“We are very excited about the overall quality of the catalogue,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “I think our in-foal mares are definitely stronger than they've been in the past and we have some exceptional younger horses that are going to be offered. It's a tremendous group of young racing and broodmare prospects. The quality is really, really deep and we are very fortunate about that.”

The one-session auction begins with a selection of 135 weanlings–down from the 181 weanlings catalogued to begin the sale in 2022.

“We actually made a conscious effort this year to tighten the weanlings,” Browning said. “That's why there are fewer weanlings in the catalogue this year. You've got to have a really quality horse to sell well in November. It's the sale of the year and you're competing against some really top pedigrees and physicals. And the last thing we want to do is put somebody in the wrong spot. So some of the horses who may have sold OK in the past on the weanling side of things, we are tightening the selection criteria and as a result, we have fewer weanlings. I think buyers are still going to love the quality of weanlings that they are going to find overall.”

The Breeders' Cup championship weekend at Santa Anita provided several updates to the Fasig-Tipton November catalogue, headed by champion Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper), who won her second GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint Saturday. The 5-year-old mare will be offered Tuesday as hip 237 through the Elite consignment.

Also making the flight from Santa Anita to Lexington following a Breeders' Cup appearance, Canadian Horse of the Year Moira (Ghostzapper) will be offered as hip 156 after her third-place effort in the GI F/M Turf. She is consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.

The dams of a trio of Breeders' Cup runners-up will also be offered Tuesday evening, with Belle's Finale (Ghostzapper) selling as (hip 212) while carrying a full-sibling to GI Turf second-place finisher Up to the Mark (Not This Time). The mare's weanling colt by Maxfield follows her into the ring. Both are consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

Hoppa (Uncle Mo) will be offered through the Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa consignment as hip 257 while carrying a full-sibling to GI Juvenile runner-up Muth (Good Magic).

Vigui's Heart (Quality Road), dam of GI Juvenile Turf Sprint runner-up Valiant Force (Malibu Moon), and in foal to Vekoma, will be offered Tuesday as hip 198. Her weanling filly by Mitole sells as hip 72. Both are consigned by Mill Ridge Sales.

Elite sales will present Toni Tools (Roaring Fever), dam of GI Juvenile Fillies third-place finisher Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}) as hip 254, while Eaton Sales consigns a Tiz the Law weanling half-sister to GI Juvenile third-place finisher Locked (Gun Runner) as hip 15.

The glittering catalogue also features champions Nest (Curlin) (hip 163) and Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) (hip 200), as well as GI Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath (Arrogate) (hip 180), and Queen Caroline (Blame) (hip 171), the dam of champion Forte (Violence), carrying a foal from the first crop of champion Flightline.

“We are very, very optimistic and very excited about the catalogue this year,” Browning said.

While there has been some weakening at the lower strata of the market, demand has remained strong at the top. Browning expects that to remain true in the November sale's elite marketplace, but did offer a cautious reminder to sellers.

“I think there is some insulation, hopefully, in the segment of the market that the November sale serves,” Browning said. “I think it's going to be highly competitive, but I think we also need to be realistic as we look at the entire marketplace that the same trends that we saw at the yearling sales and 2-year-old sales are going to continue at the broodmare sales. You better have quality and if you don't have that top quality–if you have some holes in your produce or your covering date or your covering sire, you need to be very realistic as you approach setting your reserves and what your expectations are with regard to the overall marketplace in terms of broodmares. I think weanlings will be the same exact trend that we are seeing at the yearling sales–great, great competition for the ones that are deemed highly desirable and it will be a little weaker for those that don't 'make the mark.' So you're going to have to be realistic in setting your reserves and evaluating, do you sell this year or do you hold on until the yearling sales next year.”

The Fasig-Tipton November sale surpassed the $100-million mark in gross for the first time in 2021 when 149 lots sold for $103,699,000. In 2022, the auction saw 169 horses sell for $101,214,000.

Those sparkling results don't come without some added pressure, according to Browning.

“You go through it year after year–one of the good things and one of the bad things is, 'What do we do for an encore?'” Browning said. “It's always a nerve-wracking apprehensive sale because there are a lot of expectations and there is a lot of pressure that we put on ourselves and that the owners expect us to deliver. It's a great opportunity and a great responsibility. Hopefully we will be sitting here on Tuesday night having a glass of champagne and celebrating another remarkable November sale.”

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“The traffic has been incredibly positive,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “There are quite a few buyers here. It's probably as positive as I've seen it since pre-COVID. The feedback that we are getting is that it's a very good group of horses. The buyers are very satisfied. The sellers are very positive about the feedback they are getting on the stock they have here overall. So, in general, I am cautiously optimistic.”

Standing outside his Candy Meadows Sales consignment at Barn 11, Matt Lyons smiled when asked about his expectations for the week.

“I suppose we are eternally hopeful as consignors, aren't we?” Lyons said. “Traffic has been pretty good so far. And we are seeing all of the main players and the main syndicates that people are expecting to see. There are quite a few groups from Japan, it looks like, on the grounds and they are looking hard. So we are hopeful.”

The 2023 Keeneland September sale has a tough act to follow. Last year's auction surpassed $400-million in gross sales for the first time in its history, while also setting records for average and median for the second year in a row. A year ago 2,847 yearlings grossed $405,495,700–to better the previous record set in 2006–for an average of $142,429 and a median of $70,000.

“The market has been good, we've had a bull run for the last 15 years, so I don't expect any dramatic changes,” said Brad Weisbord, whose Elite Sales makes its Keeneland September debut this week. “The colts groups seems to have their money together, so they will probably be the high end. The middle market has struggled for a couple of years. The pinhookers have been strong. They made money the last couple of years–which is nice to see–so I don't expect many changes. But we will know at the end of the sale. This sale determines what the yearling market is throughout the whole year, so at the end of this marathon we will really understand how the market is.”

While Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin and his late brother Sheikh Hamdan dominated the top of the Keeneland September market for many years, the decreased participation of those two Dubai-based entities in the last three years has been largely filled by American-based partnerships focused mainly on purchasing colts with Classic potential.

Leading the way in the last two years was the team of Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola, who purchased 31 yearlings for $12,840,000 in 2022. Repole is expected once again to be on site during the first four days of the Keeneland sale as his agent Jacob West and advisor Eddie Rosen were on the grounds Sunday. Chasing them for the leading buyer title last year was the stallion-making partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables, as well as BSW/Crow Colts Group.

The Keeneland September sale annually attracts buyers from around the world and the buying bench's international flavor should be strong in the coming week, according to Lacy.

“We have been very pleased with the support we have been getting from the international market and especially Japan,” Lacy said. “We have had more Japanese visitors this week and they are staying longer. I think they are finding that we have certain sire lines and pedigrees that have worked internationally for them. We are becoming more affordable and very relevant for their program.”

