Tag: horse auctions

$1-Million Into Mischief Colt Tops Thursday At Keeneland September Yearling Sale

Keeneland's fourth session of the September Yearling Sale on Thursday recorded active commerce among a number of the industry's major buyers and featured the sale of an Into Mischief colt to Peter Leidel for $1 million.

Keeneland sold 195 yearlings during today's session for $34,507,000, for an average of $193,554 and a median of $160,000. Cumulatively, 589 horses have grossed $160,583,000, for an average of $272,637 and a median of $200,000.

With the top-priced yearling on Thursday, a total of 15 horses have sold for $1 million or more.

“Very exciting finish today,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell said. “To have three individuals bidding all the way to the million-dollar mark was very exciting. There was a lot of depth to the market. As we have said before, it is very selective. The people who should be here and looking at the horses and making the decisions are here, and we are very happy that they are committed to this industry.”

The session topper, a half-brother to stakes winner Cambria, is out of Grade 2 winner Teen Pauline, by Tapit. He was consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised.

“He is a lovely horse – ticked all the boxes as they say. Has a great walk,” said Hunter Simms, Partner and Director of Bloodstock Services for Warrendale. “The Into Mischiefs have been on fire at this sale and on the race track. Stonestreet did a nice job prepping him, and he showed himself well at the barn. He is a classy animal. Stonestreet has been very supportive of us over the years, and we greatly appreciate it. We have had good success for them.”

Donato Lanni, agent for SF/Starlight/Madaket, paid $775,000 for a colt by Quality Road consigned by Candy Meadows Sales, agent. The colt is out of Sustainable, a stakes-placed daughter of Forestry who is a half-sister to stakes winner Culotte, and is from the family of Grade 1 winner Famous Digger.

“He's a Quality Road – a great stallion,” Tom Ryan of SF said. “We're just starting to see the cream rising to the top now with him. Just think of what he's accomplished already; the future's so bright for him.”

“We're delighted,” Candy Meadows Senior Vice President and COO Matt Lyons said. “He's a lovely horse and a homebred for the farm. We didn't have any horses in Book 1 so this is our first group here. We've waited all day for him, and there were some very good judges of horseflesh on him.

“You have groups looking to buy two-turn Derby-type horses, and there are a lot of people looking for that type of horse,” Lyons added. “When they all land on the same one, they can bring an exceptional price. The group that bought him obviously know how to win the big races so that's great for us having the mare at home and having siblings coming. He'll be trained by Mr. (Bob) Baffert, and he knows how to win the big races, too.”

Lanni, agent for SF/Starlight/Madaket, was the session's leading buyer, acquiring five horses for $1,660,000.

“It's been a busy sale for us,” Ryan said. “Keeneland assembled a great group of horses here, and good horses are hard to buy.”

Warrendale, agent for Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm, sold the session-topping filly, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Hog Creek Hustle, to Solis/Litt for $725,000. The daughter of Constitution out of the Candy Ride mare Candy Fortune also is a half-sister to stakes winner Majestic Dunhill.

“She was just beautiful,” Warrendale owner Kitty Taylor said. “I sold her for some long-standing clients of mine who are very dear friends, Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm. We sold Hog Creek Hustle and Majestic Dunhill. (This filly) was vetted so much and handled it so well. She went to a great place with LNJ Foxwoods. Alex (Solis) and Jason (Litt) bought her for them.”

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Shadwell Estate Company Ltd. paid $675,000 for a colt by Into Mischief who is a half-brother to champion Runhappy. He was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised.

“Very nice colt,” said Rick Nichols, Vice President and General Manager of Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Farm in Lexington. “Good conformation and looks like he has a really good head on his shoulders. I thought I might have to go a little bit more (on the price). We have a really good Into Mischief 2-year-old (Mutasaabeq), who was third in (the Runhappy Hopeful-G1 at Saratoga on Sept. 7.)”

Mark Taylor, Taylor Made's Vice President of Marketing and Public Sales Operations, was pleased with the sale of the colt.

“We met with the Stonestreet team, and they decided to put this horse in Book 2,” Taylor said. “They thought he might stand out a little more here, and I think he did. He was head and shoulders above a lot of the other horses we had in this book, and the big buyers found him.”

Shadwell also paid $500,000 for another yearling consigned by Taylor Made, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised. He was the Curlin colt who is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Girvin and Grade 3 winner Cocked and Loaded. His dam is Catch the Moon, by Malibu Moon.

