Tag: Freddy Seitz

Keeneland November Closes With Gains in Gross and Average

With the Breeders' Cup returning to Lexington for the third time, headlined by the mighty Flightline (Tapit), the buzz in Lexington was electric from late October all the way through the nearly two weeks of breeding stock sales that followed the World Championships. Combine that with a deep and diverse buying bench and high demand and the result was gains in both gross and average for the 10-day Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, which ran from Nov. 7-16.

“With the close of the November Breeding Stock Sale, Keeneland is nearing the end of a remarkable fall season, and we send a sincere thank you to everyone who supported our September and November Sales, Fall Meet and Breeders' Cup,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “Since September, we have been hard at work to showcase the best in Thoroughbred racing and sales, and we are privileged to have had the opportunity to share Keeneland with a global audience. Our November Sale benefitted from the excitement of the Breeders' Cup, the sale of the Flightline interest and the fireworks of Book 1, creating positive experiences from start to finish.”

With the Horses of Racing Age Sale being separated into its own one-day auction, to be held Nov. 17, this year, 2,245 horses went through the ring over the last 10 days for gross receipts of $210,027,700. The 2022 November sale eclipsed the gross 2,470 horses achieved during 2021 of $203,585,500 on its eighth day. The cumulative average of $93,554 was up 13.5% from last year's average of $82,423, but the median was down a tick (5.41%) from $37,000 to $35,000. The RNA percentage also rose from 17.36% last year to 21.75% for 2022.

The November Sale was topped by champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute), who summoned $5.5 million from Northern Farm's Katsumi Yoshida carrying her second foal by Tapit. She led a total of 12 seven-figure sellers, compared to seven in 2021, including three in Book 2, which previously had not seen a million-dollar horse since 2017.

“We really put an effort into building up the front end of the catalogue to make sure we have quality forward and the buyers were presented with the horses they expected to see and are here for,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “I think everybody responded to that. We appreciate our consignors and breeders for supporting us in that endeavor. I think the buyers really responded. It allows us more confidence to do the things we feel are important to do and develop. We are only getting started. Without making major changes at any point, we want to make sure the tweaks we do make work. I think overall we are on the right track. We have a responsibility to the industry.”

 

 

 

Flying Into the Future

Keeneland kicked off the November Sale with a first-of-its-kind offering, a 2.5% interest in unbeaten superstar Flightline, who scored a breathtaking victory in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic two days before the auction and was retired to the Lane's End stallion barn about 16 hours later. Keeneland and Lane's End employed virtual reality and the metaverse for this unique offering and buyers responded enthusiastically. Auctioned 30 minutes prior to the start of Book 1 in a jam-packed pavilion, the Flightline share summoned $4.6 million from Brookdale's Freddy Seitz, acting on behalf of “an undisclosed Seattle-based owner and client with interests in the coffee business,” Sid Fernando reported in his Taking Stock column Nov. 9. Coolmore was the immediate underbidder.

“We are trying to push boundaries all of the time,” Lacy said. “This is a situation where the stars aligned. Bill Farish mentioned that it might be a possibility and we were looking at virtual reality and the metaverse to bring a new customer base or at least a new fan base in. When Flightline won the Pacific Classic, things got real. Coming into the Breeders' Cup, the whole industry was absolutely in awe of what he was and what his future would be as a stallion. To be able to pull something together like that was a mammoth effort on the legal side, as well as the logistics side. It was exciting for us all to be involved in.”

Lane's End's Allaire Ryan expressed similar sentiments, “It was a really unique way to start out the sale and the energy that it brought to the pavilion that afternoon was really fantastic. It had a domino effect on the subsequent purchases made in the sale, when you factor in the number of mares that were purchased specifically to be bred to Flightline. There were a few out of our consignment alone, like Shamrock Rose, Edgeway, Bayerness. Even though he is retired from racing, he is already impacting the industry from a commercial breeder standpoint. That has been an exciting wave to ride for sure.”

As Ryan stated, the retirement of Flightline made quite the impact on the November market. The partners on the no-doubt Horse of the Year were busy scooping up mares to breed to their once-in-a-lifetime horse, as were several other breeders. For example, Flightline's breeder and part-owner Jane Lyon of Summer Wind Farm was third-leading buyer for the sale, acquiring four mares for her new stallion for $4.625 million with an average of $1,156,250. Her purchases were topped by the aforementioned MGSW and GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint runner-up Edgeway (Competitive Edge) for $1.7 million.

Flightline wasn't the only new stallion impacting the November market, however. The partners on MGISW 'Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief), who gave Flightline all he had through swift fractions for the first mile of the Classic, were also actively acquiring mares for WinStar's new addition. For instance, the China Horse Club bought five mares for a total of $1.75 million for an average of $350,000.