Among the Japanese shoppers on the sales grounds Sunday was Hideyuki Mori, whose five yearling purchases a year ago were led by a $1.2-million son of Curlin.

The international buying bench is also strengthened by new overseas opportunities like the Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale, which was topped this past March by a son of Gun Runner who sold for $583,520 after bringing $160,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“The Dubai sale that Goffs run in the spring every year has proven to be a very profitable endeavor for a lot of the pinhookers from Europe coming over here to source stock,” Lacy said. “That has really been a great addition to the diversity of what people are looking for.”

Lacy continued, “We have Australians here, I think we will have a lot of South Americans here and people from all over the world. From the Middle East, we have buyers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Dubai. We've put a lot of work travelling around the world over the last couple of years to reach out to our clients at every stage and provide a level of customer service that they would expect anywhere else. Those efforts have started to pay off as we start to look at the diversity through the sales grounds and the excitement about the quality of stock that the U.S. is producing, which is really encouraging.”

Shadwell Farm, which had long been one of the leading buyers at the Keeneland September sale before the death of its founder Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum in 2021, made four purchases last year and could be a resurgent presence at this year's auction. Sheikha Hissa, now at the helm of her late father's operation, was at the Keeneland sales grounds Sunday.

“Sheikha Hissa came for Malathaat's race in the Doubledogdare S. last year,” Lacy said. “So she got the experience of coming here. She very much wants to have the same experience that her dad did, so we've been working diligently so that we have the same people working with her as worked with her dad.”

Keeneland has settled into a format for its September sale, which for the third year features Book 1 sessions Monday and Tuesday with 383 yearlings, followed by Book 2 sessions Wednesday and Thursday with 728 yearlings a before a dark day Friday.

“[This format] allows the higher-end buyers to be able to look at these horses in a relaxed manner without being rushed and also have the opportunity to go and look at Book 2 horses before the first horse walks through the ring,” Lacy explained. “So there is good idea of what the quality is out there. We put a lot of effort into making sure we have good physicals up front that have pedigree, that have commercial appeal, knowing what the marketplace is looking for.”

He continued, “I see this year people are in a more relaxed mode and they are able to give these horses the consideration that they deserve and I think they feel comfortable with that.”

Following its Book 1 and 2 sections, Keeneland will hope for demand to continue into what has seemed to be a weakening middle market.

“I think, looking at the yearling sales that have already happened this year, you have to be positive that [demand] will carry through to at least the middle of the sale,” Lacy said. “I think it could carry through right to the end.”

After buying in a bullish yearling sale a year ago, pinhookers faced a tougher market to sell in this spring, but Weisbord expects they will still be a strong presence at Keeneland.

“Listen, that's their business,” Weisbord said. “They buy yearlings to sell 2-year-olds. So I expect them to be strong from $75,000 to $275,000. After that, it becomes a very difficult pinhook, but I think that market for them will still be strong.”

The Keeneland September Book 1 sessions Monday and Tuesday will begin at 1 p.m. Book 2 sessions Wednesday and Thursday begin at 11 a.m. Following Friday's dark day, the auction continues through Sept. 23 with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

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“Elite Sales launched in 2017 with the goal of being the number-one consignor of horses of racing age and broodmares/broodmare prospects,” said Weisbord. “With six years under our belts, we have experienced a wide range of success including selling 21 off-the-track broodmare or racing prospects for $1 million or more.”

The addition of yearlings to their lineup is the latest news from Elite, who sold their first two weanlings at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, including a Gun Runner filly for $675,000. They also were represented with a consignment at Tattersalls December for the first time in 2022.

“Since launching Elite, our team has enjoyed building relationships with the most prominent buyers and sellers of bloodstock around the world. We believe that these relationships along with our boutique model, top client support, and ambitious marketing have led to our success,” Weisbord said, “The move into yearlings has been long-planned. Liz and I have some of our own homebreds we will sell, we will sell for our existing clients, and we hope to add some large breeding farms into the mix.”

Elite has hired Beth Bayer, the former director of sales for Woodford Thoroughbreds, who has 20 years of experience in the industry, to run the day-to-day consignment, leaving Liz Crow free to continue her scrutiny of yearlings on the sales grounds.

“Liz is one of the leading agents purchasing yearlings each year and we feel her knowledge of the market along with her great eye will be a huge asset to our clients. She will be available for farm inspections as we lead into yearling prep and sales time. We also feel that since our team sees every single horse on the sales grounds at every single yearling sale, she will have a great understanding of where yearlings most appropriately fit in each catalogue and sale.”

Fasig-Tipton July would be the first sale the company will target, followed by Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, Keeneland September, and Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings.

Weisbord said he would continue to handle client and buyer relationships on and off the sales grounds. Katelyn Jackson, Samantha Bussanich and Jake Memolo will remain with Elite as well, and that the company would continue to be run as a boutique consignment operation.

In its six-year history, Elite has sold over $135 million in horses, averaging over $295,000 per horse. Those sales include Monomoy Girl for Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables, who brought $9.5 million at Fasig-Tipton November 2020; and Paris Lights for WinStar Farm, who topped the 2021 Keeneland November Sale at $3.1 million.

“Elite Sales has done an outstanding job in the mixed sale and horses-of-racing-age marketplace and I'm sure that they will do an excellent job as they enter the yearling sales marketplace,” said Fasig-Tipton President and CEO Boyd Browning. “They have an excellent group of people on their team and Beth Bayer has great knowledge and will be a valuable addition.”

“It's always good to welcome consignors that have great connections like they do,” said Keeneland's Vice President of Sales, Tony Lacy. “They've done a wonderful job over the past few years with their mixed sales business, and it's a natural evolution for them to move into the yearling market.”

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“Tom Ryan [of SF Bloodstock] called us on Wednesday of last week and we were able to open the sale up the very next day, which showed the versatility of the website and how quickly we could get everything going,” said Aaron.

Aaron said Pinehurst appealed to both owners and breeders worldwide and, as the sale progressed, they had interested parties particularly in the Middle East and the U.S. He said Fasig-Tipton had over 1,000 people log onto the website during the sale with registered bidders from all over the world. Aaron said there were a total of 41 individual bids on the horse.

“He was already a Grade I winner and a beautiful specimen,” said Aaron, “so not only did the horse really fit some races, particularly in the Middle East, but there were also a lot of breeders who were looking at him as a stallion. We had interested parties from all over the world with people from all different backgrounds interested in the horse.

