“I came down to University of Kentucky and started working at Chesapeake Farm part-time and just kind of fell in love with it,” Josh Hennessy said of his first involvement in the industry. “I switched my major to equine science and management and ever since then, it's been no turning back.”

Shane Hennessy followed in his brother's footsteps to the Bluegrass.

“I was in school and I needed a job to help pay the bills really,” Shane explained. “I started at Chesapeake Farm just as a farm hand. My brother was sort of doing the same thing and kind of linked me in.”

But it took him a little longer to decide the industry would be his future.

“I was happy doing the job, but it took me a while to get the wheels spinning and connect things and see how it played out–to see the horses grow up and get to that age where they run,” he continued. “I ended up working full time there for two to three years and then I switched my major over to equine management.”

Both brothers also worked at Tom Evans's Trackside Farm.

“Tom really played a huge part in our involvement in the industry,” Shane, who spent three years working with Evans, said.

Following his stint at Trackside, Shane spent time at Stonestreet before settling in at Calumet Farm.

The 27-year-old decided to make the move to Hartwell Farm last winter.

“I was just sort of looking to do more,” he said of the transition. “I had been the assistant broodmare manager at Calumet for the last two years and before that I was in the stallion division over there. So they kind of made a spot for me to move up. But I wanted to be in every aspect of it, more than just the broodmares. Over there, we would just foal them, then wean them and then that was it. I really like to be a part of the sales prep process–from the day they are born to the day they move on to their next career. That's sort of what I was looking to do.”

That all-inclusive attitude was exactly what the Lyonses were looking for for their farm.

“Our hope with having Shane come on board is to be able to bring in a few more clients that want to board and sell with us and race as well,” Robbie Lyons said. “We are fairly skinny on mares going into the season this year. We truly love what we do and enjoy the actual work, and having Shane be a part of it has added not only value to our business, but has made it a lot more fun for us.”

Lyons continued, “In hiring Shane as a working farm manager, he certainly had the experience to do the job having worked at Calumet, Stonestreet and Trackside under Tom Evans. What you don't see on a resume or in a recommendation is passion. And Shane has this in abundance.”

This year's September sale was Shane's first with Hartwell and the operation sold all 13 to go through the ring.

“I think it went great,” Shane said of the farm's sales results, which included a $310,000 son of American Pharoah (hip 1122) and a $200,000 colt by Hard Spun (hip 1370). “I had a lot of fun, met a lot of people that I didn't know. And we got everything sold, so I think that's a successful sale.”

As his brother was working his way from Calumet to Hartwell, Josh Hennessy was putting in the time at the Cleary family's Clearsky Farm. He joined Farfellow Farms three years ago, a time he measures in foal crops.

“I started around the Derby, there was a group of yearlings and group of foals when I started, a crop of foals that made it to the yearling sales this year and a group of weanlings on the ground now. So, this was my third yearling sale with Farfellow,” he explained.

Farfellow Farms knocked it out of the park at Keeneland with a $1-million son of Street Sense and followed up with a $700,000 session-topping son of City of Light.

“It was very rewarding,” Josh said. “The results exceeded our expectations, but we knew we had a good group of horses and we put a lot of hard work into them. It was just great for the farm–they were very deserving. We put a lot of hard work in all year, so when you can see those types of results, it's very gratifying.”

In addition to the success of their respective farms, the Hennessy brothers also enjoyed their own victory in the sales ring. They purchased a colt by Maclean's Music privately last year and sold him for $95,000 at the September sale (hip 2195).

“We've been doing it for probably the last five years or so, buying a horse and trying to improve him and move him on,” Shane said. “[Hip 2195] was a pretty good one for us.”

The colt's success in the sales ring may have had a lot to do with good word of mouth, according to Robbie Lyons.

“Everyday the staff at Hartwell had to listen to the virtues…success..and the plain 'awesomeness' of Maclean's Music. Any stallion manager ought to make sure the Hennessy  brothers buy one of their stallion's offspring, just for the PR alone.”

While working with family can sometimes be stressful, Josh said the brothers pinhooking ventures work because they come into them with similar mind sets.

“In terms of what we are looking for, we both have a similar type of horse that we look for,” Josh said. “So that makes it easy to work together. We are looking for a certain type of horse and we've been able to do well with what we've done so far. We've been fortunate to do well with a few of them.”

Of the Maclean's Music colt, Josh said, “We knew the stallion had some good horses running and I think what we saw in him was a horse who just needed some time and some TLC and a little time to grow up. He just had an athletic frame to him and that's kind of what we like to look for, just an athletic-framed horse who is maybe a little immature, but one that we know we can try to improve on. At the end of the day, you're trying to improve the horses so you can have a successful pinhook.”

Looking ahead to the upcoming breeding stock sales, Josh said, “I think our goal this year is to try to buy three weanlings. We will see. I think the market is going to be really strong, so that's our goal at this point in time. We may be fighting and scrapping to get some bought, but if you look in the right places, you can always find a good deal.”

While the brothers have enjoyed success, Josh is quick to give credit to the many people who have helped them along the way.

“We bring a strong work ethic and passion for the horses to our jobs, but we've also had a lot of mentors along the way,” he said.

The list starts with then-Chesapeake Farm owner Drew Nardiello and includes Tom Evans, Bernard and Eamonn Cleary and Clearsky manager Barry Robinette, Calumet manager Eddie Kane, and the Knelman family.

Also getting a mention is Brenda Stewart, the grandmother of Josh's wife Kelsey, who helped jump start the brothers' pinhooking operation.

“We were living on her farm and managing her horses,” Josh said of Stewart. “In exchange, she gave us the option to keep a horse there, so that's when we started trying to pinhook.”

As for future plans, Shane said, “I plan on pinhooking being my future. Hopefully.”

Josh added, “We would like to keep growing the pinhooking and we'd like to grow our business in the long-term. But short-term, I think we want to just keep on having our business on the side and putting in the work on the farms that we work for. And I think we are in really good spots. We've been really fortunate to be in the positions we are in. I think our goal right now is to keep working hard and hopefully be able to grow as the years go by.”