Lane's End Leads All Consignors

Even without the $4.6-million boost provided by Flightline, Lane's End took the title of leading consignor for this year's November Sale. The Farish family's operation sold a total of 129 head, including Flightline's fractional interest, for $23,460,400 with an average of $181,864. Even excepting the share, Lane's End was still the November Sale's top seller. Their top-selling mare was champion female sprinter Shamrock Rose (First Dude), who brought $3 million from Japan's KI Farm carrying a foal by Curlin and is set to meet Flightline next year.

 

 

“It is super gratifying for us to be leading consignor even without the big sale of the Flightline share, which was a really fun way to start out the sale,” Ryan said. “We had some really quality offerings in Book 1 and Book 2, which set us out on the right foot. Where there is quality, there is plenty of depth in the market. People that did bring good horses were rewarded for it, which was great to see. We had some nice broodmare prospects. We had some lovely in-foal mare and a couple of standout weanlings. It had a trickle down effect from there.”

Bisou On Top Again

An Eclipse winner in 2019 and Fasig-Tipton November topper in 2020, MGISW Midnight Bisou was at the head of the class again at this year's Keeneland November Sale. Purchased by Chuck and Lori Allen for $5 million at the aforementioned Fasig sale, she is headed to Japan after bringing $5.5 million from Katsumi Yoshida with a Tapit filly in utero. Midnight Bisou was offered by John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, which also sold the $7-million Fasig-Tipton November topper, champion Gamine (Into Mischief), who went to Coolmore's M.V. Magnier in foal to Quality Road.

“It was a great thrill,” said Sikura. “We topped both the Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland sales. All the credit to our team and the people who supplied us with a great draft of horses. It is all about quality and we were fortunate enough to have had a fantastic sale at both sales companies. This is the second consecutive year we topped Fasig-Tipton and it was nice to do it at Keeneland as well. Credit to the horses. We had a good strong market. People can't get enough of quality.”

He continued, “Everyone is very specific about what they like. There are different categories of mares, but if you are going to sell a $100,000 mare, you want it to be an early cover and in foal to the right horse. If you want to sell sale toppers, you need to have pedigree and good race records with those early covers and the right sire. I thought everybody who brought quality was well rewarded. This trend has continued for the last many years and it looks like it is here to stay. ”

Weanlings In High Demand

John Sikura | Keeneland

After a record-setting Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the weanling market was very strong and competitive at the November Sale, producing North America's top-priced weanling for the fourth consecutive year. That youngster was a Medaglia d'Oro filly out of SW Serena's Cat (Storm Cat), dam of champion Honor Code (A.P. Indy), who was purchased for $1.5 million by Magnier.

“In Book 1, we grossed 45% more for weanlings than we did last year,” said Keeneland's Directory of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach. “We really appreciate the support of the breeders and consignors. We depend on them heavily. Your sale is only as good as the catalogue. It's been a terrific collaboration. The market has been bullish. We are enjoying a good time in the industry.”

That trickled down into the later books, creating a stronger middle market for weanlings with varying pedigrees.

“It is quite hard to sell a mare that is 12-15 even if they had a stakes-placed horse and a few winners,” Sikura said. “If they are good foal, it doesn't matter who they are by, how old the mare is or what their up-close pedigree is. Obviously, the more you have of all of that criteria, the more they make of it. I've seen foals walk through and bring $180,000 and you look at the sire and think, who is this? The pendulum has swung now so much toward the physical horse. I think that is the determining factor at the yearling sales and also at the foal sales. They have to vet. They have to have the smooth physical and great walk. Those kinds, they chase them hard.”

“Where you have quality, you had plenty of people interested,” said Ryan. “If for some reason a mare or weanling didn't tick all the boxes, it felt thinner. It didn't take long for that feeling to set in. I think there was still plenty of good competition in the weanling market, especially for good physicals. People were rewarded at the yearling sales this year and they were looking to reinvest, but they weren't willing to take a lot of risk if it didn't have a top physical or had some vet issues.”

The leading sire of weanlings for the 10-day auction was MGISW 'TDN Rising Star' and new Gainesway sire McKinzie (Street Sense) with 23 members of his first crop bringing $3.162 million with an average of $137,478.

Tapit, Into Mischief Rule Keeneland

Buoyed by the sale of the 2.5% fractional interest in his star son Flightline, Tapit led all sires with a gross of $9,507,000 and average of $365,654. Taking the Flightline share out of the equation puts super sire Into Mischief on top with 31 head bringing $6,961,500 with an average of $224,565.

Hill 'n' Dale's new addition, MGISW 'Rising Star' Charlatan (Speightstown), was the sale's leading covering sire by gross with 27 mares carrying his first foals bringing $8.472 million and averaging $313,778. Lane's End stalwart Quality Road was second with 11 mares carrying his offspring summoning $7.675 million with an average of $697,727, easily tops among sires with five or more in-foal mares sold. Curlin and Tapit each averaged seven figures for their limited in-foal mares.

