hunter rankin | Horse Racing Free Tips

Strength at the Top as OBS March Concludes with a Million-Dollar Munnings Filly

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis

OCALA, FL – With plenty of activity at the top of the market, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training concluded its three-day run with increases in average and median over last year's two-session renewal and five juveniles selling for seven figures, led by a co-record $2-million son of Good Magic.

“I thought it was a really good sale and it held strong all the way through,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “There were quality horses on each day and we sold five horses for over a million dollars. The gross was up substantially, which you would expect because we had a lot more horses, but still there were a lot of good horses. Consignors continue to bring quality horses here and they get rewarded for it.”

Through three sessions, OBS sold 449 horses for a total of $70,399,500. The average was $156,792–up 17.5% from the two-day 2022 figure. The median rose 6.7% to $80,000.

A year ago, 371 horses grossed $49,498,000 for an average of $133,418 and a median of $75,000.

A filly by Munnings, just the second horse through the ring Wednesday, was the fifth of the auction to top seven figures when selling for $1 million to bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, bidding on behalf of Frank Fletcher. She was the second million-dollar horse from the Tom McCrocklin consignment

A total of 24 horses sold for $500,000 or over this year, double last year's total, while the five million-dollar juveniles in 2023 was one more than the 2022 number.

The buy-back rate remained well over 2022 levels throughout the three sessions, concluding at 23.2%. It was 13.7% a year ago. From a catalogue of 833 horses, 585 went through the ring, with 248 outs and 136 buy-backs.

The 2023 catalogue had 198 more head than last year's auction, but only 78 more horses sold.

Asked to assess the strength of the middle market, Wojciechowski said, “There was some middle market here. There always seems to be a flight to quality to the upper end of the market, but I think there was some strength all of the way through.”

Buyers noted the strength of the top end of the market, but were more critical of the middle market.

“The perceived good ones are making all of the money and there is no middle market, there is no money for the others at this sale,” bloodstock agent Marette Farrell said, adding she expected to see a broader buying bench next month at the OBS April sale.

Bloodstock agent Lauren Carlisle agreed with Farrell.

“It was tough,” Carlisle said of the market in Ocala this week. “I've been outbid mostly. I got one yesterday. The colts are very tough. I got a filly yesterday. That's probably the only reason I could buy her was because she was a girl. It seems like people are focusing in on the boys and the really top horses. And if people don't like them, there is a drop-off. Maybe in April, the middle market will come back, there might be more middle buyers.”

And yet demand remained high for those horses who jumped through all the proverbial hoops.

“I think you get rewarded,” said consignor Ciaran Dunne. “The breeze show is the be all and end all and if you perform on the racetrack, you get rewarded and rewarded handsomely. And if you miss, it's like any endeavor, if you play soccer and you miss the goal, you don't get paid.”

De Meric Sales was the leading consignor at the March sale, with 38 head sold for $6,255,000. Mike Ryan was the auction's leading buyer with eight purchased for $2,210,000.

Munnings Filly Produces Fireworks Early at OBS March

Hip 558 | Photos by Z

It didn't take long for the fireworks to begin during Wednesday's third and final session of the OBS March Sale. Digging in for only the second juvenile through the ring, agent Donato Lanni, bidding on behalf of Arkansas businessman Frank Fletcher, extended to $1 million to secure Hip 558, a filly by Munnings. Trainer Chad Brown, bidding from the other side of the pavilion, was the chief underbidder. Offered by Tom McCrocklin, the filly breezed a quarter in :20 4/5 last Thursday.

“She was an exceptional filly, said Lanni, who was flanked by Bill Mott during the bidding. “She worked great and came back good. She was a picture–just a really cool filly.”

According to Lanni, the Hall of Famer will train the filly. Mott also is responsible for Fletcher's MGSW and millionaire Frank's Rockette (Into Mischief), winner of her two recent wins at Gulfstream–the GIII Sugar Swirl S. and GIII Hurricane Bertie S.

“Frank is on a roll and has had a very good winter,” said Lanni. “He loves the game and is good for the business.”

Bred by Springhouse Farm, the bay brought $450,000 from McCrocklin, who signed on behalf of Michael Sucher's Champion Equine after purchasing the bay at last summer's Saratoga Select yearling sale.

“She was an expensive filly going in and is just a beautiful horse,” said McCrocklin. “The idea all along was to put her in a 2-year-old in training sale. It's not conventional, it's a lot of money. But she has really lived up to the expectation. Just a classy filly. She trained well and is very sound. She breezed extremely well and galloped out fast. And she had all the right people on her.”

The Apr. 26 foal is out of In Full Compliance, a daughter of Smart Strike. This is the family of Grade I winners Chaposa Springs and You and I.

According to McCrocklin, the vetting activity surrounding the filly had been swift all week, signaling what was to come on sale day.