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During the two-session Book 3, 571 yearlings sold for $80,011,500 for an average of $140,125 and a median of $110,000. With the inclusion of post-sale transactions, the 2020 Book 3 sections saw 483 yearlings sell for $42,269,700 for an average of $87,515 and a median of $60,000.

With just 84 horses reported not sold Sunday, the session's buy-back rate was 23.08%. Through six sessions, the buy-back rate stands at 27.53%.

With 29 yearlings sold for $3,557,000, Taylor Made Sales Agency was Sunday's leading consignor.

“It's been really strong,” Taylor Made's Marshall Taylor said of Book 3 trade. “We probably RNA'd only three or four horses. We've sold most of our horses today, so it's been really good for the day. I think it's been a lot stronger, especially compared to last year. The momentum has almost picked up in Book 3. New people came into town and people were hanging around from Books 1 and 2. It's been a perfect storm of people being forced to stay longer and new people coming in. I thought yesterday and today were really strong. I hope it continues keep going into Books 4 and 5.”

Pinhookers, largely shut out in earlier books, started breaking through in Book 3, but as plenty of buyers are still getting repeatedly shut out, the rest of the week at Keeneland figures to be competitive.

“What I have heard from buyers is that it's been very difficult to buy the horses that they have orders for,” said breeder Fred Hertrich. “So I think there are still a lot of horses to be sold.”

First-crop sire City of Light, in high demand all week at Keeneland, had the top two yearlings during Sunday's session. Bloodstock agent Jacob West bid $700,000 for a son of the Lane's End stallion from Farfellow Farms (hip 1913) and Breeze Easy secured a filly (hip 1860) by the young sire for $525,000 from the Warrendale Sales consignment.

Through six sessions, 44 yearlings by City of Light have sold for $17,050,000.

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

West Strikes Late for City of Light Topper

The hour was late, but most of the major players were still milling around the pavilion when bloodstock agent Jacob West made the highest bid of Sunday's sixth session of the Keeneland September sale, going to $700,000 to acquire a colt by Lane's End's in-demand sire City of Light.

“It's 8 o'clock at night, it's way past my bedtime,” West quipped after signing the ticket on hip 1913 on behalf of the partnership of Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola's St Elias.

“He's a beautiful horse,” West continued. “I knew we were going to have to fight them off. I had a pretty good feeling when I walked back and saw who was still hanging around that everyone was going to be on him. And that was exactly what it was. But Mike and Vinnie were dead set on getting him. He has a stallion's pedigree and a stallion's look. He just happened to be put in this book and this is where he sold. But he stood out like a sore thumb. He was the obvious horse today for us.”

It was another standout result for the Knelman family's Farfellow Farms. The operation's only other yearling to go through the ring at the auction was a $1-million son of Street Sense (hip 1022) who sold Thursday.

Sunday's session topper is out of Hessie's Girl (Giant's Causeway), a half-sister to Grade I winner Bullsbay (Tiznow) and to graded winner Our Khrysty (Newfoundland), whose daughter Grace Adler (Curlin) won the Sept. 5 GI Del Mar Debutante.

“He was physically so impressive and he's out of a nice Giant's Causeway mare,” Jak Knelman said of the yearling. “There is a lot of activity in the family. We bought the mare a few years ago, and I'll give a lot of credit to my mom, she picked the mare out of the catalogue. The stallion is really showing that he's throwing a nice physical.”

The Knelmans purchased Hessie's Girl for $150,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale, but almost missed out on the session-topper when putting her back through the ring while she was carrying the colt at the 2019 Keeneland November sale. The mare failed to sell at $190,000.

“We are pretty excited she didn't sell,” Knelman said with a smile. “To be honest with you, the City of Light momentum was already starting in utero with these mares. So we thought we would put her in the sale. And for whatever reason, this mare just didn't get picked up by that wave. So a little bit of dumb luck. And I don't think we will be putting her in the sale again any time soon.”

Hessie's Girl produced a colt by Liam's Map this year and was bred back to Game Winner.

“It's a testament to our farm manager Josh Hennessy and to Emmanuel,” Knelman said of the farm's outstanding September results. “They work so hard every day, so a lot of kudos to them.”

Breeze Easy Takes Top Filly

Breeze Easy, which sold the session-topping daughter of Curlin Saturday at Keeneland, purchased the top-priced filly during Sunday's session when going to $525,000 to acquire a filly by City of Light (hip 1860) from the Warrendale Sales consignment.

“We've been waiting all day for this horse to come through,” said Breeze Easy's Mike Hall. “We haven't bought very many, but we loved this horse and this was one we wanted to take home.”

Hall is already dreaming of Saratoga with Breeze Easy's newest acquisition.

“I think she's an early type horse and she can go to Saratoga,” he said. “She is a little different type of City of Light. She's a little more typey. I think she might be a little earlier than some of them. We are looking forward to her.”

Of the two session toppers on opposite sides of the ledger, Hall said, “The horse we sold yesterday, we loved her also, but you have to sell some horses. We are trying to build a business.”

Hip 1860 is out of stakes-placed Donna Getyourgun (Stormy Atlantic), a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Clearly a Queen (Lucky North). The yearling is a half-sister to stakes winner Mizzen Beau (Mizzen Mast).

The yearling was bred by Tony Holmes, who purchased Donna Getyourgun, in foal to Speightster, for $26,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November sale.

“I had a conservative reserve on her,” Holmes said after the filly went through the ring. “For us to go buying horses back at big prices would be changing the goal posts for me. But this was brilliant.”

City of Light's big success in the sales ring made setting a reserve more difficult, according to Holmes.

“You should have to protect her along with those figures, which was a nice problem to have,” he said. “When you are trying to set a reserve, it was a bit higher than what we normally would do.”

Asked to compare the filly to other City of Light yearlings, Holmes admitted, “I didn't see a lot of them. I've just been looking at her every day since she was born.”

Of the yearling, he added, “She looks very athletic with a lovely big rear end. She is a smooth, smooth horse.”