“Charlatan covered a great book of mares,” Sikura said. “The most elite mares did not go to public auction. I think the momentum is building and we are looking forward to his first foals. He bred outstanding mares.”

 

 

 

Foreign Buyers Boost November Market

A treasure trove of foreign buyers, led by Japan, gave the November market a significant boost, creating even more depth and diversity in the buying bench. Japan's Katsumi Yoshida led all buyers by gross at $9.7 million and average at $3,233,333. Each of the three mares purchased by his bloodstock agent Shingo Hashimoto fetched seven figures, highlighted by sale-topping Midnight Bisou.

“The international market was a critical part of the outcome of this sale,” Lacy said. “Japanese buyers were extremely active, especially at the top, despite the swing in the exchange rate, which is not in their favor. That was extremely gratifying to see. We had buyers from 29 countries participate at the sale. That is on the high end of what we would expect. With the dollar being so strong, it is great to get that international support. It's a global marketplace and we work on that very heavily. We've seen 60 or 70 Australians here, which we haven't seen in years. We've seen Europeans here that have not been in here in six or seven years and they were back and were active. They are energized by what they see. That is very encouraging for us.”

The top 20 horses, including the Flightline share, were purchased by 15 individual buyers, three of which were from Japan.

Domestic buyers also remained active at the November Sale. In addition to the aforementioned Coolmore and Summer Wind Farm, one of the most active American buyers was Pin Oak Stud, recently purchased by Jim and Dana Bernhard. They scooped up 15 mares for their new farm for a total of $4.354 million. Bloodstock agent Chad Schumer bought the most horses during the 10-day auction, taking home 51 head for $3,385,500 with an average of $66,382.

 

 

 

Final Session Stats

Wednesday's 10th and final session of the Keeneland November Sale, which was the third session of Book 5, was topped by a pair of $45,000 weanlings. Upper Mill Stable took home a filly from the first crop of Honor A.P. (Hip 3514) and J. T. Vill purchased a colt by Kantharos (Hip 3545).

A total of 154 horses sold Wednesday for $1,148,600 with an average of $7,458 and median of $3,600. Thirty-three horses failed to meet their reserves for an RNA rate of 17.65%.

Racehorses Moved To A Separate Sale

Horses of racing age have been a traditional part of the Keeneland November Sale, typically being sold in the middle of auction, except for last year when it they were offered during the final session. This year, Keeneland separated that popular section out and made it its own single-day sale to be held Thursday after the conclusion of Breeding Stock Sale.

“For the first year it is its own sale, for several reasons,” Breathnach said. “One is the later entry deadline. It is a more dynamic catalogue. We can give it a greater online presence with more Form, figures and data associated with each offering. That is something that is a little difficult to do when you have an Aug. 1 deadline like we do with the breeding stock sale. We are also confined by the number of horses in each session. Those horses were catalogued in the second half during Book 3 or Book 4, which took up spots breeders wanted their mares or foals to be in.”

He continued, “It is its own sale so it can have its own identity and own dynamic and build a stronger catalogue. It allows it to go forward. The horses in training market is very strong. Our position in the calendar year is when people are transitioning to new locations for the winter, so they got a chance to buy or sell stock that will fit where they are going or be better off elsewhere.”

The HORA sale, which begins at noon, has a catalogue of 356 racehorses of varying ages, including several promising juveniles and an array of black-type competitors. Last year's HORA portion, which was part of a mixed final of 10 sessions, was topped by the 2-year-old colt Strava (Into Mischief), who brought $825,000.

 

 

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Demand and Competition Remain Strong as Book 2 Concludes

By Christie DeBernardis & Jessica Martini

LEXINGTON, KY–Demand remained high as did the competition for quality individuals, both mares and weanlings, as Book 2 of the Keeneland November Sale concluded with its second of two sessions Wednesday.

The third day of selling at Keeneland was highlighted by the million-dollar sale of GSW Proud Emma (Include). In foal to Charlatan, the chestnut was purchased by Jane Lyon of Summer Wind Farm, who also purchased Tuesday's $1.45-million session topper Park Avenue (Quality Road). Proud Emma will visit Lyon's homebred superstar Flightline (Tapit), whose fee was announced at $200,000 partway through Wednesday's action. Proud Emma marks the third seven-figure transaction of Book 2, which previously had not seen a million-dollar horse since 2017.

“Some of the owners of Flightline, and Life Is Good, are investing in young fillies and broodmares to send to their stallions,” said Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “We are coming off an exciting Breeders' Cup. It is a deep bench that is retiring this year. A lot of breeders are looking to improve their broodmare band and freshen up their portfolio, both on a domestic and international stage. It has been very, very healthy.”

During the two Book 2 sessions, 424 horses sold for $77,092,000. The average of $181,821 increased 13.5% from a year ago and the median of $150,000 was up 15.4%. Three horses sold for seven figures and there were 16 who sold for $500,000 or more. In 2021, six horses hit that mark and the section's top price was $725,000.