“Basically, what we tried to do was make it as beneficial for the buyers and sellers as we possibly could,” said Aaron. “What we have done more than anything is show just how liquid horses can be and how we can turn on a dime to provide an experience for the buyers and sellers that is equivalent to the experience they can expect at a live auction.”

In addition to winning the Del Mar Futurity, Pinehurst also won the G3 Al Rajhi Bank Saudi Derby in Saudi Arabia and was second in the GII San Vicente S. Trained by both Bob Baffert and John Terranova, Pinehurst's current race record stands at 7-3-1-0 with earnings of more than $1.2 million. His ownership group consisted of the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable, and Siena Farm. Bred on a similar cross to superstar stallion Gun Runner, Pinehurst was consigned to Fasig-Tipton by Elite, agent, as a racing or stallion prospect.

“There were 41 bids on the horse,” said Elite's Brad Weisbord. “This is a big sale for us, because we haven't sold many horses digitally. It was a great opportunity provided by SF Bloodstock and their partners to sell a young horse, a GI winner, who had some great credentials, and to their credit, they utilized this platform in a perfect way. This platform really hasn't taken off in America in the way it has in other places yet. But when utilized for high-end stock like this, I think it does have a lot of life. I think that one of the reasons it hasn't taken off is that there hasn't been enough high-end stock put online. But yesterday, we saw that when you do have quality and when you do time it right, you can get a great result. We're grateful that the SF team gave us the product to bring to the marketplace. They have been big supporters of ours with their racehorses, not just here, but throughout the year.”

A stud fee for Pinehurst will be announced at a later date.

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LEXINGTON, KY – The Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of All Ages Sale, marking its 10th edition, confirmed its importance on the calendar with a strong renewal at Newtown Paddocks Monday.

“It was a tremendous sale tonight,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “It was even stronger than we anticipated. We saw an unbelievable depth of bidding activity tonight. We had activity from the East Coast, West Coast, international participation. It was very encouraging. It was a very strong marketplace overall.”

A total of 129 offerings sold Monday for a gross of $10,814,000. The average was $83,829 and the median was $58,000. With 30 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 18.9%.

Last year's sale, which offered bloodstock under a separate catalogue, saw 79 horses sell for $5,905,500. The average was $74,753 and the median was $50,000.

As expected with boutique summer meets at Del Mar and Saratoga upcoming, horses with current form proved popular in the sales ring Monday. Bloodstock agent Steve Young purchased the day's top-priced offering Kuchar (Uncle Mo) for $500,000. The 3-year-old, consigned by WinStar Racing, was coming off a runner-up effort in the July 2 American Derby.

“I think it is like any other horses of racing age sale,” said Young, who purchased two of the day's three top lots. “You look at them after the fact and some of them appear to be a lot more than what you would foresee. But, with the purses the way they are in places like Kentucky and New York, horses that are running are worth a lot of money.”

Browning agreed horses who could go on and race at summer meets at Saratoga and Del Mar were in demand.

“There is a lot of demand for a horse that can ship to Saratoga and run next week,” Browning said. “Several horses will ship to Del Mar. A lot of horses will be re-strategized to regional racetracks.”

WinStar Racing also sold the day's second-highest priced offering when First Constitution (Chi) (Constitution) brought a final bid of $430,000 from RRR Racing.

Young Strikes Again for Kuchar

Bloodstock agent Steve Young, active throughout Monday's auction, made the day's highest bid when going to $500,000 to acquire recent American Derby runner-up Kuchar (Uncle Mo) (hip 547) on behalf of an undisclosed client. Agent Jacob West was underbidder on the colt.

“He is a proven and improving 3-year-old,” said Young, who purchased the colt for the same client for whom he had purchased the 3-year-old filly Diamond Hands (Frosted) earlier in the sale. “If he improves in the next three months as much as he improved in the last three months, he will be a nice horse.”

Of the colt's final price tag, Young said, “That's what horses of his nature cost. If you try to buy them on the private market, that's what they are going to want for them.”

Young signed the ticket on four offerings Monday, going to $375,000 for Diamond Hands and $325,000 for multiple stakes-placed Montebello (Curlin). He also purchased Relate (Connect) (hip 403) for $65,000.

Racing for WinStar Farm and Siena Farm and trained by Rodolphe Brisset, Kuchar was a maiden winner at Oaklawn in March. He was second in the Apr. 23 Oaklawn S. before winning a Churchill allowance May 22. He was most recently second behind Rattle N Roll (Connect) in the July 2 American Derby.

Bred by WinStar Farm and consigned by WinStar Racing, the bay colt is out of multiple Grade I-placed Street Girl (Street Hero).

“We are selling horses like him and he was our best one coming in here after running second in the American Derby,” said WinStar's Elliott Walden. “He is a beautiful horse and he had the right people on him.”

Walden continued, “He had 19 vettings, he was very popular. I was hoping he was going to bring anywhere from $400,000 to $500,000, so he was at the top of what I thought he was going to bring. But he is a beautiful horse and people want racehorses. There are a lot of stakes that he can run in–he's a 3-year-old, he runs from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/4 miles. Those are valuable horses.”

WinStar had a profitable day in the sale ring Monday. The operation also sold the day's second-highest priced offering, Chilean Group 1 winner First Constitution (Chi) (Constitution) (hip 587) for $430,000. The 5-year-old, campaigned by Don Alberto Stable, WinStar and Twin Creeks Racing Stables, was a two-time stakes winner in New York this spring and he is coming off a fifth-place effort in the June 11 GII Brooklyn S. He was purchased via a phone bid from RRR Racing, which also campaigns this year's G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Switzerland (Speightstown). @JessMartiniTDN

Diamond Hands Popular at Fasig-Tipton

Diamond Hands (Frosted) (hip 495), runner-up behind Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the May 20 Hilltop S. for Rob Masiello and Steve Rocco and trainer Christophe Clement, will continue her racing career on the New York circuit after bloodstock agent Steve Young purchased the 3-year-old filly for $375,000 on behalf of an undisclosed client Monday at Fasig-Tipton.

“She is a wonderful filly,” Young said. “I tried to buy her as a 2-year-old in training. I got outbid there. She has picked some tough horses to run against. She is lightly raced and I think she has a lot of blue sky ahead of her if she is brave and lucky. She ran good against Haughty. She ran good against Pizza Bianca. We are very happy to get her.”

Diamond Hands broke her maiden over the Belmont lawn in November and opened her 3-year-old campaign with a runner-up effort behind GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca in the May 20 Hilltop S. She has hit the board in four of five lifetime starts and earned $103,180 to date.

Joe Migliore purchased Diamond Hands for $425,000 on behalf of Masiello and Rocco at last year's OBS April sale. The filly was one of the first Migliore signed for when he went out on his own last year and the bloodstock agent was on hand to watch her sell Monday in Lexington.

