A newly-turned yearling colt by Munnings sold to Larry Best's OXO Equine for $475,000 to record the highest price of Monday's Book 1 opening session of the four-day Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale.
Hunter Valley Farm, agent, consigned the colt, who is out of stakes winner Sea Shadow, by Jump Start.
For the session, Keeneland sold 207 horses for $12,155,400, for an average of $58,722 and a median of $35,000.
“The session was a continuation of the November Breeding Stock Sale and a good, steady start to the January Sale,” Keeneland director of sales operations Geoffrey Russell said. “People have adjusted to the current marketplace. The consignors are very happy because they have adjusted to the new normal.”
For the health and safety of participants, Keeneland is holding the January Sale with extensive COVID-19 protocols similar to those used at the 2020 September Yearling and November Sales. Once again, Keeneland is providing telephone and internet bidding for buyers to participate remotely while offering bidding from the outdoor Show Barn just behind the Sales Pavilion to permit greater social distancing.
“We had nearly a million dollars in sales on the internet today. It was very active,” Keeneland president, CEO and interim head of sales Shannon Arvin said. “Those who are attending the sale are doing a good job of following the COVID-19 protocols because they know that's how we keep people safe and are able to continue business.”
The sale of Monday's top-priced horse pleased Hunter Valley's Adrian Regan and Fergus Galvin, who are more known for selling weanlings at the November Sale. They said they did not consign the Munnings colt to the 2020 November Sale as a weanling because of his late foaling date (May 1).
“(We) were hoping he'd bring $150,000-$200,000 – he doubled our expectations basically,” Regan said. “He was a lovely horse. We've been breeding to Munnings all the way (since his stud fee was at its lowest). We've bred to him almost every year. But in the last 12 months, every Saturday he's had a stakes winner around the country and I think the market has really clicked to how good a sire he is. He's a fantastic sire.”
In the name of OXO Equine, Best acquired a total of three horses – all yearlings – for $980,000 to lead buyers during the session. He also paid $320,000 for a filly by Speightstown from the family of European highweight Order of St George and Grade 3 winner Angel Terrace consigned by Buck Pond Farm, agent, and spent $185,000 for a yearling colt by Nyquist from the family of Grade 1 winner Ventura consigned by South Point Sales Agency, agent.
“The market for the outstanding pedigrees and the outstanding yearlings – there are enough buyers here to appreciate them,” Best said. “The Munnings colt has the pedigree and the look, and his physical is outstanding.”
About the Speightstown filly, Best said, “The price is what I expected given the pedigree. With a major sire like Speightstown as the sire and crossed with a Medaglia d'Oro mare (Our Smile) and to have her look this good, she is well worth the investment.”
At $400,000, Monday's second high seller was multiple graded stakes winner Royal Charlotte, a 5-year-old daughter of Cairo Prince purchased by WinStar Farm. Consigned by ELiTE, agent, as a racing or broodmare prospect, Royal Charlotte is from the family of Grade 2 winner Buy the Barrel and Grade 3 winners Fishy Advice, Demarcation and Mauk Four.
Brandy, a 7-year-old daughter of Unbridled's Song in foal to Twirling Candy, sold to Machmer Hall, agent, for $350,000. Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, consigned the mare, a half-sister to stakes winner and Grade 1 runner-up Rally Cry and from the family of Grade 1 winners Judge Angelucci, War, and Peace. She is out of Alienated, by Gone West.
Taylor Made Sales Agency was the session's leading consignor, selling 36 horses for $2,218,000.
Thomas Clark Bloodstock went to $300,000 to acquire 6-year-old Beau Belle, a Grade 2-placed, winning daughter of Giant's Causeway. Consigned by Denali Stud, agent, as a racing or broodmare prospect, she is out of Grade 3 stakes winner Binya (GER) and from the family of Grade 1 winner Sadler's Joy.
Via phone bidding, Stuart Grant's The Elkstone Group acquired two mares by Curlin for $260,000 apiece.
The first was Grade 2-placed winner Theogony, an 11-year-old mare in foal to Omaha Beach. Hunter Valley Farm, agent, consigned the mare, who is out of graded stakes-placed Upcoming Story, by Tale of the Cat.
The Elkstone Group also acquired multiple stakes winner Curlin's Fox, a 9-year-old mare in foal to Uncle Mo. Out of multiple graded stakes winner Foxysox (GB), by Foxhound, she was consigned by Denali Stud, agent.
The January Sale resumes Tuesday with the second session of the two-day Book 1, which features Sam-Son Farm's Broodmare Dispersal of 21 in-foal mares as well as 20 broodmares, yearlings and horses of racing age offered by Lane's End, agent for the Complete Dispersal of the Estate of Paul Pompa Jr.
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