The 2021 Book 2 section of the November sale saw 489 horses gross $78,321,000 for an average of $160,166 and a median of $130,000.

“I think people are willing to keep going on horses that they feel have the quality they are looking for,” Lacy said. “When they find the mares and weanlings that fit the profile that they want, they keep going. Jane Lyon was pretty bullish today on that one. That was great.”

Proud Emma's covering sire Charlatan has made a name for himself in the sales ring this week. He was the session's leading covering sire with 11 mares carrying his first foals grossing $4.005 million and averaging $364,091.

“Charlatan is a very exciting horse,” said Cormac Breathnach, Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations. “He showed a ton of speed on the track and speed that could carry. With the sire line and his pedigree and the mares he has been bred to, he is showing the signs of being a successful commercial horse and that is what a lot of people are looking for at this sale. We expected them to be well received.”

Weanlings were also in high demand Wednesday, topped by a $500,000 Gun Runner colt (Hip 976), who is destined for resale next year after being purchased by Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo's AAA Thoroughbreds.

Fifteen weanlings sold for $300,000 or over during the 2022 Book 2 section of the November sale, led by a $550,000 son of Gun Runner who sold Wednesday. During the two sessions, 165 weanlings sold for $23,056,000, for an average of $139,733–up 7.3% from a year ago–and a median of $120,000, which was up 20% from 2021.

In 2021, 12 Book 2 weanlings sold for $300,000 or over. A total of 183 foals sold during the section for a gross of $23,838,000. The average was $130,262 and the median was $100,000.

“There was a huge appetite for the quality weanlings overall,” said Lacy. “A lot of pinhookers made good money in September and were reinvesting. That sector of the market really increased today, which was great to see. There was a lot of enthusiasm and competitive bidding on those better individuals. I think you will hopefully find that trend continue through the rest of the sale.”

The Keeneland November Sale continues through Wednesday, Nov. 16, with sessions beginning at 10 a.m. It is followed by Keeneland's November Horses of Racing Age Sale Nov . 17.

 

 Another Emma for Summer Wind

Summer Wind Farm, already the home of Littleprincessemma (Yankee Gentleman), dam of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, added another Emma to its broodmare band when Jane Lyon bid an even million dollars to acquire graded stakes-winner Proud Emma (Include) (hip 876) from the Bedouin Bloodstock consignment Wednesday at Keeneland.

“We saw an awfully pretty mare that we think Flightline will like,” Lyon said of the mare's appeal. “We were trying to find mares that we thought, both physically and pedigree-wise, would fit him.”

The 6-year-old Proud Emma is out of the unraced Debutante Dreamer (Proud Citizen), a full-sister to graded-placed Cousin Stephen. She won the 2020 GIII Bayakoa S. and was second in the 2021 GIII Rancho Bernardo H.

SF Bloodstock purchased Proud Emma for $275,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton November and put her in foal to first-season sire Charlatan.

“She was a very striking mare,” SF Bloodstock's Tom Ryan said. “She is a beautiful physical and she obviously had tons of ability. We felt that she was a durable, sound mare.”

Ryan continued, “The plan at the time was to bring her back to the marketplace. We had options [for the covering sire], but when we got home and sat down to work through it, we felt Charlatan was a perfect physical for the mare.”

Of Proud Emma's seven-figure price tag, Ryan said, “Summer Wind is a very calculating outfit and they can see the same thing that we see. This is the kind of mare that could produce a commercial animal that we could see in Saratoga in a couple of years. And then she may not look that expensive.”

Mares in foal to Charlatan were in demand in the Keeneland sales ring, with Proud Emma leading the way.

Charlatan, who was a $700,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase in 2018, raced for the stallion-making partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Fred Hertrich, John Fielding and Golconda Stables. He won the 2020 GI Arkansas Derby and GI Malibu S. before concluding his career with his lone loss when second in the 2021 Saudi Cup. He stands at Hill 'n' Dale for a fee of $50,000.

“Charlatan is one of the most brilliant horses we've ever had anything to do with,” Ryan said. “He's a beautiful physical animal, but his athletic ability was extraordinary. With his ability to quicken, he was electric. We really felt that he was a horse that would be in high demand with his first pregnancies and I think today was a representation of that.”

Through three sessions of the November sale, 22 mares have sold in foal to Charlatan for an average of $338,636.

“He is a son of Speightstown and he was a brilliant horse,” Ryan said of Charlatan's appeal. “I think his race record and his physical make-up is exactly what people are looking for in the commercial market that we live in today.” @JessMartiniTDN

 

Whimsical Dance a Sentimental Purchase for Anderson

As the third session of the Keeneland November sale neared its conclusion Wednesday, Canadian breeder Dave Anderson struck to add a filly from the country's historic Sam-Son Farms to his broodmare band, going to $725,000 to acquire the 3-year-old Whimsical Dance (Distorted Humor) (hip 989).