“She is a very classy, legitimate filly and I was not shocked she brought a million but you don't ever expect it. But she acted the part,” explained McCrocklin. “I thought she could bring a million. But you have to be a mind reader at that point. What are they thinking. Sometimes with these more expensive horse, somebody just wants the horse. Period. So I was not surprised. But I definitely wasn't counting on it. We had a $599,000 reserve. That's where we were at.”

Explaining the decision to pursue the filly, Lanni added, “Munnings has become quite the sire. And she was just a very elegant filly, so I'm glad we got her.”

McCrocklin enjoyed a banner March sale run, highlighted by a pair of seven-figure juveniles. Tuesday's session saw a colt by Arrogate (Hip 489) bring $1.05 million, in addition to a filly by Arrogate (Hip 526) that realized $950,000. He also sold a colt by Catalina Cruiser (Hip 66) on Day 1 for $400,000. @CBossTDN

Quick Double for Wavertree

Marette Farrell and Wavertree's Ciaran Dunne | Photos by Z

The Wavertree Stables consignment had a pair of high sellers in quick succession during Wednesday's final session of the OBS March sale, as Hideyuki Mori went to $900,000 to acquire a filly by Twirling Candy (hip 600) and just a few hips later, bloodstock agent Marette Farrell went to $925,000 for a colt by Practical Joke (hip 626) on behalf of Speedway Racing. Both juveniles worked in :9 4/5.

Hip 626 is out of Louisiana Voodoo (Big Brown), a half-sister to Grade I-placed Givemeaminit (Star Guitar). Wavertree consigned the colt on behalf of Cypress Creek, which purchased him for $220,000 as a weanling at the 2021 Keeneland November sale.

“He is the first we've had for them really, so it was a bonus out of the blue,” Wavertree's Ciaran Dunne said of the colt. “The horse was started in Louisiana and came to us in December. He couldn't have trained any better than he trained. He was very simple and straightforward, a plain brown wrapper. He showed up every day and went from strength to strength to strength.”

After signing the ticket on the colt on behalf of Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner's Speedway operation, Farrell said, “He's a really, really athletic horse with a gorgeous presence. He was very light on his feet. So we loved him on the frontside and Tescha [von Bluecher] loved him on the backside. We saw him at the barn and he used himself very well.”

Farrell hopes the colt follows in the footsteps of Speedway's champion 2-year-old colt Corniche (Quality Road).

“They are looking for a two-turn horse that could be a top-class colt who can go down the path of Corniche and continue on,” Farrell said.

Hip 600 | Photos by Z

Hip 600 is a daughter of stakes-winner Laudation (Congrats), who is out of multiple graded stakes winner Rite Moment (Vicar).

Paul Reddam and Dunne's Red Wings Enterprises pinhooking partnership purchased the filly for $265,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“From day one, we thought she was very, very special,” Dunne said of the juvenile. “Thankfully we weren't the only ones. She was a beautiful yearling when we bought her, as reflected in her price. She has been a good filly all year. We had high expectations and that obviously exceeded them. If they perform on the racetrack and show up at the barn, the sky is the limit.”

Adding to a big hour for the Wavertree consignment, a filly by Into Mischief (hip 639) sold for $550,000 to agent Ben McElroy, bidding on behalf of AMO Racing. The filly had been purchased by Lehigh Bloodstock, the pinhooking partnership spearheaded by Three Diamond Farm's Kirk Wycoff, for $240,000 at Keeneland last September.

Later in Wednesday's session, Wavertree sold a filly by Omaha Beach (hip 752) to Kerri Radcliffe. The juvenile had been purchased by West Bloodstock for $300,000 at Keeneland last September.

With seven horses sold Wednesday for $3,517,000, Wavertree was the session's leading consignor and was the auction's second-leading consignor with 18 head sold for $6,147,000. @JessMartiniTDN

Colt Justifies the Wait for Childs

Bill Childs waited all week to bid on a colt by Justify (hip 806), ultimately signing for the Niall Brennan-consigned chestnut for $700,000 as the final hips came through the ring at the OBS March sale Wednesday.

“He is the only one I bought,” Childs admitted. “I've been ready to go for two days now, but we really liked him.”

Out of Rebuke (Carson City), the colt is a half-brother to graded-placed Freedom Flyer (Constitution). He was bred by A R Enterprises and RNA'd for $145,000 at last year's Keeneland January sale.

“Of course, he worked in :9 4/5,” Childs said of the colt's appeal. “We liked his family. We liked his conformation. We like everything about him. He'll be going to Bob Baffert in California.”

Childs admitted he was ready to bid higher for the youngster.

“We tried to buy him before the sale,” he said. “So we were tickled to get him for that price.”

Childs and his son Alex, both of Ft. Worth, Texas, spearhead the CSLR Racing partnership. In their first season racing, the partners campaigned the unbeaten Awesome Strong (Awesome Slew), whom they purchased for $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton May Digital Sale last year following his six-length debut victory at Gulfstream. The colt went on to sweep the Florida Stallion series and was named FTHA 2-year-old Champion of 2022. @JessMartiniTDN

Omaha Beach Filly Brings $690K on Day 3

Kerri Radcliffe | Photos by Z

Heading the Spendthrift sire's progeny over the three-day run at OBS March, Hip 752 brought a $690,000 final bid from agent Kerri Radcliffe, signing on behalf of an undisclosed buyer. Consigned by Wavertree Stables, the daughter of MSW Pacific Heat (Unusual Heat) posted a :9 4/5 move during last week's breeze session.