“She is a very nice filly,” Migliore said. “I absolutely loved her at the 2-year-old sale and she has done great for us. Sometimes in this game you have to trade. We just felt like it was a good time to put her through this sale. Obviously, Fasig does such a great job with this sale and getting good money for strong racing prospects and that's what she is. I certainly think she is a stakes winner down the line. It was great to get her black type in the Hilltop behind Pizza Bianca. I am sure we will see more from her for her new connections.”

Migliore continued, “She was one of the first tickets I signed last year when I went out on my own. I'm always going to be rooting for her. And I'm always going to be hoping she does well. I think the buyers have done very well. I think she'll be an outstanding broodmare prospect, as well, just based on her physical.”

Out of multiple stakes winner Love Cove (Not For Love), Diamond Hands is a half to stakes winner Bibby (Stormy Atlantic). Her dam is a half-sister to graded winner Sweet Vendetta (Stephen Got Even). She was consigned to Monday's sale by Denali Stud. @JessMartiniTDN

Song Parody Proves Popular at Fasig

Song Parody (Practical Joke) (Hip 609) was a late supplement to Monday's sale and it proved to be a wise move when she brought $360,000 from Runnymede's Romain Malhouitre.

“It is going to be a partnership between Runnymede, a New York owner and a group of Boston people,” Malhouitre said. “She will go to New York. I am looking for a New York trainer.”

As for the price, he said, “Today was a strong market. We wanted her for a little bit less, but I was full speed.”

A $25,000 OBS October acquisition, Song Parody went wire to wire in her debut against fellow New York-breds June 25 at Belmont, graduating by 5 1/2 lengths and earning a 73 Beyer Speed Figure. Her SP dam Songofthecity (Songandaprayer) is a half-sister to MGISW Midnight Lucky (Midnight Lute). This is also the family of Grade I winner Hookedonthefeelin, dam of MGISW Pussycat Doll and GISW sire Jimmy Creed.

“She is well put together,” Malhouitre said. “It is a good mix between the sire and Songandaprayer as well. I thought she had a lot of class. Obviously, she was very fast first time out. We are hoping she can carry her speed.”

When asked if the long-term plan for the filly was to join the Runnymeded broodmare band, Malhouitre said, “Runnymede is a breeding operation. She fits the box for us. We take a lot of pride in doing a little bit of everything. We have a good program for turf and we were looking for a fast, precocious filly on the dirt and she showed that.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

SF/Starlight/Madaket Partnership Reloads

The stallion-making partnership of SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing and Madaket was among the leading buyers of yearlings last year and just as the calendar is about to turn to the yearling sales once again, the group was in action as sellers Monday at Fasig-Tipton. They sold multiple stakes-placed Montebello (Curlin) (hip 565) to bloodstock agent Steve Young and a few hips later multiple graded winner Newgrange (Violence) (hip 568) to Rockingham Ranch for matching $325,000 price tags.

“The timing was right to sell them,” SF Bloodstock's Tom Ryan said of the decision to send the two 3-year-olds through the sales ring. “Montebello and Newgrange are two lightly-raced colts that have lots of racing in front of them. We felt it's the time of the year where we are working on replenishing our budget to go to work again in Saratoga and on into the fall.”

Ryan continued, “Fasig-Tipton is a fantastic facility to show these horses. The show rings here are just fabulous. And it's a welcoming, wonderful team over here. Boyd [Browning] put this sale on the calendar 10 years ago and it's become a good place to bring these horses.”

The SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership was the second leading buyer at last year's Keeneland September sale, purchasing 24 yearlings for $10,590,000.

Asked if he expected the partnership to be as active this year, Ryan said, “We have a wonderful group assembled and we expect to be active for sure. We will be out there working in force and doing what we can.”

Both colts were consigned Monday by Elite Sales.

“I want to give the team at Elite Sales a lot of credit,” Ryan said. “Liz [Crow], Katelyn [Jackson] and Brad [Weisbord] do a great job and they have a great network of clients. People enjoy buying from them. With their passports, Elite make it so easy for the buyers. They do all the work for the buyers.”

Montebello, purchased for $400,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September sale, was a first-out winner at Del Mar last August and was second in the 2021 Funny Cide S. and Capote S. He most recently captured a June 30 Belmont allowance.

“He's a nice horse,” said Young. “I liked him as a 2-year-old. He was good enough to win at Del Mar against open horses. He was dead game the other day to win in New York. With the purses for New York-breds [being high], he still has all of his conditions.”

Newgrange, a $125,000 yearling purchase, won the GIII Sham S. Jan. 1 and added the Jan. 29 GIII Southwest S. He has been off since finishing sixth in the Feb. 26 GII Rebel S.

“We are going to send him to Del Mar and we are going to try him on the turf,” said bloodstock agent Kim Lloyd, who signed the ticket on the colt on behalf of Gary Hartunian's Rockingham Ranch. “The Violences like turf. He is just a great-looking horse. He's game and a very impressive colt. He's had time off. He's fresh. He's sound as new money.” @JessMartiniTDN

Buttons Headed to Sharp Barn

The 2-year-old filly Buttons (Twirling Candy) (Hip 474) is headed to the barn of trainer Joe Sharp after being purchased by Clark Shepherd, acting on behalf of owner Larry Hirsch, for $275,000 Monday.

The bay is a half-sister to GIII Forward Gal S. winner Girl With A Dream (Practical Joke) and her dam is a half to GSW & MGISP Mr. Commons (Artie Schiller). She won her debut at Horseshoe Indianapolis June 28 for trainer Rusty Arnold.

“She is just a great filly,” said Shepherd. “She is just two years old and she's only had one race, so she hasn't been chewed up too badly yet. She's a brand name and is a half to a graded stakes winner. She has a ready-made page, so anything she adds to that from this point forward is going to be icing on the cake. I like Twirling Candy, but physically they are not my favorite. But, she is one of the best Twirling Candys I've ever laid eyes on.”

“She's a really nice athletic filly,” Sharp added. “She has a lot of upside. We might go to Kentucky Downs with her. They have nice 2-year-old opportunities for the fillies. She has her whole future ahead of her.”

Buttons was a $110,000 KEESEP yearling buy for the Dew Sweepers, a new pinhooking partnership that focused on buying yearlings to go to Royal Ascot as 2-year-olds. The plan for the group was always to disperse of all their stock at Fasig July and their seven-horse draft was handled by Grovendale Sales.

“I think that was pretty fair,” said Grovendale's Chance Timm. “It was a bit more than we expected. But she is an active runner that showed good form, so she probably deserved to bring more than expected.”