“I've admired the Sam-Son operation my entire life growing up in Canada,” Anderson said. “I've just strived to be even remotely close to being as good a breeder as they've been. And this is a filly from their absolute best family. I took one look at her and it's just Distorted Humor over Giant's Causeway and it's all broodmare sires down to Dance Smartly. It's all something I really wanted to have in my program and this was the last stop for the Sam-Son train. I'm really thrilled to have her.”

A daughter of the unraced Danceforthecause (Giant's Causeway), Whimsical Dance is a half-sister to multiple graded winner Say the Word (More Than Ready) and graded winner Rideforthecause (Candy Ride {Arg}). Her third dam is the great Canadian champion Dance Smartly, who produced champion Dancethruthedawn.

Whimsical Dance has now won two of three starts at Woodbine. Anderson said the filly may continue her racing career.

“I am going to take a look at that,” he said. “I would obviously love to get some black-type on her somewhere. But at the end of the day, I bought her for her ovaries and she'll be a long-term mare in our program.”

Founded by the late Ernie Samuel some 50 years ago, Sam-Son Farm has dispersed nearly all of its stock in the last two years. The operation sold five mares Wednesday. In addition to Whimsical Dance, the Sam-Son bred Ladywearsthering (Uncle Mo) (hip 810) sold for $450,000 to Thomas Bachman's Fairview.

Anderson admitted Wednesday's purchase of one of the final mare's from the Sam-Son operation was a special one.

“My father died 12 years ago yesterday and he and Mr. Samuel were great friends and did a lot of business together over the years. It really is an emotional purchase for me for sure.”  @JessMartiniTDN

 

Strong Showing For Indian Creek

Shack Parrish's Indian Creek consignment had a great day at Keeneland Wednesday, starting with the $700,000 sale of Zoikes (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) (Hip 618), who is set to return to Europe after being purchased by Jim Ryan. She is carrying a foal by Medaglia d'Oro.

“She was very well-received,” said Indian Creek's Sarah Sutherland. “It's a great cover for her, the Medaglia cross with Dubawi. She was sold for Bob Edwards or E Five Racing. They bought her as a yearling at Newmarket and campaigned her here. We're in the process of selling a few, buying a few and keeping our numbers in check. We were happy to bring her here and think she realized a good price.”

Edwards purchased Zoikes at TATOCT for 450,000gns and she won one of three starts on American soil. Out of SW & G1SP Glorious Sight (Singspiel), she is a half to MGSW GISP Glycon (Le Havre). This is also the family of MGSW Beauty Is Truth (Pivotal).

As Sutherland predicted after that sale, Indian Creek sparked fireworks again late in the session, selling a $500,000 Gun Runner colt (Hip 976) to Dean DeRenzo. DeRenzo and his partner Randy Hartley, who sign as AAA Thoroughbreds, also purchased an Authentic filly (Hip 885) from the Indian Creek consignment for $260,000.

Hartley and DeRenzo have been busy snapping up as many nice weanlings as they can get their hands on this week with plans to resell them as yearlings. They have been particularly keen on Gun Runners, snapping up a $675,000 filly and $550,000 colt by the red-hot sire at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale Sunday.

“I thought he was the best horse in the sale,” DeRenzo said. “I just love him. We bought our first Gun Runner, which was Taiba. He's done fantastic and he's not finished. Gun Runner's a horse I have never seen in my career and I think we've seen only the beginning of him. He's going to be bred to some amazing mares, and this was a really great mare. We're really excited. We'll send him home and let him grow up and see how things go and we'll go from there.”

Bred by Chisago Farm, the weanling colt is out of Twiga, a half-sister to MGSW Takeover Target (Harlan's Holiday) and SW Ladies' Privilege (Harlan's Holiday). This is also the family of MGISW Critical Eye.

“The colt has been well received the whole time,” Parrish said. “We only had three foals and they all did great. We can't complain. The guys at home did a great job. They all came from Indian Creek, so we know them like our own kids.”

Indian Creek sold 10 horses Wednesday for a total of $2.76 million and average of $276,000.

For us, it's been good, but I've seen spots. Of course, there were spots across town too. I think you really need to have nice foals here. They aren't playing in the mid-range yet. The right sire power is a big help.

—@CDeBernardisTDN

 

Collins Breaks Through for Message

Lincoln Collins admitted he had been shut out on several mares before finally breaking through to purchase Message (Warrior's Reward) (hip 839) for $675,000 on behalf of John Sykes's Woodford Thoroughbreds Wednesday at Keeneland.

“We finally got one,” Collins said with a laugh after signing the ticket on the 6-year-old mare who sold in foal to Charlatan.

Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, Message was second in the 2020 GIII Bayakoa S. for Susan and Charlie's Baoma Corp.