Donna Getyourgun produced a filly by Catholic Boy this year and was bred back to McKinzie.

When told he had sold the day's top-priced filly, Holmes said, “I should probably go get a drink then.”

Violence Colt Rewards Hertrich and Fielding

A colt by Violence (hip 1717) took the lead at Keeneland Sunday when selling for $500,000 to WinStar Farm's Elliott Walden. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the dark bay yearling was bred by Fred Hertrich and John Fielding.

“He was just a really good invidual,” Hertrich said. “I probably never had a horse that had as many vets look at him or came and did single shows. I knew that was the type of horse that Elliott likes to buy. He's a big, scopey horse. You'll probably see him in the Derby in a couple of years.”

The colt is out of graded-placed Tulira's Star (Congrats), a half-sister to graded winner Mountain General (Mountain Cat). Hertrich purchased the mare for $145,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale.

Even though bidding at Keeneland this past week has been strong, Hertrich said he is still seeing polarization in the marketplace.

“Everybody will tell you the market is absolutely wonderful, but that's probably for the top two-thirds,” he said. “There are certain sires that people don't seem to want to buy. You never know until you get here what is going to be the horse that everybody wants to buy or a sire that nobody wants to buy. Certainly, with the first-crop sires, you have the Gun Runners that everybody wants to buy and the Arrogates that are maybe less popular. Next year, it could be the opposite.”

Buchanan Gets Her Gun Runner

Bloodstock agent Jane Buchanan, working with BBA Ireland on behalf of an existing client, had an order to fill for a yearling by Gun Runner. It took until the sixth session of the Keeneland September sale, but Buchanan got the job done when signing the ticket on hip 1647 for $475,000. The dark bay colt was consigned and co-bred by Jim and Pam Robinson's Brandywine Farm.

“We had an order to try to find a Gun Runner colt in the sale,” Buchanan said. “And as you know, it's been proving very tough. He was an excellent individual from a great nursery in Brandywine Farm. We are just delighted.”

Buchanan said it was likely the yearling will be heading overseas.

“He will possibly go abroad, most likely, but I'll have to talk to [BBA Ireland's] Michael [Donohoe] about that,” she explained.

The yearling is out of Royal Irish Lass (Saint Ballado) and is a half-brother to graded winner and Grade I placed Royal Mo (Uncle Mo) and multiple stakes winner Tara From the Cape (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}).

“We had a $149,000 reserve on him and I thought he might bring $200,000 to $250,000,” Jim Robinson, celebrating his birthday with strong sales result Sunday, said. “We had a lot of activity on him. So it was a little more than I expected.”

It was the colt's second trip through the Keeneland sales ring. He RNA'd for $95,000 at last year's November sale.

“He was just too nice to let him go,” Pam Robinson said of last fall's buy-back.

“Just a tick,” Jim Robinson said with a broad smile when asked how much impact Gun Runner's hot start to stud might have had in the change of sales fortunes. “The timing couldn't be any better. And he was a lovely horse with a tremendous walk on him. Perfect X-rays, according to our vet. All the stars just lined up.”

Ward Sees the Light

Trainer Wesley Ward signed the ticket to acquire a colt by City of Light (hip 1692) for $460,000 midway through Sunday's sixth session of the Keeneland September sale. The bay yearling was bred and consigned by Woodford Thoroughbreds.

“We have been going through the day's horses that are coming in and he was a the top of the list,” Ward said. “He was the one I felt most confident in. He's back here in a later book and I think I would have had to pay a little more if some of the people who were here earlier hadn't already headed out of town. So, we got a little bit of a value even though it was quite dear. I think he's going to be a really nice horse.”

Lane's End's first-crop sire City of Light has set the Keeneland sales ring on fire this week and Ward said he has liked what he's seen of the stallion's first yearlings.

“I've been very impressed with them,” Ward said. “They are beautiful horses and they look like they've got athleticism. We will see next year as we get a little closer, but right now, it looks like he's going to make it.”

Speightstown Filly Heads West

A filly by Speightstown will be heading to the West Coast after bloodstock agent Phil Hager signed the ticket at $425,000 on hip 1612 in the name of Lee and Susan Searing's CRK Stable.

“We bought two in Book 2 and we wanted to buy one more,” Hager said. “It's taken us until now. But we really like this filly. She looks fast, like a 2-year-old type.”

Hager said the filly will be trained by Peter Eurton, while adding of his involvement in the purchase, “I'm just helping out.”

The filly is out of the unraced Poetic Justice (Pioneerof the Nile), who is a daughter of graded winner Draming of Liz (El Prado {Ire}). She was consigned by Burleson Farms, which co-bred the filly in partnership with Becky Thomas's Sequel Thoroughbreds and Louis Trudel. The partners purchased Poetic Justice, with the filly in utero, for $165,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale.

“We are big Speightstown fans,” Lyn Burleson said of the mare's appeal while selling two years ago in foal to the WinStar stallion. “And she's a beautiful mare. Every year, we try to add a couple mares to the program. This was a young mare who was pricey for us, but a really pretty physical and we thought she would cross well with Speightstown.”

The result was extra special because the partnership on the mare includes Trudel, a longtime Sequel employee.

“Louis Trudel, one of my longtime guys, has 5% of the mare,” Thomas said. “This is his first group of mares, so he has 5% of five mares. I first met up with him because he was working for Cavalia [as stable coordinator] at that time. And someone told me this guy wants to get into the Thoroughbred business. It was many, many years ago and this is his first real participation in owning horses. At home, he has 5% of a City of Light yearling who is going to the 2-year-old sale. He's is the ultimate Thoroughbred man right now.”

Of the yearling's final price tag Sunday, Burleson admitted, “We weren't expecting anywhere near that much. We are smaller players in that, so we are all just delighted with that. And he went to a really good home and there were a lot of good underbidders.”

Mathiesen, Jennings Have Big Day Before The Big Day

Hannah Mathiesen and Aidan Jennings will celebrate their nuptials in two weeks, but the couple had an early big day with a group of stellar pinhooks at Keeneland Sunday.

