Coolmore's M.V. Magnier spent $625,000 for Just Before Dawn, a weanling colt by undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify who is a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Moonshine Memories, to lead Thursday's second session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Steady trade during the day generated healthy increases over 2020 results.
Keeneland sold 226 horses today for $37,866,000, for an average of $167,549 and a median of $130,000. During the second session of the 2020 November Sale, 197 horses sold for $27,690,000, for an average of $140,558 and a median of $100,000.
Through two sessions, 344 horses have grossed $88,500,000, for an average of $257,267 and a median of $185,000. The cumulative gross after two days of the 2020 November Sale was $77,465,000 for 325 horses, for an average of $238,354 and a median of $135,000.
“Incredible; it was a vibrant market again with a lot of the energy we saw in September,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “A lot of frustrated pinhookers (were outbid.) A lot of end-users participated in the market today for foals. Young mares, well-bred on an early cover to a popular stallion were highly prized. People were frustrated with buying, but we had a lot of happy sellers.
“It is a really encouraging market as we move forward,” Lacy said. “The buy-back rate (22 percent) was really healthy. Median and average were well up. A lot of the matrix we look at are beating the last four years, and 2018 and 2019 were really strong. That bodes well for the rest of the sale.”
“The September market was so strong that it really validated commercial breeders, validated their purpose and gave them equity to reinvest,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said. “Sometimes there were large amounts of money spent on yearlings out of older mares and mares that maybe hadn't been that 'A list' type, and we saw that strength carry through the last days of the September Sale. People can reinvest some of that money and buy with confidence that this is going to continue for a while.”
Consigned by Lane's End, agent, Just Before Dawn is out of the winning Unbridled's Song mare Unenchantedevening and also is a half-brother to stakes winner Indian Evening. He is from the family of Horse of the Year Favorite Trick and Grade 1 winner Tiz the Law. Coolmore stands Justify and Tiz the Law.
“He's a really nice horse,” Magnier said about the weanling, adding, “Jane Lyon and everyone at Summer Wind Farm are very good breeders. This horse is very well-bred, and we have had a lot of luck with the family before. We have 11 or 12 Justifys going to Ballydoyle (training center in Ireland) next year.”
Magnier said the weanling “is by one of the best horses we have seen in America for a long time.”
“(The Justify offspring) look like they are a very special group of horses,” Magnier said. “Everybody seems to be very high on them. They are a very exciting bunch of horses. The pedigrees, the physiques and everything about them and the way Justify was such a good racehorse, we have a huge amount of faith in them. Justify is making super strong horses. All seem to be good movers and everything. The lads at home say (the Justify yearlings) are simple to deal with.”
With sales of $6,302,000 for 27 horses, Lane's End, agent, was the session's leading consignor.
Lane's End, agent, also sold March X Press, a 6-year-old stakes-winning daughter of Shanghai Bobby in foal to Quality Road, for $560,000. Parks Investment Group bought March X Press, a half-sister to stakes winner Harlan's Honor out of the stakes-placed Indian Charlie mare Indian Rush.
Bloodstock agent David Ingordo signed the ticket for March X Press.
“I was underbidder on her yearling, and I thought her yearling was one of the best yearlings I did not get,” Ingordo said. “When I saw the mare in foal to Quality Road, I figured that would work for me.”
Mares carrying the first foals by 2020 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winner and Horse of the Year Authentic recorded three of the session's highest prices.
Aaron and Marie Jones LLC paid $620,000 for the 6-year-old stakes-winning, Grade 2-placed mare Streak of Luck, a daughter of Old Fashioned carrying her first foal by Authentic.
“She checked all the boxes for us,” buyer Frank Taylor of Taylor Made Sales Agency, who signed the ticket, said. “She is a great physical. She looks like (paternal grandsire) Unbridled's Song (who stood at Taylor Made Farm), and we love Unbridled's Song. We raised Old Fashioned on the farm, so that was a plus for me. She was a good race mare. She is in foal to a Kentucky Derby winner for a January foal. She is what we were looking for.”
Consigned by James B. Keogh, agent, Streak of Luck is out of the winning Elusive Quality mare Valeria and from the family of Grade 3 winner Lindsay Jean.
Keogh was extremely pleased with the sale.
“I campaigned her as a racehorse – she won a stakes for me – so she is pretty special to me,” Keogh said. “Carrie Brogden and I owned her together (in partnership with breeder Roncelli Family Trust). Carrie found her in California, and in two seconds I made the decision to take half of her.”
Gary Broad/Walmac Farm purchased Jennifer's Dream, a 5-year-old winning, stakes-placed daughter of Medaglia d'Oro in foal to Authentic, for $525,000. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, Jennifer's Dream is out of Grade 1 winner Joyful Victory, by Tapit.
Silesia Farm paid $500,000 for Impeccable Style, a winning, Grade 3-placed 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo also carrying her first foal by Authentic. Four Star Sales, agent, consigned Impeccable Style, whose dam is the Candy Ride (ARG) mare Deb's Candy Girl. She is from the family of stakes winners Bisbee's Prospect, Affordable Price, Stopshoppingdebbie, Shampoo, Blueberry Smoothie, Finallygotabentley and Starship Nterprise.
The session's leading buyer was Woodford Thoroughbreds, which spent $1,245,000 to acquire five in-foal broodmares.
The November Sale resumes Friday with the second session of the two-day Book 2. The auction continues through Friday, Nov. 19 with all sessions beginning at 10 a.m. ET.
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