The other members of the Dew Sweepers dispersal were:

• Tituba (Good Magic) (Hip 437), $47,000, Three Diamonds Farm
• Alcazaba (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) (Hip 455), $90,000, Jack Goldthorpe for Jim Thares
• Castle Rising (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) (Hip 480), $10,000, Ciaran Dunne, Agent
• Grand Oak (Ire) (Speightstown) (Hip 521), $210,000, Herringswell Racing Club II
• Just a Care (Ire) (Australia {GB}) (Hip 542), $150,000, Bo Bromagen, Agent
• Late September (Munnings) (Hip 550), $60,000, Kevin Stedman

—@CDeBernardisTDN

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The November sale was topped by the supplemented GI Coaching Club American Oaks winner Paris Lights (Curlin) (hip 224D), who was consigned by Brad Weisbord and Liz Crow's EliTE, as agent for WinStar Farm/WinStar Stablemates. Despite the passing of its founder B. Wayne Hughes this past August, Spendthrift Farm continued an aggressive buying spree dating back to last year's breeding stock sales, going to $3.1 million for the daughter of Paris Bikini (Bernardini). Paris Lights was one of seven mares that eclipsed the seven-figure mark at Keeneland, each of which was secured by a different buyer, while the 41 horses that sold for a pricetag in excess of $500,000 were acquired by some 30 unique entities.

The 2021 November Sale also warmly welcomed the return of a broad international buying bench, as the United States conditionally opened its borders on the eve of the auction Nov. 8. Bidding was spirited at every level of the sale, across each of the five books that was capped by Friday's equally vibrant Horses of Racing Age Section (see related story). So lively was the bidding that by the time the dust had settled on the Book 3 finale Nov. 14, the sale had already soared past the gross for the entire COVID-impacted event in 2020.

The weanling section of the sale also featured competitive bidding, with end-users and resellers alike making their presence felt. Four Star Sales sold the highest-priced foal of the sale (hip 144), an $800,000 Frankel (GB) half-sister to MGSW Nay Lady Nay (Ire) (No Nay Never) and GSW/MG1SP Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never) to Midlantic-based trainer Phil Schoenthal, agent for Matt Dorman's D. Hatman Thoroughbreds.

The level of engagement augurs well for horse racing and breeding, Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said.

“Excitement for racing and confidence in the future of our sport globally are positive trends for the entire horse industry,” she commented. “The November Sale continued the optimism we saw in September with great energy on the sales grounds, smiling faces all around and people having fun doing what they love. As in September, Keeneland worked to elevate the sales atmosphere with many little touches that we hope consignors and buyers really enjoyed, and that helped create a terrific environment to showcase the quality individuals that breeders and sellers brought to market. We are delighted with the enthusiastic response of buyers.”

Opening of Borders Comes In The Nick of Time…

Following an 18-month interruption owing to the coronavirus, the United States officially re-opened its borders to fully vaccinated international travelers Monday, Nov. 8, one day prior to the Fasig-Tipton November Sale and two days before the start of Keeneland November. The sales sheets bear out that the international buying bench contributed mightily to the overall sales performance at all price points.

On the heels of two landmark victories at the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, Japanese interests were active at the top and middle levels of the market–as is their custom–with Masahiro Miki signing for three lots for $3,675,000, topped by the $2.3 million Pink Sands (Tapit) (hip 183). Katsumi Yoshida added New Jersey-bred Horologist (Gemologist) (hip 200) to his formidable broodmare band at Northern Farm, paying $800,000 for the MGSW and MGISP mare.

Keeneland November grad Gypsy Robin (Daaher, $750,000, 2013) became the dam of G1 A. J. Moir S. hero Wild Ruler (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) at Melbourne's Moonee Valley Racecourse late last month, the latest major success of American-sourced bloodstock Down Under. Looking for lightning to strike again–and hopefully again and again–that 4-year-old colt's part-owner Newgate Farm (Henry Field) teamed with SF Bloodstock on no fewer than five purchases, led by MGSW Tonalist's Shape (Tonalist) (hip 46). Australian horsemen Julian Blaxland, Will Johnson, Bruce Slade and Craig Rounsefell were prominent players, as were trainers Richard and Michael Freedman.

Another quality mare books her ticket to . She's So Special is just that, she's the Stakes winning daughter of Hard Spun. We can't wait to see her in Sydney. https://t.co/bqauBtS5nt

— Freedman Brothers (@Freedman_bros) November 11, 2021

The sale's back books drew buyers from Central America, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Turkey, a function of Keeneland's aggressive strategy to recruit buyers from these 'emerging' racing jurisdictions.

As with any sporting event, it's great to watch on TV and all, but nothing beats being there in person, said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy.

“The opening of the U.S. borders just two days before the sale really created an atmosphere and brought back a feeling of probably 10-15 years ago, when you had a really vibrant international market,” said Lacy. “The presence of the Australians was really welcomed, because American broodmares have been doing exceptionally well in their gene pool. It was great to see the Europeans coming back here and spending money again. The attraction of American pedigrees is starting to gain traction again. I think going forward there is real momentum and I think we've got a real good base to work off in the future.”

Added Keeneland Director of Sales Cormac Breathnach, “American bloodlines are so valuable around the world and are huge contributors to studbooks in various jurisdictions. We are privileged and fortunate to be able to present that market to the world here at Keeneland and with the support of all the breeders and consignors that send us such quality stock. The market has been very strong, the international participation is consistent and very valuable to us and it's exciting for us to be on this end of it.”

'Cool' Marketplace Fosters Confidence, Stability…

Another positive in Lacy's eyes is the re-emergence of buyers at the November Sale who had availed themselves of a break of as many as 15 years from the sales.

“I think what is really encouraging is that you're seeing some people that might have been inactive for a number of years [buying horses],” he offered. “I'll use Bill Casner as an example. Bill has been active, but at a slightly lower level. This year he came back and bought at a significant level. If you look at the results through Books 1 and 2, you see people who have purchased farms that were active and really doubling down, stocking up for their farms.”

And that helps to maintain a relatively even keel, according to Lacy.

“I think even if we have a correction in the market over the next few years, you won't have the same panic in the market because of the fact that this is real money that's being invested,” he said. “There's confidence. Prize money being up has really helped and the fact that we have partnerships that are buying racehorses has invigorated the yearling market. When you have a vibrant yearling market, the reaction is that people think 'alright, it's valuable to breed these horses' and to have a market to sustain it. That's extremely encouraging. I don't think the market is overheating in any way. If you look at the results from 2018-2019–eliminate the results from 2020–but look at 2021, you actually see a straight line. There's a very consistent line of growth. 2020 was a bit of anomaly, but last year was actually better than what we thought it might be. There was a demand for young stock and it's carried over here.”

Breathnach concurred.