“We are looking to upgrade all the time,” Collins said. “It was a lot of money, but she is an absolutely beautiful mare. I am sure the [covering] sire will be popular. And pedigree-wise, we can do pretty much anything we like.”

Collins pointed out that this year's GI Champagne S. winner Blazing Sevens (Good Magic) is, like Message, out of a Warrior's Reward mare.

“He is the sort of horse who is beginning to show life as a broodmare sire, so all of those things together made us push it absolutely to the limit.”

The popularity of mares in foal to Charlatan at Keeneland has been no surprise to Collins.

“He was a very, very good racehorse,” Collins said of the GI Malibu S. winner. “I think he will probably be one of the most popular first-season sires next year. And you know how the market is. It values youth over experience. Since we sell almost everything, it makes sense for us [to buy a mare in foal to a first-year stallion].”

Message was the first mare purchased by Woodford Thoroughbreds at Keeneland, but that wasn't for lack of trying.

“It's been very, very tough,” Collins said. “I've bid a lot of money on a lot of horses and not gotten anything until today. We went well past our limit on a number of them and still didn't get anything.” @JessMartiniTDN

 

Lake Garda Set For a Date With Flightline

Shortly after superstar Flightline's fee was announced at $200,000, Hunter Rankin purchased Lake Garda (American Pharoah) (Hip 812) for $600,000 on behalf of an undisclosed client with the GI Breeders' Cup Classic hero in mind. Consigned by Elite, the unraced4-year-old is in foal to Uncle Mo.

“She is a beautiful mare, obviously regally bred,” Rankin said. “I'm really excited for the owner. She is going to go to Flightline. He is really excited about her.”

He continued, “I thought it was a fair price. We thought she would do well in the market. It looked like she had a lot of action out there. She had all the pieces and parts and she is in foal to a great stallion and from a great family. We are really excited.”

Purchased by Cromwell Bloodstock for $550,000 as a weanling at the 2018 renewal of this auction, Lake Garda is a daughter of GSP blue hen Refugee (Unaccounted For). She is a half-sister to hard-knocking MGISW and young sire Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday), MGISW Exectiveprivlege (First Samurai) and stakes winners Leader of Men (War Front) and Cowboy's Hero (Cowboy Cal).

“Lake Garda was just a beautiful mare,” said Elite's Liz Crow. “She came in prepped perfectly. She has a nice pedigree and a nice update, and she's in foal to Uncle Mo on a good cover. She was one of our most popular mares over the last three days. We feel like we had some nice physicals with nice pedigree pages here today. It all starts with the people who send us these horses. We have a great group of clients who entrust us to sell their horses. We always aim to put a nice Book 2 together. We bringing stakes-winning and stakes-placed, and graded stakes-winning and stakes-placed mares here. Our team works together months in advance and without their hard work we wouldn't have such a good day.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

 

Finding Fame to Gage Hill/Determined Stud Partnership

Terry Finley continued shopping for mares for recently retired Flightline (Tapit) Wednesday at Keeneland, going to $575,000 for the 5-year-old mare Finding Fame (Empire Maker) (hip 749). In foal to Constitution, the bay is a full-sister to stakes winner and multiple graded-placed Mei Ling.

“Shug McGaughey trained the mare and she had a lot of talent,” Finley said after signing the ticket in the name of Gage Hill and Matt Dorman's Determined Stud. “She's a lovely, big mare.”

Finding Fame, a $425,000 KEESEP yearling purchase in 2018, won twice in 10 starts for Gainesway Stable and Andrew Rosen. She was consigned Wednesday by Gainesway.

Of the mare's final price, Finley added, “We are obviously getting to the end of the ones that we are thinking about buying to send to Flightline. I think we knew that there were several significant players that were interested in her.”

Gage Hill, alone in or in partnership with Determined Stud, has purchased six mares at the November sale for $4.5 million. The partners went to $2 million to acquire Salty As Can Be (Into Mischief) (hip 154) during Monday's first session of the auction. @JessMartiniTDN

 

Stonehaven Reinvests at Keeneland

The Reddoch family's Stonehaven Steadings, run by the Reddoch's daughter Leah O'Meara and her husband Aidan, had a stellar September Sale and their hot streak continued here Tuesday when they sold a $1 million mare. They began to reinvest that money during Wednesday's session, topped by a $425,000 Gun Runner filly (Hip 844).

“She will be back here hopefully in September,” Aidan O'Meara said. “That's the plan at least, so we will see how it goes. She is a beautiful filly, a great representation of the sire with her scope and frame. She is a nice, classy type.”

The weanling filly was consigned by Paramount Sales on behalf of breeders Drumkenny Farm and American Equistock Inc. Out of Mighty Moon (Malibu Moon), the chestnut hails from the family of SW & GSP Green Lyons (Ire).