West Bloodstock, agent for Robert and Lawana Low, purchased a Malibu Moon colt for $610,000. Consigned by KatieRich Farms, he is out of the Grade 2-placed Tiznow mare Fantasy of Flight.

Spendthrift Farm and MyRacehorse.com, co-owners of recent Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) winner Authentic, spent $600,000 on a colt by Authentic's sire, Into Mischief, who was consigned by Roderick Wachman's Kingswood Farm, agent. A full brother to Grade 3 winner One Liner, he is out of the winning Cherokee Run mare Cayala.

Into Mischief, the September Sale's leading sire with sales of $23,280,000 for 45 yearlings, stands at Spendthrift.

“There are many nice (Into Mischief) yearlings out here,” Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey said. “They have always been well received in the market and there has definitely been a bump from the Derby result. (Into Mischief) continues to amaze us, and if there was anyone in the industry that was a non-believer, I think they're all gone.”

Paramount Sales, agent, led all consignors on Thursday by selling 18 horses for $3,572,000.

The September Sale continues Friday with the start of the three-day Book 3. The sale runs through Sept. 25, and all remaining sessions begin at 10 a.m.

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Maskless Photo Draws COVID-19 Compliance Into Question At Keeneland September Yearling Sale

A photo in a tweet that circulated Thursday brought into question the enforcement of mask-wearing and social-distancing policies at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, leading Keeneland to issue a statement to Janet Patton of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The photo, taken by bloodstock agent Michael Hernon and since deleted, displayed a group of over 20 individuals inspecting and showing horses during an “Express Lane” event outside a Taylor Made Sales Agency barn, in which a group of upcoming offerings are paraded in front of prospective buyers all at once to limit the hassle and potential contact of individual showings. Only one or two of the people in photo whose faces are visible are properly wearing masks, a couple others have their masks around their chins, and the rest do not have any visible face covering on or around them.

Patton, a veteran journalist whose coverage has included the business of the Thoroughbred industry, retweeted the image with a comment tagging Keeneland that asked: “How does this square with the protocols?”

Per Keeneland's COVID-19 safety policy for the sale: “All participants in the September Sale are required to wear a face covering and maintain social distancing of at least six feet at all times on the grounds – both indoors and outdoors.”

Fasig-Tipton also had a policy requiring masks at all times while on the property for the recent Selected Yearlings Showcase Sale, and photos from the sale revealed mixed success in mask enforcement, as well.

Buyers, owners, and bloodstock agents were not required to produce a negative COVID-19 test to gain entry to the property for either sale. That group is required to complete a health questionnaire prior to the sale, and daily temperature checks are taken. Negative tests were required for all others within 10 days of entry, including consignors and their crews, auction company staff, veterinarians, farriers, and media.

After the Keeneland photo gained some traction on social media, Patton contacted the company, which issued the following statement:

“Keeneland takes the health and safety of our employees and our sale participants very seriously, and we have addressed the issue pictured in the tweet with those involved. We remain vigilant in enforcing compliance with the COVID-19 protocols established to ensure that we, along with our consignors and buyers, are able to conduct the September Yearling Sale in a safe and responsible manner. Those protocols require that every person wears a mask at all times and maintains social distance. Please be assured that we continue to monitor our grounds to promote responsible behavior across the Keeneland campus.”

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Second-Book Stars: The Top 20 Keeneland September Book 2 Graduates Of The Decade

Book 1 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale is the one that gets the headlines, with flashy prices and pedigrees grabbing seven-figure bids from the deepest pockets in the game. The marathon sale's second book might not have the same front-page appeal, but it has consistently offered some of the auction's most visible graduates on the track over the past decade.

Not every Book 2 is created equal, with some commencing as soon as the second session following a hyper-boutique Book 1, and others going into the auction's first weekend gatherings. The Book 2 population can also differ year-to-year from a snappy two-day tilt to a four-day march through the upper-middle market.

As such, every Book 2 horse is there for a different reason. Some sellers prefer to have their Book 1-caliber horses go through the ring in the second book to better stand out to a group of buyers still looking to spend top dollar, while others might have the physical to belong in Book 2, even if their pedigree would normally place them later in the sale.

Following are the top 20 Book 2 graduates sold at the Keeneland September sale since 2010, as ranked by bloodstock editor Joe Nevills, with assistance from the Paulick Report staff. Horses were judged strictly based on their on-track performance, leaving aside factors like their breeding careers or value against their sale price.