“There's a lot of help in the industry, from the sporting end with high purses and handle has been very good and there is a lot of energy around the sport again,” he explained. “People made money in September and now they're reinvesting now with confidence, because like Tony said, it feels like a very fair, sound market and something that is sustainable, because there is a balance between supply and demand and there is a real appetite to buy and to fill orders and they're not getting them filled in many cases. They're getting pushed back in the books and now they're going to be back in January to try to fill their orders there.”

Following Through On A Vision…

In a TDN interview with Katie Petrunyak after being named to his new role earlier this year, Lacy said he was committed to enhancing the buying experience for the auction house's clientele, making it fun and exciting. With Keeneland's two biggest sales now in the rearview, it is clear Lacy very much intends on seeing that task through.

“We've been really focused on creating a little more energy, a little more excitement and a little more of an atmosphere around the grounds,” he said. “In September, we had to duct tape a lot of things together to make this work, starting in early summer. It's been well received. A lot of international and out-of-town customers have really enjoyed themselves and I think that's something we want to try to build on.

“It's a transactional business, but we also realize that there is a lot enjoyment in trying to source and buy quality stock,” he continued. “That's something we'll be focusing on more and more. We want make sure that people realize that when you invest here, it increases prize money, it allows us to do more development. We're also really excited about having the Breeders' Cup here next year. Next November is going to be a really exciting time and we're already planning for what we can do then.”

An ELiTE November Topper…

One might think that selling a horse for $3.1 million wouldn't necessarily elicit a significant reaction from ELiTE Sales' Brad Weisbord within the context of having consigned the likes of champions Monomoy Girl ($9.5 million) and Midnight Bisou ($5 million) and Uni (GB) ($4.1 million) on a single night a little more than a year ago. But Weisbord, who said has seen his baby daughter a grand total of 'one day in the last five weeks,' was still basking in the afterglow of the sale of Paris Lights nine days after she went through the ring at Keeneland November.

“It's been a great November,” said Weisbord. “It was a pleasant surprise to hear from Elliott Walden two weeks before the sale, saying that he was giving us Paris Lights to sell. We put our heads together and seeing all those headliners at Fasig-Tipton, we thought it was best to bring Paris Lights to Keeneland because she would have a chance to shine there. This was a case of being the last big fish in the sales ring and everybody lined up on her. To sell a $3-million mare, even in a healthy market, is a giant deal and we were very appreciative of the opportunity.”

Like so many others, Weisbord has been taken by the performance of the market over the last week and a half.

“This, for me, is the best market we've ever participated in,” he said. “I thought the same thing last year and this year is even better. The health of the worldwide economy is continuing to strengthen. We have probably never seen this strong a market at the upper end. We had five millionaires and there was very active bidding well above our reserves for all five of them.”

In 2017 when ELiTE came to life, I was confident in our model/vision but never dreamed of this. Paris Lights yesterday became our first @keeneland sales topper and our 5th million dollar filly this Nov, 20th overall. Her 3.1M price brought @EliteRaceSales over 100M in sales (1/2) pic.twitter.com/qpTFy8CWxc

— Bradley Weisbord (@BradWeisbord) November 11, 2021

Taylor Made Tops Among Consignors…

There are a few constants in life: death, taxes and Taylor Made Sales topping the consignors' table at Keeneland November.

And so it was in 2021, as the agency sold 246 head for $23,873,200 to reign as king of that particular hill for the 25th time since 1990.

“We've got a great base of customers, many of whom have been with us for decades and continually give us good horses,” Taylor Made's Mark Taylor commented. “We've got a hell of a team. A lot of the people that work for us could run their own consignments, they know what they're doing. Us Taylors are just the conduits between the employees and the customer. We're very lucky. Thanksgiving is coming up, so we're very grateful.”

Given the strength of the year's previous auctions, Taylor said the overall results of the November sale were not totally unexpected, yet simultaneously a bit surprising.

“What was encouraging was that it was strong from start to finish and there was demand for horses at all levels. It was really good,” he said. “It exceeded my expectations in this way. I thought that our high six-figure and seven-figure horses, that we would be selling into a very healthy market. The middle market commercial breeders–what we have been seeing is signs of them shrinking down. Wherever they are in the market, they want to sell off and have higher quality. The cost of keeping them and raising them keeps going up and then also the veterinary scrutiny continues to get more intense.

“It's totally out of their control,” he added. “You're raising this animal that you're bringing to the market and there's so much intense vet scrutiny that a lot of the commercial breeders just can't stomach it. It's so hard to hit a home run, and even when you have a horse that's capable of it, sometimes it takes just one or two opinions and instead of hitting a home run, you're striking out. It's a hard business model because there is so much unpredictability in that way. I was pleasantly surprised that there was so much demand for those mares. I thought it was going to get really thin and really weak once we hit Book 3, but that was not the case. It's a testament to how much people love this game. That they're willing to reinvest and plow money back in.”

Ingordo: Buying Horses 'Was Not Easy'…

Noted bloodstock agent David Ingordo was one of many buyers who found the sledding to be pretty tough at the November sale. That being said, he wasn't complaining and also sees a bright future for the sport.

“On the heels of as good a September sale as I've ever seen and a yearling sales season that was phenomenal, quite frankly, it was expected that November would be a good market,” he said. “I'm usually a foal buyer, but I was not able to get anything bought in my price range and at my comfort level for what my needs were. We got outbid quite a bit, I thought the foal market was quite strong, and deservedly so. Pinhookers had a good year, end-users are buying more weanlings now than they ever have and there is just a lot of competition for good foals.

He continued, “On the mare side, again it goes back to good yearling sales. A lot of people are reinvesting in mares, making key acquisitions for broodmare bands, and that was difficult to do as well. On the value side of the broodmare market, there were a lot of people supporting their various sires and we saw a lot of mare competition and it was tough. We were able to buy horses that we wanted, but it was not an easy process.”

Ingordo signed 19 tickets to support new Lane's End stallion Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) and another half-dozen in the name of Gage Hill II in partnership with Lane's End.

“Code of Honor is a very attractive horse and stands over a lot of ground,” he explained. “Physically we're thinking to add some strength and some body to the mares we breed to him. He won what is historically one of the best 2-year-old races at Saratoga and got beat a lip in the Champagne, so he has 2-year-old form. We're looking to try to make him a commercial horse and try to get some runners out there early. We bought some speedy types of physicals from sire lines we felt would bring additional precocity that he himself had. He's a wide-open horse to breed to pedigree-wise, so we were able to find a wide variety of mares that fit him. As is becoming our model, we are committed to supporting these horses with mares, we're going to buy yearlings and weanlings by him, we're going to buy 2-year-olds. And people that breed to him, we're going to support those that breed to the horse by buying horses off them as well.”