First up, they sold a colt by Violence (hip 1541), purchased earlier in the year for $65,000 at the Fasig-Tipton February sale, for $165,000 to BBN Racing. Next up, a Nyquist colt (hip 1576), purchased at Keeneland January for $40,000, sold for $200,000 to S 3 L, LLC. A colt by Accelerate (hip 1765), purchased for $110,000 at Keeneland last November, sold for $200,000 to Atlas Bloodstock and completing the standout day, a colt by Kantharos (hip 1818), purchased for $125,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale, sold for $250,000 to Ben McElroy, as agent for Wesley Ward.

Of their topper seller Sunday, Mathiesen said, “He was strong and very leggy for a Kantharos. A lot of them are quicker, speed horses. Since he is out of a Street Sense mare, he had a lot of stretch. I think that appealed to a lot of people. We loved him all the way along.”

Mathiesen's experience in racing and sales spans the globe. Vice president of the Nexus Racing Club, which looks to promote the sport to younger fans, the California native also spent time in Australia and has managed pinhooking partnerships in both hemispheres.

Jennings, a native of Ireland, has plenty of international experience as well.

“My uncle is a National Hunt trainer in Ireland, Gerry Lynch is his name,” Jennings said. “He got me into racing. I went to college and studied equine management and science. Then I went on my own little Flying Start. I went to Japan, I went to France and worked in Australia. And I worked at Coolmore as well.”

Mathiesen and Jenning's Keeneland pinhooking success also included a son of Arrogate (hip 721) who sold in Book 2 for $250,000 to the bid of Colts Neck Stables. He had been purchased for $150,000 at Keeneland last November.

“All of these horses we bought with the option to race,” Mathiesen explained. “So we brought them to market to see how it would go and thankfully, it went very well.”

Jennings admitted luck, as well as skill, played a part in their success.

“I think we were probably lucky,” he said. “The horses went the right way. It's a small sample size. The five went well, but if you had 10, I'm sure you'd have five that go well and five that don't. The market was good, but we had good horses. All of those horses looked like stakes horses. They looked the part.”

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To date, Keeneland has sold 1,169 yearlings through the ring for $278,883,000, for an average of $238,565 and a median of $180,000.

Demand for Thoroughbred racing prospects continued to drive strong results Sunday, the final day of Book 3, when 280 yearlings brought $33,461,000, for an average of $119,504 and a median of $87,500.

First-crop sire City of Light was represented by Sunday's two top-priced yearlings and three of the session's five high sellers.

Topping the session was a colt by City of Light from the family of recent TVG Del Mar Debutante (G1) winner Grace Adler who sold for $700,000 to West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stable and St. Elias. Consigned by Farfellow Farms, he is out of the Giant's Causeway mare Hessie's Girl and also from the family of Grade 1 winner Bullsbay and Grade 3 winner Our Khrysty. Our Khrysty is the dam of Grace Adler.

West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stable and St. Elias, was the session's leading buyer, acquiring five yearlings for $1,325,000.

Breeze Easy/Tom McGreevy, agent, paid $525,000 for a filly by City of Light who is a half-sister to stakes winner Mizzen Beau. Her dam, the stakes-placed Donna Getyourgun, by Stormy Atlantic, is a half-sister to multiple Grade 3 winner Clearly a Queen. The filly was consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent.

A colt by Violence brought $500,000 from Maverick Racing. Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, consigned the colt, who is out of the winning Congrats mare Tulira's Star and from the family of Grade 3 winner Mountain General.

With sales of $3,557,000 for 29 yearlings, Taylor Made Sales Agency was the session's leading consignor.

BBA Ireland went to $475,000 for a colt by Gun Runner who is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Royal Mo and stakes winner Tara From the Cape. Consigned by Brandywine Farm and Gun Runner Syndicate, he is out of Royal Irish Lass, by Saint Ballado, and from the family of Grade 2 winner Irish Linnet.

City of Light also sired the colt from the family of champion Xtra Heat who sold to Wesley Ward for $460,000. Woodford Thoroughbreds, agent, consigned the colt, whose dam is the Congrats mare Sudden Heat.

The September Sale continues Monday and runs through Friday, Sept. 24. All sessions begin at 10 a.m. ET.

The entire September Sale is streamed live at Keeneland.com.

The post Keeneland September Sale Blows Past 2020 Totals With Five Sessions Still To Go appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Keeneland sold 201 yearlings Thursday for $48,801,000, an average of $242,791 and a median of $200,000. Cumulatively, 620 horses sold through the ring brought a total of $200,419,000, for an average of $323,256 and a median of $250,000.

“Excellent,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “The session started strong and finished strong. There were flat spots in the middle when it got a little quiet, but that might be because people were at the barns looking at Book 3 horses. It was a little bit of an anomaly from that standpoint, but the median and average are up. This week has been extremely strong and extremely deep. It has been a powerhouse Week 1.”

“Going forward, I am optimistic,” Lacy added. “There are a lot of people, especially pinhookers, who have not had their hands up yet. When you have buyers getting pushed into the second week that says a lot about the strength of the market. We are encouraged. We think it will incentivize breeders to invest in horses offered at the November Breeding Stock Sale. It is the optimism that the industry needs.”

The September Sale was structured so a critical mass of yearlings would be presented to buyers during four consecutive days that covered Books 1 and 2 before the auction took a one-day hiatus.

“I think a lot of people love the format.” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said. “It's speaking for itself in terms of the results. The format has been a part of that, and it has been rewarding. It has kept the buyers in town and kept them engaged. People are really aggressive about trying to fill orders. And there's a wave of buyers that are yet to come in or that are just getting started, so we feel really good about the seven sessions to come.”

Mike Ryan, agent, purchased Thursday's seven-figure Into Mischief colt, who was consigned by Mt. Brilliant Farm. Out of Grade 3-placed stakes winner Secret Someone, by A.P. Indy, he is from the family of the aforementioned Dunbar Road as well as Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Secret Status, Grade 1 winner Fair Maiden and multiple Grade 3 winner Alumni Hall.

