop to race, Nyquist was responsible for the top-priced filly of Monday’s eighth session of the Keeneland September sale when Nicoma Bloodstock’s Ben Gowans made a final bid of $305,000 to secure a daughter of the GI Kentucky Derby winner (hip 2419) on behalf of an undisclosed client. Out of multiple stakes winner and multiple graded stakes placed Unforgotten (Northern Afleet), the bay filly is a half-sister to Grade I placed Silverpocketsfull (Indian Charlie).

“We thought coming in to today that this filly would be around $200,000 to $250,000 range, but Nyquist had a big weekend,” Gowans said.

Nyquist’s son Gretzky the Great captured Sunday’s GI Summer S. at Woodbine, adding to Vequist’s win in the GI Spinaway S. earlier this month.

“Seeing what Nyquist has done so far obviously gave us the confidence in the filly, but we loved her physically,” Gowans said. “She is a beautiful filly with good size, plenty of leg, really well balanced, and she moves really well.”

Of his client, Gowans said, “He is in it to race. We’ve really enjoyed working for him and he was delighted even though we went a little over [budget on the filly]. So that’s always a good thing.”

The yearling was consigned by Candy Meadows Sales and was bred by Matt Lyons’s Three Lyons Racing and Dennis Farkas. Farkas purchased Unforgotten, with this filly in utero, for $75,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale.

“Matt [Lyons] was the one who got me going on the mare a couple of years ago,” Farkas said from his home in Indiana. “I really liked her, but she was out of my price range and when she RNA’d in November, Matt asked me if I wanted to go partners on her. I said, ‘Sure.’ After that, it’s been all Matt.”

Of Monday’s results in the sales ring, Farkas said, “Matt was really happy with the way the filly had grown and thought we would do ok with her. He had high expectations, I don’t know if he thought we’d be the sale topper today, but he was very happy and I am, too.”

Unforgotten, who produced a filly by West Coast this year, is Farkas’s only Kentucky-based mare, but he has a band of some 10 mares in Indiana.

“Ian Wilkes trained [2012 GII Indiana Derby winner] Neck ‘n Neck and we ended up getting him back and we brought him up here to Indiana to stand stud,” Farkas said. “I bought five or six mares to breed to him, but toward the end of the breeding season, he got off a mare and kicked the wall and shattered his leg. So my dream of standing a stallion in Indiana ended. It’s pretty costly to take as many mares as I have right now, which is 10, to take them all to Kentucky and get them in foal and bring them back. So I have four I am going to sell in November. But we have some really nice Indiana-bred foals born this year. I have a Maclean’s Music, a Good Magic and a Practical Joke and I ended up getting five Neck ‘n Neck babies, all fillies. And they are good looking, so we’re really happy with that.

He continued, “They have the Indiana-sired program here. They can run against only Indiana-sired horses, which is a big advantage. It’s a great program and I’m leaning towards just staying with that for a little bit.”

Filly a First for Hernon Bloodstock

Michael Hernon, longtime director of sales at Gainesway, made the first purchase for his new bloodstock agency Monday at Keeneland, going to $42,000 to acquire a filly by Speightster (hip 2541) on behalf of Steve and Cynthia Sansone.

“This filly jumped out at me with her motion and she had a very good stride to her,” said Hernon, who partnered with trainer Mark Casse to purchase unbeaten stakes winner Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}) for $35,000 out of last year’s September sale. “I looked at her three times and she’s a very positive type who moves forward willingly.”

The yearling is out of Diamondsandcaviar (Street Cry {Ire}), a half-sister to Grade I winner Haynesfield (Speightstown).

Hernon made his first purchase under the Michael Hernon Bloodstock banner on a single bid.

“I could have seen her bringing $50,000 and change,” Hernon said. “But we are happy with the price and we’re happy with the horse. She was the first one on our list to come up, I have a couple of other fillies to go through today and we have a short list for tomorrow, so we’ll see how it plays out.”

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