“All the 2-year-old guys here in Florida have been talking about the Omaha Beaches and they really like them,” explained Radcliffe. “I saw this filly in January and absolutely loved her. She had an incredible breeze and physically, I think she is the most beautiful filly in the sale.”

Bred by a partnership of Betz Thoroughbreds, D.J. Stables, Brian Graves and Gainesway, the May 15 foal was a $300,000 purchase at Keeneland last September.

“I liked the Omaha Beaches at the yearling sales,” said Radcliffe, explaining the filly's appeal. “She is also out of a stakes mare and her stride length was impressive. She just checked all the boxes for me.”

She continued, “I purchased her for a new client. Sheila Rosenblum would also like a piece of her as well. I have to make a decision where I am going to send her, but most likely she will go to [Bob] Baffert.”

Radcliffe hopes that lightening can strike again while attempting to purchase another Grade I performer from the Wavertree consignment. Radcliffe was part of the team that unearthed Grade I-performing Nemoralia (More Than Ready) for $170,000 at this venue in 2015 and struck paydirt again when purchasing GI Starlet S. winner Dream Tree (Uncle Mo) for $750,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Florida sale in 2017. @CBossTDN

All Munnings, All the Time

Hip 598, another Munnings | Photos by Z

The Munnings effect continued later into the sale, with Hip 598, a colt by the Coolmore sire, reeling in a $685,000 final bid from OXO Equine. Handling the bidding duties ringside was agent Christina Jelm, who was on the phone with OXO's Larry Best. Consigned by Eddie Woods, who paid $165,000 for him at Keeneland September, the Apr. 13 foal breezed an eighth in :9 4/5 last week.

“He looks like a sprinter, a horse to have fun with,” said Best via phone.

The colt is out of Laquesta (Lemon Drop Kid), the dam of SW Opus Forty Two (Mendelssohn). This represents the family of GI Santa Anita Derby winner Cupid.

“A very nice horse–not overly big but a stout horse and quick. A real class act,” said Woods. “He's been very easy to be around and has been that way all year. He worked really well and galloped out great. We expected him to sell well.”

Munnings enjoyed a banner day Wednesday, with a filly by the sire (Hip 558) bringing $1-million earlier in the afternoon.

And Woods has already enjoyed success from that source, having sold Munnings' Eda for $550,000 at this venue in 2021. She went on to win the GI Starlet S. later that year.

“He's a great stallion,” affirmed Woods. “He's just gotten better and better. He was at $30,000 early and now is up to $100,000 and you can't get to him. He's a pro. He got Jack Christopher, who is the best miler in the country.”

“He was a very blue collar stallion and now he's gone white collar.” @CBossTDN

Constitution Colt to Carlisle

Bloodstock agent Lauren Carlisle, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed partnership, purchased a colt by Constitution (hip 574) for $675,000 early in Wednesday's final session of the OBS March sale. The chestnut was consigned by Sequel Bloodstock and was purchased by Sequel's Becky Thomas for $200,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. He is out of graded-placed Jungle Tale (Lion Heart) and worked a furlong in :10 flat at last week's under-tack show.

“We loved him,” Carlisle said after signing the ticket. “He's a big, two-turn type colt. Obviously Constitution speaks for himself. He had a great breeze–one of the top breezes in my opinion, for the colts. We are very happy to get him.” @JessMartiniTDN

Constitution Colt Tops Boardshorts Activity on Day 3

Hunter Rankin | Photos by Z

Coffee mogul Travis Boersma made headlines last fall when paying a whopping $4.6 million for a share in subsequent Horse of the Year Flightline. Returning to the sales scene in the early part of 2023, Boersma's Boardshorts Racing extended to $625,000 for a son of Constitution at OBS Wednesday.

Hunter Rankin signed for Hip 612, who was consigned by Pike Racing after Al Pike purchased him for $165,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale. Out of Grade I placed Libby's Tail (Tiz Wonderful), the Jan. 14 foal breezed an eighth in :10 1/5 last week. A trainer for the colt has yet to be determined.

“We kind of whittled the sale down to 10 or 15 horses and just followed up and hope we get lucky,” Rankin explained. “And we got lucky a few of times.”

Later in Wednesday's session, Boardshorts landed Hip 678 for $450,000. The colt by Into Mischief is out of SW and GSP Miss Southern Miss (More Than Ready). Consigned by de Meric Sales, the Mar. 21 foal is from the family of Grade I winner Cotton Blossom.

“He was a very athletic type,” he said. “He worked great and was a really good mover. And if he is a good horse, he can be a stallion.”