Ryan, who said he bought the colt for a partnership, is familiar with the yearling's family. Ryan purchased Dunbar Road's dam, the Bernardini mare Gift List, at Keeneland's 2016 January Horses of All Ages Sale when she was carrying Dunbar Road.

“He reminded me an awful lot of Practical Joke,” Ryan said about the purchase, comparing the colt to the Grade 1-winning son of Into Mischief, “If he runs to his pedigree – top and bottom, sire and female line – he's got terrific stallion potential. He looks like a horse that hopefully would run at Saratoga next summer and strike out from there. I thought he was a special colt. He's got a lot of upside, and hopefully, he'll turn out lucky.”

“We loved his family,” Mt. Brilliant owner Greg Goodman said. “(Second dam) Private Gift is the first really expensive horse I ever bought. I have sold a lot of the family and kept a lot of the daughters. He could not be in better hands, and I am so happy about it.”

The $1 million Street Sense colt sold to BSW/Crow Colts Group, a new partnership for colts to be trained by Brad Cox. Out of the winning Aptitude mare Critikal Reason, he is a half-brother to stakes winner Bajan, and from the family of Forever Unbridled as well as Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Lemons Forever and Grade 1 winner Unbridled Forever.

BSW/Crow Colts Group purchased four yearlings Thursday. In addition to the Street Sense colt the others were Justice, a $450,000 son of Justify consigned by Bridie Harrison, agent for Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds; a $325,000 son of Good Magic consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, and a $250,000 son of Maclean's Music consigned by Paramount Sales, agent.

Altogether in Week 1, BSW/Crow Colts Group has purchased 17 colts for $5.98 million.

“It's a stallion-making group,” Brad Weisbord, speaking for the partnership, said. “We want to have fun along the way, but Brad Cox's goal is to make a stallion to make this whole thing make sense. We want to return some capital to the partners.”

Cox left the sale to saddle a horse at Churchill Downs. Weisbord said the trainer called after watching the Street Sense colt sell.

“He said, 'We didn't get this one.' I said, ''No, buddy, we did.' He was giddy. Everyone's excited. I know Brad was really excited to get this group off the ground. We weren't expecting to spend a million dollars; that wasn't the goal of the venture. But this was the goal horse today and the goal horse of Book 2.”

Farfellow Farms consigned the Street Sense colt.

“He just kept getting better and better,” Kip Knelman of Farfellow said about the consignor's lone offering in Week 1 and the first of seven yearlings Farfellow has consigned to the September Sale.

“Our farm manager and staff at the farm did a marvelous job,” Knelman added. “We handle our horses all the time from the time they are babies. He was a real gentleman the whole time. Our reserve was considerably lower, but we had a pretty good understanding of who was interested. It was all the right people. We felt comfortable our reserve would be met.

“We are very pleased and very blessed. This horse business can be tough so sometimes when you get a little luck like this, it brings it back so we can do it again.”

“Seeing family farms like Mt. Brilliant and Farfellow do so well makes us proud,” Lacy said. “They are very proud of the product they bring to the market. That is what breeders hope for. People can relate to those good stories this week.”

“For Tony and me, having primarily been sellers for the last 20 or so years each, it's exciting to be able to help provide that platform for people like the Knelmans and Mt. Brilliant over the course of Week 1,” Breathnach said. “They've really had a chance to excel and show their product off and get payed for it so well. It's something that we take a lot of pride in. There are a lot of happy people, and that's our main goal.”

West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stable and St. Elias, paid $950,000 for a colt by Violence who is a half-brother to Grade 1-placed stakes winner Standard Deviation. Consigned by KatieRich Farms, he is out of the A.P. Indy mare False Impression and from the family of Grade 1 winner Believe You Can, Grade 2 winner Classic Elegance and Grade 3 winner Chorwon.

Jacob West said trainer Todd Pletcher told him the colt reminded him of Violence. Pletcher trained Violence.

“What's selling well right now is that two-turn dirt horse, and that's what we felt he was,” West said. “He's got family behind him and an incredible physical, and now we just hope he runs as good as he looks. The number that we had thrown out prior was about half of that (the purchase price), but as the sale goes on with momentum it's no shocker.

“We've been the underbidder on plenty today. Today feels very strong. I think for both parties that were bidding on that horse there was a little bit of frustration with not getting what we wanted early in the day. I think they kind of just let their hair down and let it go. That happens in public auctions, and KatieRich benefited from that.”

West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stable and St. Elias, was the session's leading buyer, spending $2,765,000 for seven yearlings. During Week 1 of the September Sale, the group acquired 24 horses for $11,325,000.

Into Mischief also sired a colt sold to Courtlandt Farm for $850,000. Consigned by Indian Creek, agent, the colt is from the family of Grade 1 winner Off the Tracks and Grade 2 winner Concord Point.

“We loved the colt, felt like he had a lot of stretch to him and looks like a colt that will fit our program,” Courtlandt's Ernie Retamoza said. “We are excited to have him and to get him at that number. He looks like he will go two turns and has a lot of quality.”

Indian Creek owner Shack Parrish praised the colt.

“He did everything right at the farm,” Parrish said. “He is very mild-mannered. He just keeps developing. He's beautiful now, but he will be even more beautiful this time next year.”

Retamoza said the Courtlandt team had its eye on several additional yearlings during the session.

“Everyone is on these horses that have quality,” Retamoza said. “You have to step up if you want to own them.”

Mayberry Farm paid $775,000 for a filly by Quality Road and from the family of champion Abel Tasman also consigned by Mt. Brilliant. Out of Grade 3 winner Sky Girl, by Sky Mesa, she also is from the family of Grade 1 winner Bevo, Grade 2 winners Wilburn and Beethoven and Grade 3 winners Moonlight Sonata and Moonlight d'Oro.

“I've seen a lot of good Quality Road fillies, and she reminds me of all the good ones,” David Ingordo, who signed the ticket,” said. “(She has) plenty of leg, a great shoulder, a beautiful outlook on her. Good Quality Roads tend to be big, scopey and have good bodies. She has a ton of presence.”