1. BEHOLDER
Henny Hughes x Leslie's Lady, by Tricky Creek
Sold to Spendthrift Farm for $180,000 in 2011; Consigned by Clarkland Farm
A sure-fire Hall of Famer, Beholder was one of the sport's towering figures of the mid-2010s, earning Eclipse Awards in four of her five campaigns, and 11 Grade 1 victories. She was a two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Distaff and she secured the champion 2-year-old female Eclipse with a victory in the 2012 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Her exploits against males were just as storied, winning the G1 Pacific Classic Stakes in 2015, and finishing second in the same race a year later.

2. NYQUIST
Uncle Mo x Seeking Gabrielle, by Forestry
Sold to Sutton Place Stables for $230,000 in 2014; Consigned by Dromoland Farm
The standard-bearer for Uncle Mo's record-setting debut crop, Nyquist won each of his first eight starts – five of which were in Grade 1 company. He locked down champion 2-year-old male honors after winning the 2015 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and then he became the second horse in history to wear the roses in the Kentucky Derby after taking the Juvenile. He also finished third in the Preakness Stakes.

3. ACCELERATE
Lookin At Lucky x Issues, by Awesome Again
Sold to L.E.B. for $380,000 in 2014; Consigned by Bluewater Sales
A horse that just got better with age, earning the 2018 Eclipse Award for champion older male at age five with wins including the G1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes, Pacific Classic, Awesome Again Stakes, and Breeders' Cup Classic. Though he didn't get started racing until April of his 3-year-old season, he won at least one graded stakes race in each of his first three campaigns, and the lone start in his fourth was an in-the-money effort in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes.

4. ABEL TASMAN
Quality Road x Vargas Girl, by Deputy Minister
RNA for $65,000 in 2015; Consigned by Clearsky Farm
Six of her eight career victories were in Grade 1 races, including the 2017 Kentucky Oaks. That victory helped her secure the Eclipse Award for champion 3-year-old filly, further bolstered by wins in the G1 Acorn Stakes, and Coaching Club American Oaks, along with a narrow runner-up effort in the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

5. LADY ELI
Divine Park x Sacre Coeur, by Saint Ballado
Sold to Bradley Thoroughbreds, agent, for $160,000 in 2013; Consigned by Runnymede Farm
One of the decade's biggest comeback stories, recovering from laminitis to become the champion turf female of 2017, and the winner of five lifetime Grade 1 races. She was undefeated prior to her year away to recover from infection after stepping on a safety pin, highlighted by a victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

6. WEST COAST
Flatter x Caressing, by Honour and Glory
Sold to Ben Glass, agent, for $425,000 in 2015; Consigned by Hermitage Farm
Though he was late to reach the upper-tier competition during his sophomore campaign, West Coast earned the champion 3-year-old male Eclipse on the strength of a campaign that included wins in the G1 Travers Stakes and Pennsylvania Derby. He went on to secure a series of big checks with in-the-money efforts in the Breeders' Cup Classic, Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes, and Dubai World Cup.

7. GAME WINNER
Candy Ride x Indyan Giving, by A.P. Indy
Sold to Ben Glass, agent, for $110,000 in 2017; Lane's End, agent
The champion 2-year-old male of 2018 went undefeated that season, using victories in the G1 Del Mar Futurity and American Pharoah Stakes to lead into his crowning score in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

8. MCKINZIE
Street Sense x Runway Model, by Petionville
Sold to Three Amigos for $170,000 in 2016; Consigned by Lane's End
One of his crop's most consistent high-end runners, McKinzie has taken down four Grade 1 races, and he finished second in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic. All four of his campaigns have included at least one graded stakes win.

9. SHANGHAI BOBBY
Harlan's Holiday x Steelin', by Orientate
Sold to Starlight Racing for $105,000 in 2011; Consigned by Stonehaven Steadings
A perfect five-for-five record with wins in the G1 Champagne Stakes and Breeders' Cup Juvenile secured champion 2-year-old male honors for Shanghai Bobby in 2012. He came back at three to win a stakes race and finish second in the G3 Holy Bull Stakes.

10. LIAM'S MAP
Unbridled's Song x Miss Macy Sue, by Trippi
Sold to St. Elias Stables for $800,000 in 2012; Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency
Never worse than second in eight career starts, Liam's Map became one of the top contenders in the older males division in 2015 after winning the G1 Woodward Stakes and Breeders' Cup Mile. He preceded those efforts with a runner-up finish in the G1 Whitney Stakes.