Rankin also signed for a Maximus Mischief filly (Hip 456, $90,000) on Day 2 and Justify filly (Hip 732, $240,000) late in the session Wednesday.

According to Rankin, the operation is looking to expand its presence in Kentucky while maintaining a string in California.

Earlier this season, Boardshorts purchased Ancient Peace for $650,000 at Keeneland January. The daughter of War Front was sixth in her debut for trainer Graham Motion at Del Mar Dec. 3 before rebounding to score in her latest at Santa Anita Dec. 30. Since her purchase, she has been transferred to John Sadler. She posted her latest work at Santa Anita Mar. 20, going five panels in :59.60 (2/14).

“She is doing great,” he confirmed. “We're looking for an [entry level allowance] with her and she will probably run in the next couple of weeks.”

Boardshorts also purchased a Omaha Beach colt out of Daisy from the group of six horses that were re-offered for sale by Keeneland earlier this month.

“He is still in Florida at the moment but he will likely end up in Kentucky,” he said. “In the future we will try to spread horses around.”

In addition to Sadler, Boardshorts employs trainer Quin Howey, who is based at San Luis Rey and expects to add another Kentucky-based conditioner to the roster.

“We're looking to build a Kentucky presence,” he explained. “So we will have some horses in Kentucky and some in California. We're trying to build the stable with nice horses.”

Simultaneously building a broodmare band, Boardshorts secured Empire Hope for $450,000 at Keeneland in January in addition to Lake Garda (American Pharoah) for $600,000 in November. Both mares are in foal to Flightline. @CBossTDN

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Instant Dividends From a Long Saga

It's not like you just add water. For the very possibility of reaping the ultimate harvest with Instant Coffee (Bolt d'Oro), on the first Saturday in May, has only been able to take root because the ending of even the longest stories, in this game, can always prove the start of a new chapter.

Having already demonstrated an aptitude for the Churchill surface in winning the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., Instant Coffee resumes the Derby trail in the GIII Lecomte S. at the Fair Grounds on Saturday. And while those most immediately concerned in his performance are owners Gold Square LLC and the Brad Cox team, the colt also has the chance to script a heartening sequel to the poignant renunciation of a quest that had stirred much nostalgia in Maryland and beyond.

That Sagamore Farm happens to be registered as Instant Coffee's breeder is evidently more or less a quirk of bureaucracy. A deal had already been done for his dam Follow No One (Uncle Mo) to join the broodmare band at Upson Downs Farm in Goshen, Ky., and Instant Coffee was foaled, raised and prepared for sale there. But his existence nonetheless owes much to those years when Kevin Plank, as a proud son of Maryland, strove to restore Sagamore as a force in the Thoroughbred world.

It was here, of course, that Alfred G. Vanderbilt II bred Native Dancer before launching him on one of the greatest track careers in Turf history. “The Gray Ghost of Sagamore” subsequently achieved an enduring legacy at stud, notably via Raise A Native and Natalma, and is buried at the farm. And there were moments, during the Plank revival from 2007, when those specters found fresh company on the national stage: as when Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect) won the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in 2010, and Global Campaign (Curlin) won the GI Woodward H. a decade later.

Even as the latter was preparing for his swansong in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, however, it was announced that the farm was to be turned over to wheat and rye in support of Sagamore Spirit whiskey. Global Campaign ran an excellent third, and is now bidding to extend the farm's Turf heritage as a WinStar stallion. But for Hunter Rankin, the impressive young president of Sagamore's Thoroughbred program since 2015, it was time to find a new path in the industry.

Little could he realize that the twists and turns of fate had already reserved a wonderful consolation for the disappointing end of this particular adventure. For it was Rankin who bought Follow No One for Sagamore as a juvenile, at the OBS April Sale of 2016; and, after she failed to reach her reserve at $85,000 at the Keeneland November Sale in 2018, it was his father Alex who was able to agree terms with Plank to keep her for the family farm. Moreover it was Sagamore's final flourish with Global Campaign, trained by his cherished mentor Stan Hough, that helped to steer Rankin towards that horse's half-brother Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) as an appropriate first cover for Follow No One. The result is Instant Coffee.

So while the ambition to rekindle Sagamore as a beacon of the Maryland Turf was ultimately reduced to ashes, Rankin has been delighted to stoke up a final flame out of the embers; to have found a way, so to speak, of adding a little “more” to this great “saga”.

“Yeah, it's really cool,” he says. “I was very proud of what we tried to do there, of the effort that we put in to get where we were trying to go, which was to compete at the highest level and breed the best horses we could. It didn't work out, and I'm sure I'd go back and change some of things that we did, but we did our best and that's all you can do.

“Our goal was always to get a horse that would transcend Sagamore, and carry that brand whether we were in it or not: to have a horse to stamp the place, like Native Dancer did. Of course I'm not saying that Global Campaign is a Native Dancer. But it would be really nice for us to point to something and say that we did that while we were there. And, gosh, he just had so much talent-and he's the reason we bred this mare to Bolt d'Oro. So, yeah, what a great story.”