The sales are a means to an end and Ingordo is encouraged not only by the results of the past week-plus, but also by the state of the horse racing business.

“That winning post about a quarter-mile up from the pavilion and the winner's circle is what drives this,” he said, referring to the Keeneland finish line. “Racing is healthier than is sometimes reported, we seem to always focus on the negatives. I personally race horses and we make our racing stable work based on the prize money we can win. It covers the bills and hopefully we create a product that we can sell as a stallion or a broodmare or whatever. Purses are good and there is a demand I haven't seen for some time. It is quite refreshing to see just how many people want to race horses at whatever level they're able to do it. Even if you have a claiming horse, you can still make it make sense. That is something we need to focus on as a big positive and realize that is what is driving all this demand. Someone has to produce those horses, so the breeders are being rewarded for producing a nice horse, and whatever region they're in, people want to race.”

What They're Saying At The Sales…

“I think I'm like everyone else…OMG is the explanation for it. The strength of the market is mind-boggling, the strength of the stock market is mind-boggling. There's just so much money in the world right now and you combine that with the accelerated depreciation we're getting, purse money is up and overall gambling on racing continues to move forward. We've got as close to a perfect storm in the horse business probably since all that crazy money in the early 80s. It's as good as it's been since the turn of the century.

“The increase in the $10,000 to $60,000 horse, which was sometimes unsellable, there now seems to be a fervent market for those horses. I don't know where the money is coming from, but it's great for the industry.”

–Bradley Thoroughbreds' Peter Bradley

All good things must come to an end. From all of us at Keeneland, thank you! #KeeNov pic.twitter.com/EoTgvF8PWZ

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) November 19, 2021

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Paris Lights, who was supplemented to Book 1, was the third-to-last horse to appear in the ring during the session, which featured seven horses who sold for more than $1 million each and the highest price paid for a weanling at public auction in North America this year.

“It was a good, steady, strong session,” Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “We felt great about the way today went. It was as we had expected and hoped. We heard a lot of people say it was tough to buy. They didn't get to fill their orders so hopefully they'll be looking to do that in the next nine sessions.”

Keeneland sold 118 horses Wednesday for $50,634,000, for an average of $429,102 and a median of $330,000. Last year, 128 horses sold for $49,775,000, for an average of $388,867 and a median of $280,000.

“Overall it was a very honest, fair, encouraging session,” Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. “The popularity and success of American pedigrees across the world is evident. (International buyers) are excited to be back (after the pandemic travel restrictions of the past). As we welcome more visitors from around the world, we see a more diverse group. They are active and they are going to be active into Books 2 and 3. They are not going anywhere anytime soon. That is encouraging as we step forward into the next year or two.”

Paris Lights was consigned by ELiTE, agent, as a racing or broodmare prospect. A 4-year-old filly out of the winning Bernardini mare Paris Bikini, she is from the family of Broodmare of Year Better Than Honour, Grade 2 winner Smolensk and Grade 3 winners America and First Captain.

“Very classic American racehorse – big, scopey filly,” Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey said. “I think she will fit Into Mischief (who stands at Spendthrift) really well. We are happy to have her.”

Toffey said, “The market is very strong. It was pretty good across the board and very competitive. We tried on one earlier and didn't get her. (The price for Paris Lights) was very much what we thought we would have to pay. We were hoping to get her for less. She comes from as good a family as we have in the stud book. We are (always) trying to add select mares to our broodmare band.”

Paris Lights raced for the WinStar Stablemates Racing partnership.

“For her to be our first Grade 1-winning filly in such a short time period is very special in and of itself,” WinStar Stablemates director Mary Cage said. “And for her to then be able to come to Keeneland November and sell for such a high price tag really speaks to the quality of fillies and mares that we're able to offer to these people to be part of the ownership experience.

“Partnerships and syndicates are so important to getting people into the sport for a fraction of the cost, a fraction of the risk,” Cage added. “And to be able to do it at this level, I think is a second-to-none sort of experience that they're gonna remember forever.”

Masahiro Miki of Japan paid $2.3 million for the Grade 3-winning Tapit mare Pink Sands, who is carrying her first foal by Into Mischief. Consigned by Gainesway, agent, the 6-year-old mare is out of Grade 1 winner Her Smile, by Include.

“She exceeded what we thought we'd get for her coming here by a bit,” Gainesway general manager Brian Graves said about Pink Sands. “It wasn't a lot more than we felt we could possibly get for her, but obviously everybody's really happy. She was really quality. We felt we had a chance to be one of the best mares in Book 1 with her, and we're just really thrilled with that.”

Miki was the session's leading buyer, spending $3,675,000 for three horses.

Claiborne Farm, agent, went to $1.4 million to acquire Satin And Silk, a 4-year-old daughter of Galileo carrying her first foal by undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify. Consigned by Eaton Sales, agent, the mare is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Materiality and Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed My Miss Sophia and from the family of Grade 1 winners Embellish the Lace and Afleet Express. Her dam is stakes winner Wildwood Flower, by Langfuhr.

“(Satin And Silk was purchased) for a farm client,” said Bernie Sams, Claiborne's Stallion Seasons & Bloodstock Manager. “We liked her, and My Miss Sophia is at the farm and we know the family.”

The family recorded a recent update when Annapolis, a colt by War Front out of My Miss Sophia won the Oct. 3 Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont Park.

Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings spent $1.15 million for the Scat Daddy mare Downside Scenario, who is carrying a full sibling to Grade 2 winner Mutasaabeq. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, the 8-year-old mare is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Cool Cowboy. Her dam is Grand Breeze, by Grand Slam.

“That was a little above expectations,” seller Will Daugherty of BlackRidge Stables said about the price for Downside Scenario. “We bought this mare in 2018 (at Keeneland's January Horses of All Ages Sale) for $250,000 and obviously had a great success right off the bat with Mutasaabeq (sold for $425,000 at the 2018 November Sale). And she just kept delivering for us all the way through the end. We had a great partner in Randy Hill on her from start to finish. We're glad to see her move on.”

Taylor Made Sales Agency was the session's leading consignor, selling 29 horses for $8,615,000.

Three horses sold for $1.2 million apiece.

Dana Bernhard paid the amount for the winning, stakes-placed Tapit filly Mind Out, who was cataloged as a broodmare prospect. Consigned by Gainesway, agent, Mind Out is a 4-year-old half-sister to Canadian champion Miss Mischief whose dam is the stakes-placed Lemon Drop Kid mare Kid Majic. She is from the family of Grade 1 winners J P's Gusto and Letruska.