11. HAWKBILL
Kitten's Joy x Trensa, by Giant's Causeway
Sold to John Ferguson for $350,000 in 2014; Consigned by Gainesway
A Group 1 winner on two continents, who came within a head of adding a third in the G1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes in 2017. His six career group stakes victories included the G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes in England and the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in the U.A.E., and he was also multiple Group 1-placed in Germany.

12. LADY AURELIA
Scat Daddy x D'Wildcat Speed, by Forest Wildcat
Sold to George Bolton and Peter Leidel for $350,000 in 2015; Consigned by James Herbener Jr.
Europe's champion 2-year-old filly of 2016 was a two-time winner at the prestigious Royal Ascot meet. She also picked up a Group 1 win in France and a listed stakes win in the U.S.

13. PRACTICAL JOKE
Into Mischief x Halo Humor, by Distorted Humor
Sold to Aquinnah Ventures for $240,000 in 2015; Consigned by Gainesway
A precocious juvenile who grew into a high-level one-turn horse by the end of his 3-year-old campaign. He won his first three starts, including the G1 Hopeful and Champagne Stakes, then ran third in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. At three, he took the G1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes, then competed admirably against older foes in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and G1 Cigar Mile Handicap.

14. OXBOW
Awesome Again x Tizamazing, by Cee's Tizzy
Sold to Bluegrass Hall for $250,000 in 2011; Con- signed by Burleson Farms
The 2013 Preakness Stakes winner, who also finished second in that year's Belmont Stakes and won the G3 LeComte Stakes earlier in his career.

15. VEKOMA
Candy Ride x Mona de Momma, by Speightstown
Sold to R.A. Hill Stable for $135,000 in 2017; Consigned by Lane's End
After winning the G2 Blue Grass Stakes at three, the colt is undefeated at four, including wins in the G1 Carter Handicap and Metropolitan Handicap.

16. I'M A CHATTERBOX
Munnings x Chit Chatter, by Lost Soldier
RNA for $30,000 in 2013; Consigned by William B. Harrigan
Notched G1 wins in the Cotillion Stakes, Delaware Handicap, and Spinster Stakes, and ran third in the 2015 Kentucky Oaks.

17. SHE'S A TIGER
Tale of the Cat x Shandra Smiles, by Cahill Road
Sold to Mersad Metanovic Bloodstock for $150,000; Consigned by Warrendale Sales
Champion 2-year-old filly of 2013 won the G1 Del Mar Debutante Stakes, and was later disqualified from first to second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

18. DIVISIDERO
Kitten's Joy x Madame du Lac, by Lemon Drop Kid Sold to Margaux Farm, agent, for $250,000 in 2013; Consigned by Hinkle Farms
A two-time winner of the G1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes.

19. BODEMEISTER
Empire Maker x Untouched Talent, by Storm Cat Sold to Zayat Stables for $260,000 in 2010; Consigned by Brookdale Sales
Parlayed a win in the G1 Arkansas Derby to runner-up efforts in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

20. CON TE PARTIRO
Scat Daddy x Temple Street, by Street Cry
Sold to Cromwell Bloodstock for $130,000 in 2015; Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency
A Grade 3-placed multiple stakes winner who was later sold to race in Australia, where she has become a two-time Group 1 winner at age six.

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$950,000 Uncle Mo Colt Highlights Third Session Of Keeneland September Sale

Keeneland's September Yearling Sale resumed Wednesday, the first session of the two-day Book 2 catalog, featuring strong participation from a mix of foreign and domestic buyers and the sale of an Uncle Mo colt from the family of Grade 1 winner and sire Twirling Candy for $950,000 to Mayberry Farm.

During today's session, 185 yearlings grossed $40,861,000, for an average of $220,870 and a median of $180,000. Through the first three sessions of the auction, Keeneland has sold 394 yearlings for $126,076,000, for an average of $319,990 and a median of $250,000.

Book 1 spanned three days in 2019, with Book 2 beginning on Day 4 of the sale. For that reason, comparisons to last year's corresponding session are not available.

“In a time where there was such uncertainty about how much international participation there would be, we're really happy with it,” Keeneland President-Elect and Interim Head of Sales Shannon Arvin said. “We've seen a very diverse base of buyers, and they're participating in different ways. We continue to have a lot of activity on the Internet – today the most of any day so far with 150 bids and six horses sold.”

During last year's first session of Book 2, 16 horses brought $500,000 or more. Today, 12 horses reached that mark.

“Given the year of COVID, I think that's a strong statistic,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell said. “Last year was a surreal market, one of the strongest September Sales we have had in long time. The whole feel of the market was very strong last year. To replicate that even in a normal year would have been difficult. So for what we are doing at the moment in an unusual year, we are very appreciative of our sellers and our buyers who are here to make this market.”