Follow No One was initially purchased by Gatewood Bell for just $20,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. Pinhooked through Eddie Woods, she advanced her value to $100,000 when Rankin bought her for Sagamore the following spring.

“She was petite, not small by any means, but feminine,” Rankin says. “She's kind of a dainty type. She worked okay, 21.1, but she had little things, I guess you could pick her apart. But I talked to Eddie and he said, 'I think she's a really nice filly, she's sound, she'll run through her conditions and I could maybe get some black type for you.' And that's exactly what happened, he was dead on.”

Follow No One (who was so named by skier Lindsay Vonn) did grab third in a Laurel sprint on her only black-type start, but her overall record was fairly modest and, though she was out of a stakes-winning daughter of the KatieRich foundation mare Miss Mary Apples (Clever Trick), nobody was too interested when she was consigned for sale through Upson Downs as a 4-year-old.

“It was about the time that we were transitioning out of the breeding part of things at Sagamore,” Rankin explains. “After she RNA'd, we put her in foal and my dad, who had liked her on the farm, ended up buying her privately.”

Rankin had naturally admired Bolt d'Oro as a racehorse but especially favored him as a first mate for Follow No One because of his regard for his half-brother.

“We just thought, and still think, that Global Campaign will be a great sire,” he reasons. “So we wanted to support that line, and she did fit well with him: her pedigree matched up, and their body types seemed to mesh well too. Well anyway, we got the foal-and what a nice foal he was. She's a little offset, a little this and that, but her foals have been great. And he was great. He was a lot like her: not feminine, but very similar in that [elegant] body type. He became a very good-looking yearling, very sensible and straightforward.”

Though offered deep in the Keeneland September Sale, Instant Coffee made $200,000 from Joe Hardoon as agent and duly won on debut at Saratoga. Still inexperienced when just missing the frame from off the pace behind divisional champion elect Forte (Violence) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, he then banked 10 Derby starting points on his successful reconnaissance of Churchill.

Incidentally, Rankin reminds us of an overlooked distinction in another Kentucky horseman that day. For the same year that he pinhooked Follow No One, Gatewood Bell also bought a rather more expensive yearling at Saratoga for Cheyenne Stables: a $750,000 daughter of Tapit who won a couple of races before being sent to Into Mischief. The resulting filly is Hoosier Philly, who romped in the GII Golden Rod S. half an hour before Instant Coffee won. Bell, it seems, was only just getting going as a bloodstock agent when he joined Keeneland as Vice-President of Racing a couple of years ago!

Rankin himself has meanwhile engaged with a stimulating new project, having topped the second session of the Keeneland January Sale when signing a $650,000 docket for the promising young filly Ancient Peace (War Front) on behalf of Boardshorts Stables. But meanwhile there's an obvious personal fulfilment available in having brought together the dam of a potential Derby horse, as a residue of his time with Sagamore, with his parents' home operation. (It's a connection, by the way, that has already been fertile in the past: at Saratoga in 2018 Upson Downs consigned Shared Account's $350,000 daughter by Speightstown for Sagamore, and she became GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Sharing.)

“I help with all their matings and I love working with my dad,” Rankin says. “He and I are very close. It was always his dream to own a horse farm, and we moved out there from town when my mom was pregnant with me. And he built it from a single mare that he bought in 1983 with [the late] Bob Courtney, who was a legend around Lexington and like a second father to my dad. Everybody loved Bob, my dad was just lucky enough to know him and learn from him, very much the same way I have been with Stan.”

That foundation mare, Flash McAllister (Ward McAllister), cost just $24,000. Her granddaughter Tar Heel Mom (Flatter) was trained by Hough to win 11 of 31 starts and $832,892 in the family silks, including three graded stakes, and it's a dynasty that has been cultivated at Upson Downs for 40 years now. For this is an enduring passion that has placed Rankin's father, in daily experience, shoulder to shoulder with the Bluegrass community-a point worth stressing in view of the occasional flak he inevitably endures in his role as Chairman of the Board at Churchill Downs Inc.

Having served a stint with CDI himself, Rankin acknowledges the heartache and contention over the sale of Arlington, in particular, but emphasizes the authentic commitment to the wider sport that he found among colleagues there. And, be all that as it may, the one guarantee is that long and ardent embrace of life at the coalface-Upson Downs foals out 50 to 60 mares every year, the majority for longstanding clients-fully preserves his father in the respect of fellow horsemen.

Rankin Sr. has built up the farm parallel to his work as chairman of Louisville insurers Sterling G. Thompson Co. “From the day they moved out there he worked every weekend, all day, and then Monday through Friday he'd wake up at 5 a.m., go out on the farm until 7.30 and then go to work,” marvels Rankin. “He has lived and breathed it for a really long time. Like when we had that big cold snap recently, and the temperature's negative five, he was still out there breaking the water tanks. He shouldn't be doing that anymore, but he does. And you hope that all that hard work pays off for him, because he's such a great guy.”