“She's a beautiful Tapit filly, showed a lot of talent on the track,” said Matt Weinmann, who represented the buyer. “It's a really nice family. We've played with a few horses in that family. We're really excited about her. The Bernhards are just getting their broodmare band going, and she's going to be one of our standout broodmares at the farm.”

Bernhard also spent $700,000 for Glitter and Gold, a half-sister to champion Swiss Skydiver who is in foal to Curlin. Glitter and Gold is a winning daughter of Bodemeister.

“Those are our first two broodmares,” Weinmann said, “and we'll see where it goes from here.”

Grade 1 winner Maxim Rate sold to Ever Union Shokai for $1.2 million. Eaton Sales, agent, consigned the 5-year-old daughter of Exchange Rate, who was cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect.

Ken Mishima, who signed the ticket, said Maxim Rate would go to Japan to be bred.

“The price was high, but she is a nice mare,” Mishima said.

Mt. Brilliant Farm spent $1.2 million for Book 1 supplement Look Me Over, a half-sister to Saturday's undefeated TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance winner and presumptive champion 2-year-old male Corniche. Consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent, Look Me Over is a 4-year-old mare who is carrying her first foal by Kitten's Joy. Her dam is Grade 2 winner Wasted Tears, by Najran.

“We had three horses all day that we liked and this last one (Paris Lights) we couldn't afford and then the one we bought (Look Me Over),” Mt. Brilliant owner Greg Goodman said. “We loved her, she was our first choice. We're really happy. She's beautiful. We've talked about it (who to breed her to in the future), we just haven't decided yet.”

At $800,000, the session's top-priced weanling was a daughter of Frankel who is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Arizona and Grade 2 winner Nay Lady Nay purchased by Phil Schoenthal, agent for Matt Dorman's D. Hatman Thoroughbreds. Four Star Sales, agent, consigned the filly, whose dam is the English Channel mare Lady Ederle. She is from the family of European champion Dabirsim and Group 1 winner Bright Generation (IRE).

Dorman said having Frankel as her sire made the filly especially attractive.

“It's a great page, great family,” Dorman said, “and she's got great conformation, so she ticked all the boxes. She'll be in the racing program and hopefully improve her page and go from there. She's long term for us.”

Dorman said the market is “pretty strong. There's some really good horses that people have brought out, and there's still a lot of pent-up demand.”

The November Sale continues Thursday with the first session of the two-day Book 2. TVG2 will present live coverage of the session from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET and from 5:30-8 p.m.

The auction continues through Friday, Nov. 19, with all sessions beginning at 10 a.m.

The final session on Nov. 19 will conclude with a single dedicated portion of horses of racing age following the conclusion of breeding stock. A total of 285 horses of racing age have been cataloged to the closing day and will follow the total of 148 head of breeding stock in the catalog.

Keeneland will accept supplements to the horses of racing age section through mid-November.

The post Grade 1 Winner Paris Lights Brings $3.1 Million To Lead Book 1 Of Keeneland November Sale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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“The plan is Into Mischief,” says ⁦@spendthriftfarm⁩'s Ned Toffey of Paris Lights, who tops ⁦@keenelandsales⁩ Day 1. pic.twitter.com/PGjbmDRhJF

— Sue Morris Finley (@suefinley) November 10, 2021

Talented graded stakes winner PARIS LIGHTS prepares to sell at @keenelandsales. @EliteRaceSales pic.twitter.com/fzQecam7gG

— Katie Ritz (@katieritz_tdn) November 10, 2021

The post Paris Lights Closes KEENOV Opener With a Bang appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, the weanling colt is out of the Street Cry mare Amen Sista, a full sister to Grade 3 winner Southdale, and from the family of Grade 3 winner Plainsman.

Keeneland will accept supplements to Book 1 until the November Sale begins and continue to accept supplements to the horses of racing age portion through mid-November.

The horses of racing age section of the November Sale on Nov. 19 includes this latest round of supplements:

 – Ali Alley, a 2-year-old daughter of Quality Road out of stakes winner Madame Pele, by Salt Lake. She is consigned by Denali Stud, agent.

– Crowded Trade, a 3-year-old colt by More Than Ready who this year was second in the Grade 3 Gotham, was third in the G2 Wood Memorial Presented by Resorts World Casino and G2 Amsterdam and competed in the Preakness Stakes. Consigned by ELiTE, agent, he is out of stakes winner and Grade 3-placed Maude S, by Jump Start.

– Federalist Papers, a winning 3-year-old filly by More Than Ready out of the Galileo mare Infamous. From the family of European champion 2-year-old colt Mastercraftsman, she is consigned by ELiTE, agent.

– Made In Italy, a winning, Group 2-placed 4-year-old filly by Mukhadram consigned by ELiTE, agent.

– Piece of My Heart, a 4-year-old daughter of Flat Out who won the 2020 Gardenia Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Her dam, Intheriver, by Sunriver, is a full sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Weemissfrankie, third in the 2011 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Eaton Sales, agent, consigns Piece of My Heart.

– School of Thought, a 3-year-old Empire Maker filly out of the A.P. Indy mare Sequel, a full sister to Grade 1 winner A. P. Adventure. She is consigned by ELiTE, agent.

– Take Joy, a 3-year-old daughter of Empire Maker out of the Grade 2-placed Harlan's Holiday mare Duff One. Denali Stud, agent, consigns the filly, who is from the family of Grade/Group 2 winners Rabbit Run and Rainha Da Bateria and Grade/Group 3 winners Asakusa Genki, Assateague and Kindergarden Kid.

– The Peninsula, a winning 2-year-old gelding by Fed Biz from the family of champion Riboletta consigned by Keith Dickey.

– Three Technique, a Grade 2-placed winning 4-year-old colt by Mr Speaker. The half-brother to multiple stakes winner Stan the Man is consigned by Blackwood Stables, agent.

– Tuggle, a Grade 2-placed winning 4-year-old colt by Point of Entry consigned by Blackwood Stables, agent. He is from the family of champion Heavenly Prize, Grade 1 winners Oh What a Windfall and Dancing Forever and Grade 3 winner Carrumba.

– With Cause, a 2-year-old filly by Creative Cause whose dam, Withhold, by Tiznow, is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Cafe Pharoah, Grade 2 winner Regal Glory and Grade 3 winner Night Prowler. She is consigned by Paramount Sales, agent.

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Bred by WinStar Farm and campaigned by WinStar Stablemates Racing, Paris Lights won last term's GI CCA Oaks and this year's GIII Distaff H.

“Paris Lights is the whole package,” WinStar Farm President and CEO Elliott Walden said. “She has a Grace I race record combined with a world-class pedigree. We are excited to offer her at Keeneland as one of the most exciting broodmare prospects in the catalog.”

Keeneland will accept supplements to Book 1 until the November Sale begins.

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