Hip 844's sire Gun Runner could not be hotter with four Grade I winners this year to add to the two he had last year in his first crop of 2-year-olds, one of which was champion Echo Zulu. Progeny of the Horse of the Year have been in high demand in the sales ring this year and his current weanlings were no exception. Six have sold through the first three days of KEENOV for $2.425 million with an average of $404,167.

“It is arguable, but it is probably the best start any stallion has had in the history of the breed,” said O'Meara. “It's been incredible. Some of the best opportunities in this business are the riding the wave of the success of these stallions. It is a lot of money for that filly, but she is as nice as any of those higher-priced ones that have come up here in the last few days.”

Stonehaven Steadings stellar season started at the September sale, where they sold a total of 18 yearlings for $8.188 million, including the sale-topping $2.5-million Quality Road colt now named Metro. During the Book 2 opener Tuesday, the operation sold Sweet Sami D (First Samurai), a mare they claimed for $65,000 and bred to Gun Runner, for $1 million.

“We have had a very fortunate year,” O'Meara said. “We are putting some of it back in the industry. The sale did encourage us, but you always have to be in control of what you're doing. We will try to build on the year we've had and try to keep it rolling. We've bought some nice mares here today as well and we have a very nice bunch of foals back at the farm. When we buy pinhooks, we aren't buying fixer uppers. We buy nice, high-quality types. Hopefully we come out here with a pretty nice draft.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

 

Brookdale Active On Both Sides of the Ledger For Not This Time

Early in Wednesday's session, Brookdale's Freddy Seitz went to $350,000 on behalf of a friend to acquire a filly by Not This Time (Hip 631). Then 118 hips later, the Seitz family's sale operation, led by Freddy's brother Joe Seitz, sold a colt by the Taylor Made stallion for $375,000 (Hip 749). Bred by Audley Farm, Hip 749 was purchased by Dudley Racing.

The chestnut filly was consigned by Gainesway on behalf of Alexander, Grove and Matz. Hip 631 is out of SW Analyze (Candy Ride {Arg}), a half-sister to GSW Far From Over (Blame) and GISP And Why Not (Street Cry {Ire}), who is the dam of MGSW Fearless (Ghostzapper). Carrying a foal by Hard Spun, Analyze followed her daughter into the ring, bringing $475,000 from Summer Wind Farm's Jane Lyon, which means she is likely headed to unbeaten sensation Flightline (Tapit) this spring.

“I was asked to sign the ticket on behalf of a friend,” Freddy Seitz said. “She's a beautiful filly. I liked the way she moved. Of course, with a Not This Time filly out of that family you can't ask for much more. She's by a hot sire and out of one of the best families in the U.S.”

Later in the day, Hip 749 stirred things up in the pavilion, summoning $375,000. The Virginia-bred is out of a half-sister to MGSW & MG1SP So Perfect (Scat Daddy).

“He's a big, scopey, huge walking horse with a beautiful appearance,” Joe Seitz said. “He came alive here. He has some interesting markings on him. There is a lot of uniqueness about him. He came from Audley Farm, a wonderful in Virginia and the same people who bred Bodemeister. His half-sister by Justify broke her maiden in her first start, so there is a lot of quality in a nice young family.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

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Flightline Share Fetches $4.6 Million

LEXINGTON, KY–Keeneland kicked off its November Breeding Stock Sale Monday afternoon with the highly anticipated auctioning off of a 2.5% interest in unbeaten all-time great, GI Breeders' Cup Classic hero and new Lane's End stallion Flightline (Tapit). The show, partially conducted in the Metaverse, certainly did not disappoint.

The pavilion was lined wall-to-wall with industry participants squeezing in anywhere they could to witness the one-of-a-kind event. When the dust had settled after a very spirited round of bidding, Brookdale's Freddy Seitz saw off all challengers–which included the Coolmore partners as direct underbidders–to land the share for $4.6 million on behalf of an undisclosed farm client. The price paid imputes a valuation for the 'TDN Rising Star' of $184 million.

“They have been good clients of ours for a few years now,” Seitz said to the throng of media waiting for him outside the pavilion. “He is very excited about this horse and wanted to make a huge splash. He has dealt with some good horses in the past, but nothing like this. I'm not sure any of us have dealt with a horse like this. He wanted to get involved a little more in the business.”

While Seitz would not name the client, he did say that the client already has a small broodmare band.

“I think he is going to have a nicer broodmare band now,” Seitz said. “He has some nice mares, but his band isn't very big, about six or eight mares. He is going to be shopping now from what I understand.”

Being a first-of-its-kind sale, the question the entire industry has been asking is, how much the share could sell for? Seitz said he did not expect the final price of $4.6 million.

“I did not expect it to go that high,” the horseman said. “You can only imagine what people are going to do when they are really after something like that. It was very exciting. I wish we could have gotten him a little better deal, but when you are dealing with top quality, you have to pay.”