Little wonder, then, that Rankin is so gratified by the rise of Instant Coffee. He knows that the Derby still remains a long way off; but he also knows that Cyberknife (Gun Runner), after disappointing the same connections in the Lecomte last year, regrouped to confirm himself one of the best of the crop. So who can say what flavors may yet percolate through the Instant Coffee story?

Follow No One, remember, has only just turned nine. She has a juvenile filly by Frosted but sadly aborted last year before being bred to Maclean's Music. All going well with that imminent delivery, her first son's flying start is scheduled to earn her an upgrade in fee this spring to Life Is Good.

“We're excited,” Rankin says. “There's a good nucleus on the farm right now, youngish mares either with nice family or that could run a little bit. But to have this horse running for one of those mares, foaled and raised at Upson Downs, it's a dream. When he won in November, one of the girls that helped raise him was in the winner's circle crying. So it's a neat story. And just for my parents, you'd love to have a really, really good horse come off the farm. They've raised Grade I winners, for clients, but you'd love to have something that had a chance at the big one.”

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$650k Ancient Peace Tops Competitive KEEJAN Session

LEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale continued to keep pace with its 2021 renewal with a day of competitive bidding topped by the 3-year-old filly Ancient Peace (War Front), who sold for $650,000 to Travis Boersma's Boardshorts Stables late in Tuesday's second session of the four-day auction.

“It started strong and it held pace,” said Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “We've got to be very encouraged with the consistency within the market. Quality was selling well. There was hunger for the good stock and it was very competitive on the buying front, with frustrated buyers in certain cases, but people were happy with what they were getting for most of the stock. There was good energy around the place and I think it bodes well as we power into 2023 and the breeding season ahead.”

Through the auction's two-session Book 1 section, 475 horses sold for $36,126,900. The average of $76,057 is up 5.47% from last year, while the median held steady at $40,000.

After two sessions in 2022, 511 head had sold for $36,848,700 for an average of $72,111.

Ancient Peace, who was supplemented to the January sale late last week after breaking her maiden at the end of December, was one of three racing or broodmare prospects to top the $500,000 mark Tuesday, while three short yearlings–topped by a son of Uncle Mo at $340,000–brought over $300,000.

“Young mares off the track and proven mares were extremely appealing and people were paying a premium for them,” Lacy said. “Quality is in strong demand. People aren't willing to spend a lot of money on something they don't feel has strong marketable value. I think it is going to be healthy all the way through [end of sale]. If you have a nice individual, it will be found.”

The January sale continued to attract a deep domestic buying bench, with the top 15 offerings bought by 14 different entities.

The buy-back rate, which was 31.29% during Monday's first session of the January sale, dropped to 22.53% Tuesday for a cumulative figure of 26.92%.

“Yesterday, I heard a lot of people making comments that the RNA percentage was high,” said Mark Taylor of Taylor Made Sales Agency. “But what is difficult for sellers, when you're in a Book 1 of January and you've got a wide variety of horses all in one session–you have half-million dollar horses and you've got $5,000 horses–that's just January. That's just the way it is. So it's a very up and down, emotional day. Some of the sellers see horses bringing a lot of money and they think their's should be doing that. You've got to keep everybody's feet on the ground to know your product. We did have very lively post-hammer trade yesterday. We originally had nine RNA's, but we got five of those sold. So it ended up being a very healthy day for us. But we stubbed our toe a couple times along the way.”

The Keeneland January sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

Ancient Peace Provides Late Sizzle

Ancient Peace (War Front) (hip 840E), who was supplemented to the Keeneland January sale late last week, became the auction's highest seller when acquired by Hunter Rankin on behalf of Travis Boersma's Boardshorts Stables for $650,000. The newly turned 3-year-old, from a deep Sam-Son family, was acquired by Mike Ryan for $180,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. She graduated by a front-running 4 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita Dec. 30 for Ryan and trainer Graham Motion.

“We loved her from the start,” Rankin said. “We are happy that Mike Ryan supplemented her to the sale. We are trying to get something going and I think she's a really good foundation horse for Travis Boersma. She's just an exciting filly.”

Boersma is the co-founder and executive chairman of the Oregan-based coffee chain Dutch Bros. He made waves recently as the purchaser of the $4.6-million share in Flightline (Tapit) at Keeneland's November sale.

Rankin said immediate plans for Ancient Peace are still up in the air.

“We haven't totally decided yet,” he said. “We are going to get her off the sale and see how things go. We are going to get her to the farm and hang out and then make a plan.”

Also Tuesday, Boardshorts Stables purchased the 4-year-old broodmare prospect Empire Hope (Empire Maker) (hip 814) for $450,000 from the Indian Creek consignment.

Ancient Peace is out of graded stakes winner Deceptive Vision (A.P. Indy), a daughter of champion Eye of the Sphynx (Smart Strike) and a full-sister to champion Eye of the Leopard.

As part of the dispersal of Canada's historic Sam-Son Farm, Deceptive Vision sold to John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa for $900,000 at the 2021 Keeneland January sale. Sikura, as well as Canadian breeder Dave Anderson, were in the sales pavilion as Ancient Peace sold Tuesday.