The session topper, who was bred by Three Chimneys Farm, is out of the Smart Strike mare Bella Rafaela, a half-sister to the aforementioned Twirling Candy as well as to Grade 2 winner Ethnic Dance and Grade 3 winner Dubai Sky.

“He was a really nice colt and, in what has proven to be a pretty selective market, it's great to see him jump through all of the hoops and do well,” Three Chimneys COO Chris Baker said. “He's in good hands to do well, so we are excited about that.”

David Ingordo signed the ticket for the colt.

“I saw this horse at Three Chimneys Farm a few weeks before the sale,” Ingordo said. “He is one of the best prospects I saw and I probably looked at fifteen-hundred (yearlings) on the farms before the sale. He was my personal top pick. We have Twirling Candy (at Lane's End, where Ingordo is bloodstock agent), and he looks like the family. This is the horse we wanted to have.

“If you bring a good horse up here and it jumps through the hoops, you get rewarded,” Ingordo added. “We have found it very competitive to buy horses. We try to buy the best horse, and we have our price in mind. We know we have to stretch for the better ones. My clients are usually their own entities. So it is one person's finances, in some instances, against many people's finances.

“The hardest thing is adjusting to the partnerships (that bid against us). When you are bidding for one person against an entity that is many headed and many 'walleted', we have to figure out how to adjust.”

Among Mayberry's other purchases today was a $775,000 colt from the first crop of Gun Runner out of Grade 1-placed Sweet Shirley Mae, by Broken Vow. Consigned by Baccari Bloodstock, the colt is a half-brother to stakes winner Mae Never No (IRE).

Mayberry was the session's leading buyer, spending $2,385,000 on five horses.

The session-topping Uncle Mo colt was consigned by Gainesway, agent, which sold 20 yearlings for $6,755,000 to lead all sellers on Wednesday. The farm also consigned a colt by Into Mischief who sold to West Bloodstock, agent for Repole Stables and St. Elias Stable, for the session's co-second highest price of $875,000. The colt is out of the Tiznow mare Mimi's Tiz, a full sister to stakes winner Summer House and from the family of Grade 3 winner Custom for Carlos.

Additionally, Gainesway, agent, sold the session's top-priced filly, a daughter of Tapit to Whisper Hill Farm for $500,000. Out of the Forestry mare, Redwood Dancer, the filly is a half-sister to Australian stakes winner The Virginian and is from the family of champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Flanders.

“I just feel fortunate that we're here and have the opportunity to sell horses,” Gainesway General Manager Brian Graves said. “Keeneland has done a good job to make it work. My hat is off to Keeneland for making it easy for people to bid in every way. I think that is really necessary this year. There are people at home all over the world and Keeneland has made it easy for them to conduct business and that is fantastic.

“I can't say we expected to be leading consignor,” Graves added. “We'll take it gladly.”

Demi O'Byrne went to $875,000 to acquire a colt by Into Mischief out of the Divine Park mare Divine Heart, a half-sister to Grade 1 winners Include Me Out and Check the Label. Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Watercress Farm, consigned the colt.

A colt by Quality Road out of Revel in the Win, by Red Bullet, fetched $870,000 from B-4 Farms. Consigned by Summerfield, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised, the colt is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Poker Player and stakes-placed Coleman Rocky and War Treaty.

Shadwell Estate Company Ltd. purchased two of the day's top-priced horses, paying $800,000 for a Speightstown colt who is a full brother to stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Dawn the Destroyer and was consigned by Elm Tree Farm, agent for Stonesteet Bred & Raised. Shadwell also acquired a colt by Into Mischief for $700,000. Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, agent, he is a full brother to the Grade 2-placed filly Classy Act. Out of the Distorted Humor mare Acting Class, the colt is from the family of champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Tempera.

Donato Lanni, agent for SF/Starlight/Madaket, signed the ticket for a Candy Ride (ARG) colt consigned by Claiborne Farm, agent, for $760,000. He is out of the Grade 1-placed Tapit mare Draw It and is a half-brother to 2020 G2 Rebel Stakes runner-up Excession.

A colt by Uncle Mo out of multiple graded stakes winner Kauai Katie, by Malibu Moon, brought a bid of $700,000 from M.V. Magnier. He was consigned by Denali Stud, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised.

The September Sale continues Thursday with the second of the two-day Book 2 that begins at 10 a.m. ET.

To view the session's results, click here.

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