Selling two of the day's highest-priced yearlings was gratifying to Goodman.

“(My farm crew) are the ones who do everything,” he said. “I just go around and look. We have a great staff. Ninety percent of the guys on the farm have been there 15 to 20 years. Everything we have done over the 26 years is because we have great people.”

Talla Racing went to $750,000 for a colt by Practical Joke whose dam, Gal Factor, by The Factor, is a half-sister to 2021 Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Super Stock. He was consigned by St George Sales, agent.

Leading all consignors Thursday was Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, which sold 25 yearlings for $5,648,000.

Friday marks a “dark day” at the September Sale when no session will be held. The sale will resume Saturday, Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. ET and continue every day through Sept. 24.

The entire September Sale is streamed live at Keeneland.com.

The post Into Mischief, Street Sense Colts Hit Million-Dollar Mark In Keeneland’s Fourth Session appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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LEXINGTON, KY – The two-session Book 2 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale concluded with another day of competitive bidding and two additional seven-figure yearlings Thursday in Lexington, bringing the total number of lots to surpass the million-dollar mark to 15.

“Excellent,” Keeneland's vice president of sales Tony Lacy said when asked to gauge the day's activity. “The median was up 48% and the average was up 37% [for the session] and we've just passed the $200,000,000 mark for gross sales for the first four sessions. We cannot complain about anything that's gone on this week. I think it's been extremely strong and very, very deep. It's been a powerhouse week one.”

During the two Book 2 sessions this year, 426 yearlings grossed $111,772,000 for an average of $262,376 and a median of $207,500.

The Book 2 section of the 2020 auction, held amidst the pre-vaccination pandemic, saw 380 horses sold through the ring for a total of $75,368,000. The book average was $190,988 and the median was $150,000. With the inclusion of post-sale transactions, 415 yearlings grossed $79,260,000 for an average of $190,988 and a median of $150,000.

While Book 2 produced the auction's highest-priced offering so far when a colt by City of Light sold for $1.7 million Wednesday, Thursday's session produced co-topping $1 million colts when Mike Ryan secured a son of Into Mischief (hip 874) from the Mt. Brilliant Farm consignment and BSW/Crow Colts Group took home a son of Street Sense (hip 1022) from the Farfellow Farms consignment.

After four days of selling, the Keeneland September sale has a dark day Friday, but the strength of the market during the week provides validation for the company's format which is designed to put as many horses in front of people as possible in a short amount of time, according to Keeneland's director of sales operations Cormac Breathnach.

“I think a lot of people loved the format,” Breathnach said. “It's speaking for itself in terms of the results we are looking at. The median is really important–that middle ground, what the horses are really bringing and not so influenced by the very high numbers. The RNA rate is very much in control. This is a sale that is keeping pace with a banner year, which was 2019, and it's really just blowing last year out of the water. The format has been a part of that and it's kept the buyers in town and kept them engaged.”

With 88 horses reported not sold during Thursday's session, the buy-back rate was 30.45%. Through four sessions, the buy-back rate stands at 30.18%. It was 39.59% at this point a year ago.

Bidding resumes at Keeneland Saturday morning at 10 a.m. and the sale continues through next Friday.

Ryan Strikes for Into Mischief Colt
The Book 2 section of the Keeneland September sale had its third seven-figure yearling when bloodstock agent Mike Ryan outlasted an internet bidder to secure a colt by Into Mischief (hip 874) for $1 million Thursday. Bred and consigned by Greg Goodman's Mt. Brilliant Farm, the bay yearling is out of stakes winner and graded placed Secret Someone (A.P. Indy). His second dam, Private Gift (Unbridled), produced the dam of Grade I winner Dunbar Road (Quality Road).

“I am very familiar with the family because a good friend of mine bred Dunbar Road,” Ryan said after signing the ticket on the yearling. “I bought the dam of Dunbar Road and it's a family I am familiar with and I own some mares from the family. [The yearling] reminded me a lot of Practical Joke. If he runs to his pedigree, top and bottom, he has terrific stallion potential.”

Private Gift is also the dam of Private Mission (Into Mischief), who sold for $750,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. The 3-year-old filly romped home by 6 1/2 lengths in the Aug. 21 GIII Torrey Pines S.

“We bid a long ways on Private Mission, a 3/4 sister to this colt,” Ryan said. “She is three for four and won the Torrey Pines. She could be anything. So we know the pedigree works.”

Ryan said he was bidding on behalf of an undisclosed group of buyers and the yearling would be trained by Chad Brown.

“He looks like a horse who will hopefully run at Saratoga next summer, but stretch out from there,” Ryan said. “The dam is by A.P. Indy and the second dam is by Unbridled. Unbridled and Empire Maker under Into Mischief has been very successful. Mandaloun comes to mind. I thought he was a special colt. He has a lot of upside and hopefully we will turn out lucky. If he's half as good as Practical Joke, we'll be very happy.”

Mt. Brilliant Farm purchased Private Gift for $2.3 million at the 2008 Fasig-Tipton November sale. The operation campaigned Secret Someone, who won the 2016 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf S. and was third in that year's GIII Modesty H.

“We loved the horse. We put a low reserve just to get him started because we knew he could do the work himself,” Goodman said. “We love his family. Private Gift is the first really expensive horse I ever bought. I have sold a lot of the family and kept a lot of the daughters. He could not be in better hands and I am so happy about it.”

With the strength of Book 2 bolstered by four seven-figure yearlings, including the likely $1.7-million sale topper, Goodman agreed there could be a disparity with breeders looking to shift their horses into Book 2 over Book 1.

“I had a great Book 1,” Goodman said. “I had five horses sell for $2.7 million. So I had a great first book. But I do think that there is disparity. I think some people hold their horses back and put them in Book 2 and they do great. And I think there are horses who don't belong in Book 1 that should have been in Book 2 that bring a lot of money. It's a difficult situation. I think the new [Keeneland] guys are doing a great job so far. I think this always been a problem. It's been a problem since they quit the July sale.”