Ancient Peace was originally purchased by Ryan to pinhook at the 2-year-old sales, according to Sarah Sutherland of Indian Creek, which consigned the filly.

“That was the original plan,” Sutherland confirmed. “She did breeze at OBS with Niall Brennan and he decided to keep her and race her. You've got to sell some and you have to keep some. It all worked out well. She was bought right and sold well.”

Of the filly's final price, Sutherland added, “It was in the range we thought she deserved to be. The timing worked out with her win and she came in looking fantastic and her pedigree speaks for itself. She showed great, was well-received and is going to an end-user, so it's all good.”

Lazenby Adds to Broodmare Band

Gigi Lazenby, sister of the late trainer David Banks, has been involved in racing for years, but has recently decided to increase her participation with the purchase of some high-priced broodmares. Through agent James Schenk, and with Claiborne Farm's Walker Hancock advising, she made her second purchase of the January sale when going to $600,000 to acquire England's Rose (English Channel) (hip 816) from the Lane's End consignment.

“I've been around for a long time,” Lazenby said Tuesday. “My brother was a trainer here in town and I have an oil company over in Eastern Kentucky. The last couple of years, I decided to try to step it up a little bit. And Walker and Jimmy Schenk–he's been a friend of mine and he was a friend of my brother's for years. My brother was a trainer and this is all sort of for him.”

The 7-year-old England's Rose, out of stakes-placed Gingham and Lace (Kris S.), won the 2021 Swingtime S. and was second in last year's GI Matriarch S. and GII Goldikova S. racing for the partnership of Mercedes Stables, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott Dilworth, David and Dorothy Ingordo and Steve Mooney and trainer John Shirreffs.

“I am just happy with this mare,” Lazenby said. “I think she is going to be really nice. And she has a lot of possible stallions that we have to talk about.”

During Monday's first session of the auction, Schenck signed the ticket at $325,000 to acquire graded stakes winner Domain Expertise (Kitten's Joy) (hip 382) on behalf of Lazenby.

“We'd like to have four or five [broodmares],” Lazenby said. “We had a couple we've bought in the last few years. We are really interested in selling the foals. We've talked to Walker about that. We know they [Claiborne] raise a great horse. And they sell a great horse.”

Lazenby continued, “It's been a great experience. And we're enjoying it. It's just kind of fun that I had an opportunity at this time to invest back into this community, because I love it.”

In Good Spirits Has Date with Life Is Good

Graded stakes winner In Good Spirits (Ghostzapper) (hip 474), who RNA'd for $495,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November sale two months ago, found a new home when selling for $550,000 during Tuesday's session of the Keeneland January sale. Jacob West, bidding over the internet, acquired the mare on behalf of Mike Repole's Repole Stable.

“She was one of a few graded stakes winners in the catalog, so she stuck out in here as far as quality,” West said. “She was a very fast mare and by a stallion that is really making his name as a broodmare sire. She always ran in great company and held her own. She has been purchased for Life Is Good. Mike is a shareholder and wanted to make sure he supported him with a top quality mare.”

Paul Varga's Bal Mar Equine campaigned the mare, who was a $200,000 purchase by bloodstock agent Steve Young at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. She won the 2021 GIII Mint Ladies Sprint S. and was second in that year's GIII Caress S. and third in the 2020 GIII Regret S. for trainer Al Stall.

“I felt very validated because I loved that mare,” said Mark Taylor of Taylor Made Sales Agency, which consigned In Good Spirits on behalf of Varga at both auctions. “We had her in November and she didn't sell. She had come off the track and we had her in as a racing or broodmare, and it might have muddied the waters. Some of the breeders might have thought they would be bidding against race people. So this time, we decided to hit the reset button, put her in as a broodmare only and just focus on that market of people. I told everyone upfront the reserve was going to be lower, so everyone felt comfortable getting involved.”

Taylor added the mare may have gotten lost in the shuffle of buyers making a quick turnaround after Breeders' Cup championship weekend.

“In November, with the Breeders' Cup being there, it was a very accelerated pace and I felt like people were kind of rushing and really didn't appreciate what was in front of them,” Taylor said. “She was a bigger fish in this pond. This catalogue is very solid, but there is not million-dollar mares all over the place. I thought going in she was in the top 15-20% of the catalogue, she might be end up being in the top 5%.”

In Good Spirits is out of Mon Arch Lass (Arch), a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Sir Five Star (Five Star Day) and multiple graded placed Starship Universe (Mineshaft).

“She's a beautiful mare,” said Taylor. “Al Stall did a great job developing her. There was a lot to sell there. She is kind of what everybody is looking for. She's fresh off the track and ready to breed. She's got the pedigree and she's got the race record.”

Varga, the retired chairman and CEO of Louisville's Brown-Forman, also campaigns last year's GI Beverly D. S. winner Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger}).