As for the fact the fractional interest price indicates a total valuation of $184 million, Seitz said, “It is probably the highest ever. With a special horse like that, all you can do is get involved and hope for the best. There has never been a horse that has done what he has done, probably since Secretariat. You just have to pay up and get involved in stuff like this is what he's thinking.”

Lane's End Bill Farish was overcome with emotion during the post-sale interview.

“I am in awe of that,” he said. “It was very exciting. It was an amazing tribute to Flightline. He is an incredible horse.”

Despite what Farish called “a tremendous amount of interest,” he also was unsure what to expect Monday.

“It is just so hard to know where something like that will go,” Farish said. “It is the first time anything like that has ever been done on a horse of that magnitude.”

He continued, “We don't really have a valuation. It is a unique situation because the syndicate is already in place. The syndicate was the racing ownership group. Not that it would be hard with Flightline, but luckily I don't have to go out and determine shares value if I had to sell 40 shares. We had no clue where this would go for that reason.”

Keeneland's Shannon Arvin indicated there were over 20 registered bidders for this event, which required a separate registration process from the traditional Keeneland sales registration

“We had to make sure the people who purchased were pre-approved, accredited purchasers and had the opportunity to review the syndicate agreement and documentation and were comfortable with the stallion deal,” Arvin said. “It was a Keeneland/Lane's End joint effort.”

Farish, who indicated this would not effect Flightline's yet-to-be-determined stud fee, added, “This is a share in the horse. Now that he is retired, it can be called a share in the horse. It had to be called a fraction until he was actually retired. It is 1/40 of everything he does from now on.”

Arvin compared this unique auction to the introduction of the digital sales market.

“I think it is just like what we found with the digital market, you have to have the right product for it to be successful,” said the Keeneland President and CEO. “The stars completely aligned for Flightline. We couldn't have hoped for a better superstar to sell an interest in than Flightline.”

She added, “When Bill and I talked about this for the first time, we were thrilled with the opportunity. The stars all had to align for it to work out, but we appreciate Lane's End for giving us the chance.”

Flightline capped his career off at Keeneland some 36 hours prior to the auction with a jaw-dropping victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

“His race in the Breeders' Cup was even better than you hoped it could be,” said Arvin. “It was unbelievable. We were all watching in awe, like I think the world was. Every sport likes to have a hero and Flightline is definitely our hero right now.”

Click here to watch Flightline's Metaverse sale video.

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Keeneland September Establishes All-Time Record Gross

At the conclusion of Thursday's 10th session, the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale became the highest-grossing auction in Keeneland's history with total sales weighing in at $399,940,000. The previous record of $399,791,800 was set during the 2006 September Sale.

With two sessions remaining, a total of 2,488 yearlings (through the ring) have sold for $399,940,000, an increase of 14.63% over the same period last year when 2,428 horses sold grossed $348,885,500. Average price of $160,748 is up 11.87% from $143,693, while the median of $85,000 is 13.33% above $75,000 in 2021. RNA rate was down a tick from 20.21% to 19.32%.

Heading yesterday's action, a colt by red-hot young sire Girvin (Hip 3504), who has his first runners this year, topped the second of two Book 5 sessions of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Thursday when hammering for $290,000. Bred and consigned by Brookdale Sales, he was bought my Mick Wallace, agent for St. Elias Stables.

The Seitz family purchased Hip 3504's dam, SP Into Summer (Into Mischief), for $60,000 at last year's Keeneland January Sale with this colt in utero.

“He has developed really well,” said Brookdale's Joe Seitz. “My brother Freddy [Seitz] bought that mare down at OBS carrying this colt and brought her back home, so that is why he is a Kentucky-bred. He has been really nice all along. Girvin started to take off here with his 2-year-olds, which was nice. It was great watching him develop all summer and fill out just as those horses were running. The sire moved up to Kentucky, which gave the yearling even more profile. When we got up here, he stood out. People on the sales grounds started talking, word spread and everyone came for him.”

The horseman continued, “He was very exciting. He had a whole lot of vetting. He was shown 92 times in one day of showing. In Book 5, that is incredible. He handled it like a champ. He walked really great and covered a lot of ground. He never got tired.”

Keeneland ringman DeJuan Smith, profiled in Thursday's TDN, successfully pinhooked his $23,000 Palace Malice colt for $50,000 (Hip 3452).

For Thursday's session, 308 yearlings summoned $10,335,000 compared to the equivalent 2021 session when 303 youngsters grossed $9,194,000. Average was up from $30,343 to $33,555 and median was up from $23,000 to $25,000. RNA rate was about even at 12.75% compared to 12.17% in 2021.

“It has been non-stop at the barn,” Seitz said. “When I go up to the ring with a horse, all of the people in the back ring are all over me for information. It feels good.”

The two-day Book 6 begins Friday at 10 a.m.

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