Breeders also need to space out their yearlings in separate books. Ryan pointed out that Mt. Brilliant had sold another son of Into Mischief for $1.35 million during the first session of the sale.

“Sometimes you have to spread them out to give yourself the best shot,” Ryan said. @JessMartiniTDN

Street Sense Colt Puts Farfellow Farms Back in the Spotlight
The Knelman family's Farfellow Farms returned to consigning its own horses just last year with a two-horse consignment during Book 3 of Keeneland September. This year they brought seven horses and were immediately rewarded when their first horse through the ring, a Street Sense colt (Hip 1022), brought $1 million from BSW/Crow Colts Group.

“We actually brought [second dam] Critikola (Arg) (Tough Critic) up from Argentina, so this family has a lot of sentimental value for us,” Jak Knelman said. “It makes it all the more rewarding. We expected it to break out, but we tried to keep our expectations low. It's hard in the horse industry, but sometimes it lines up.”

A MGSW in her native Argentina, Critikola was imported by the Knelmans and placed in a pair of Grade I events for them in California. She produced GI Kentucky Oaks upsetter Lemons Forever (Lemon Drop Kid) for the Knelmans, who is the dam of champion Forever Unbridled (Unbridled's Song) and GISW Unbridled Forever (Unbridled's Song).

Hip 1022 is out of her SP daughter Critikal Reason (Aptitude), who is already the dam of MSW & GISP Bajan (Speightstown) and GSP Virtual Machine (Drosselmeyer).

“We started selling in the recent years,” Knelman said. “We have a small broodmare band of about 12 mares. This is the best colt we've brought to the sales in a long time and it really was a team effort. Our farm manager Josh [Hennessy] and Emmanuel, who works the farm. They put so much effort into it. It's really a family thing with my parents and myself.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

BSW/Crow Colts Group Makes First Seven Figure Purchase
Stallion-making partnerships have been all the rage in the past few years and Brad Cox and his team are joining the fray. Cox has gathered about 10 of his owners and teamed up with bloodstock agents Liz Crow and Brad Weisbord to gather a group of colts that fit the two-turn Classic build. Cox's team has been quite active at Keeneland this week and made their biggest purchase to date Thursday when going to $1 million for a son of Street Sense (Hip 1022).

“Brad Cox put it together. Obviously him and Liz Crow have a great relationship,” Weisbord said. “We got started with Brad in 2015. Liz actually told me Brad Cox was going to be a champion trainer one day. I think my first question at the time was who is Brad Cox. But, look Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), British Idiom (Flashback), Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). Brad doesn't need any introduction.”

Weisbord and Crow did their bidding seated alongside Spendthrift's Ned Toffey. The late B. Wayne Hughes' operation is one of the partners in the new venture, which also includes Steve Landers Racing, Marty Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Jim Bakke, Marshall Gramm & Clay Sanders's Ten Strike Racing, Paul Farr, Rick Kueber's Kueber Racing, Chris Jean's Big Easy Racing and Rick Kanter's Winners Win.

“Spendthrift Farm is our seed partner,” Weisbord said. “Unfortunately, we lost a pioneer in the sport in B. Wayne Hughes. Eric Gustavson and his wife Tammy have taken over ownership of the farm and obviously they are going to be major players for the next 50 years. We have gotten to know Eric and they have a great leader in Ned Toffey.”

The Elite Sales managing partner continued, “This all kind of started when they bought Monomoy Girl and sent her back to Brad. When Brad started this venture, he thought they could be a good seed player in this group. He put a few more partners in the group. There will be nine or 10 names on the ownership line. Hopefully the Jockey Club will allow it. It's good for the sport. Terry Finley mentioned the power of the partnership and they are carrying these sales.”

The BSW/Crow Colts Group has purchased a total of 17 colts in the first two books for a gross of $5.98 million and average of $351,765.

“We will start shopping Book 3,” Weisbord said. “We have plenty of capital left so we will keep going. I think we have 20+ horses so far and the goal was to get 20 so we are there. Hopefully we get one or two stallions. It's a stallion-making group and we want to have fun along the way.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

Violence Colt Proves Popular
Bloodstock agent Jacob West, bidding out back alongside trainer Todd Pletcher and just a few feet from Bob LaPenta's manager John Panagot, saw off that determined foe to acquire a colt by Violence (hip 1057) for $950,000 Thursday at Keeneland. The yearling was bred and consigned by Larry Doyle's KatieRich Farms.

“Todd obviously trained Violence and the first thing he said was that the colt reminded him of Violence when we saw the horse the other day,” West said after signing the ticket on the yearling on behalf of Repole Stable and St. Elias. “He's out of an A.P. Indy mare. What's selling well right now is that two-turn dirt horse and that's kind of what we felt that he was. He's got family behind him and an incredible physical and now we just hope he runs as good as he looks.”

The colt is out of False Impression (A.P. Indy) and is a half-brother to multiple Grade I winner Standard Deviation (Curlin).

Momentum on the yearling continued to build at the sales grounds over the last several days, according to Doyle.

“We thought it started off slow,” Doyle said. “And Monday and Tuesday his shows were sharing with our other horses, but just in the last couple of days they just started showing up for him. He vetted perfectly and let's hope he is the next Violence. I love False Impression. She produced Standard Deviation and she's been great for us all along.”

The sale of the Violence colt capped a perfect five-for-five day for the KatieRich consignment, which also sold a Quality Road filly (hip 1050) for $500,000 to Peter Brant's White Birch Farm, and a filly by Tapit (hip 943) and a colt by Uncle Mo (hip 970) for $300,000 each to Mike Ryan.

“It has been very strong,” Doyle said of the market. “I have had more looks at this sale–165 on this horse. Typically a year or two ago, we'd have 125. The Japanese aren't here, but there are a lot people here looking.”

Panagot was quick to get back into the bidding fray, but he agreed he was finding a competitive market.

“The good horses are competitive,” he said. “There have been a few horses we thought would be a little more busy, but I think at the very top, it's super tough. Mr. LaPenta loved [the Violence colt]. He's been buying horses in a partnership at this sale and that was a horse for himself and he was pretty gung-ho. He went past where he wanted to go probably by 25% or so.”

LaPenta's Whitehorse Stable, in partnership with Madaket and e Five Racing, has purchased seven colts so far at the Keeneland sale. On Thursday, the group went to $235,000 to acquire a yearling by Mendelssohn (hip 900), a colt by Twirling Candy (hip 953) for $170,000 and a colt by Candy Ride (Arg) (hip 1045) for $125,000 and a son of Nyquist (hip 1073) for $200,000. Earlier in the sale, the partnership went to $350,000 for a colt by Tapit (hip 662), a Collected (hip 317) for $200,000 and an Empire Maker (hip 528).

With the SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership and BSW/Crow Colts Group both looking to purchase potential future stallions, Panagot said he had plenty of company when bidding on quality colts.

“You have to pay for the good horses, especially the colts,” he said. “We are focusing on colts and I don't think we are that innovative with that because a lot of people are. And that's going to really bulk it up. But we are just trying to buy a handful with the right pedigrees and the right bodies and athletic horses and we feel like we have. We've bought five or six of them, but you have to fight for them.” @JessMartiniTDN

Indian Creek Gets Off to a Fast Start
Shack Parrish's Indian Creek consignment broke from the gate running Thursday when the first offering of the sale, an Into Mischief colt (Hip 755), brought $850,000 from Courtlandt Farm.

“He is a really nice horse,” Parrish said. “This was our first horse of the sale. I think Tuesday and Wednesday were extraordinary and Monday was kind of bouncy. Yesterday, especially was extremely strong, and today has already opened that way. It looks pretty good so far.”

Bred by Bob Edwards' Fifth Avenue Bloodstock and Centerline Breeding, Hip 755 is out of SP Inspired Grace (Curlin), a half-sister to GISW Off the Tracks (Curlin) and MGSW Concord Point (Tapit).

“He did everything right at the farm,” Parrish said. “He is very mild-mannered. He just keeps developing. He's beautiful now, but he will be even more beautiful this time next year.”

Courtlandt Farm has been extremely active through the first two books and have been quite keen on Into Mischief. Hip 755 was their third purchase by the red-hot Spendthrift stallion.

“We loved the colt, felt like he had a lot of stretch to him and looks like a colt that will fit our program,” said Courtlandt Farm manager Ernie Retamoza. “We are excited to have him and to get him at that number honestly, not to belittle what he brought.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

Practical Joke Filly a Sentimental Score for St. George
When Archie St. George sold a Practical Joke colt (Hip 1079) he purchased for $105,000 at KEEJAN to Talla Racing for $750,000 during Thursday's session, it was not his first pinhooking score. However, it was certainly one of his most meaningful as St. George bought the colt from his good friend Mike Recio of South Point Sales Agency, who passed Thursday morning.

“We bought him as a weanling in January off South Point Sales, so I guess someone is looking down on us and helping us through it all.,” St. George said, the emotion clear on his face. “It's a sentimental sale. It was great. He was a very nice horse.”

He continued, “I'd like to thank the buyer Mike Talla and the underbidders, David Ingordo and his team and the Coolmore team. Practical Joke has been a very good stallion and he is a very nice horse. Fingers crossed we will hopefully see him down the road.”

Practical Joke is second to Gun Runner of the leading freshman sire list this term with 12 winners, two of which are also black-type winners. His graded stakes-winning son Wit was second in last weekend's GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga.

“Roger O'Callaghan rang me before the January sale and we had a Practical Joke filly back with him at Tally Ho,” St. George said. “He said whatever happens we are buying a Practical Joke. We did and the rest is history.”

Bred in Ontario by South Point, Hip 1079 is the first foal out of Gal Factor (The Factor), who is a half-sister to this year's GI Arkansas Derby winner Super Stock (Dialed In) and GISP Boujie Girl (Flashback).

“He has done very well,” St. George said. “He is a big, tall horse. As the spring and summer went on, he filled out. He has just been a simple straightforward horse. He got a little update in the second dam this year and everything fell into place. The stars aligned.”  —@CDeBernardisTDN

A Profitable Duo for Duignan
Gabriel Duignan and a pair of Irish partners doubled up on a pair of pinhooking scores Thursday at Keeneland, selling a son of Speightstown (hip 944) for $425,000 to Starlight and Harrell Ventures and returning a few hips later to sell a daughter of Munnings (hip 961) for $280,000 to bloodstock agent Clay Scherer. The colt had been purchased by the partners for $180,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale and the filly had been acquired for $105,000 at that same auction.

The Speightstown colt is out of Wild Ridge (Tapit), a daughter of multiple graded stakes winner Wild Gams (Forest Wildcat).

“He was a very nice foal, a very typical Speightstown,” Duignan said of the colt “And I like the Tapit mares–he is a hell of a broodmare sire. He grew up and he was well-received on the grounds.”

The Munnings filly, a Canadian-bred, is out of Artillia (Artie Schiller), a half-sister to graded placed Solitaire (Victory Gallop).

“I think the Ontario-bred helped the Munnings filly,” Duignan said. “And Munnings, of course, has improved in the meantime. He's in another league. She's a big, strong filly who looks like she'll get a route of ground and with clean X-rays. She did everything the right way.”

Of buying weanlings last fall, Duignan said, “We had to work hard on it and we got outbid on a lot. I wouldn't have called it soft buying them last year.”

But the Irishman agreed the September market has been very competitive.

“This might be a bit more robust,” he said when asked to compare the two markets. “Our racing is so healthy right now. It probably makes more sense than it ever did to race a horse. There is a wide array of buyers. Our market here in America is very good here at the moment. We don't have a lot of foreign participation, but the domestic market is very good.”

Looking ahead to the remaining week of the September sale, Duignan said, “I am hoping it will be good. The crowds are still on the grounds and there a lot of people who haven't gotten to buy yet. I am hoping it will kick on.” @JessMartiniTDN

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