Castleton Way Stretches for Uncle Mo Colt

Marshall Taylor, whose Castleton Way pinhooking partnership had a banner first season last year, has been busy restocking this week in Lexington and made his biggest splash of the January sale when going to $340,000 to acquire a colt by Uncle Mo (hip 763) from the Lane's End consignment Tuesday.

“He was a nice colt and we liked him and wanted to give him a chance,” Taylor said. “He had a great walk and a beautiful physical. He's a late May foal, so I think he will keep improving. He looked like a horse with a lot of upside.”

The bay colt is out of Canteen (Candy Ride {Arg}) and was bred by Peter Brant's White Birch Farm which purchased the mare for $550,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September sale.

Castleton Way purchased a Not This Time filly for $100,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November sale and resold her for $675,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. A Ghostzapper filly purchased by the group for $115,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November sale resold for $340,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale.

“I grew the partnership a little bit this year,” Taylor said, “But we are sticking to upper echelon stuff. This was the highest priced one that we've bought. Last year, we had a few over $100,000 and this year we expanded a little bit more.”

Hip 763 was the third short yearling Taylor signed for during the first two sessions of the January sale. During Monday's first session, he purchased a filly by Not This Time (hip 93) for $160,000 and a daughter of Munnings (hip 305) for $170,000.

“You've got to hope the market stays good and the economy stays good,” Taylor said. “I think there is more of a demand for yearlings and racehorses than mares. It feels like the mare market gets soft after a mare has been bred a few times and hasn't produced anything. But I feel like with the weanling, yearling and 2-year-old market, it seems like a lot more people want to have a racehorse than want to be long-term with the mares. Purses are really good and the foal crop is shrinking every year, so there is more demand for these horses. So you just have to hope the market doesn't crash, say your prayers and hope the colt keeps going the right way. And hopefully we'll have some success.”

Jackpot, Heiligbrodts Team for Another Uncle Mo

Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt and Terry Green's Jackpot Farm, who are partners on stakes winner and multiple Grade I-placed Gulfport (Uncle Mo), joined forces to purchase another son of Uncle Mo Tuesday at Keeneland. Jackpot advisor Bobby Powell, sitting alongside Heiligbrodt advisor Susan Montanye, signed the ticket at $335,000 to acquire hip 699 from the Eaton Sales consignment.

“The goal was, let's see if we can find another Gulfport,” Powell said of the decision to bid on the short yearling. “There are options on the table for what we do with him, whether he's a resale later in the year or if he's in the stable. But those guys have options. We will just let the horse grow up and let time tell us what to do.”

The bay colt is out of the unraced Victory Party (Yankee Victor), a daughter of Leslie's Lady (Tricky Creek) and a half-sister to champion Beholder (Henny Hughes), Grade I winner Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) and leading sire Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday).

“He was the right type for us,” Powell said. “There are really good horsemen here and we all have different types, but I looked at him at the barn and I liked his size and his attitude and his presence. The vet work was clean, so I talked to those guys on the phone. They are looking to have some fun with him.”

Gulfport romped by 12 1/4 lengths in the Bashford Manor S. in his second start last July at Churchill Downs. He was second in the GII Saratoga Special and GI Hopeful S. before finishing third in the GI Champagne S. in October. The newly turned 3-year-old had his first work since September when he went four furlongs in :52.20 at Fair Grounds Monday.

The yearling was bred by Newstead Corp. Eaton Sales signed for Victory Party, in foal to Justify, for $220,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale. Her Justify colt sold for $390,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September sale after RNA'ing for $190,000 at the 2021 November sale.

“He was a very tidy version of Uncle Mo and completely clean on the vet report,” Eaton's Reiley McDonald said of the yearling. “So we weren't surprised at all at that price. I think they got a good buy. We thought he was really nice right now, so we put him in the January sale where he could stand out.”

The 17-year-old Victory Party is also the dam of graded-placed Victory Kingdom (Aus) (Animal Kingdom) and stakes-placed Classic Moment (Classic Empire). She was bred to Munnings last year.

Gun Runner Filly to First Finds

Tami Bobo and Fernando De Jesus's First Finds led early returns during Tuesday's second session of the Keeneland January sale when going to $300,000 to acquire a short yearling by Gun Runner (hip 430). The bay filly, consigned by Indian Creek and bred by Ridley Farm, is out of Forest Valentine (Forestry) and is a half-sister to stakes-placed Valentine Wish (Lemon Drop Kid). Forest Valentine is a full-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Carolyn's Cat.

“She is forward, pretty and correct,” Bobo said. “I just thought she was a very elegant filly and had a lot of upside. I felt like she possibly could be a good pinhook and if she pinhooks, then great. If she doesn't, we'll be glad to race her.”

First Finds returned later in the session to secure another short yearling filly by Gun Runner, going to $175,000 to acquire hip 487 from the Hermitage Farm consignment$650k A

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Hunter Rankin Named Churchill Downs’ Senior Director Of Racing

Churchill Downs Incorporated announced Tuesday that Hunter Rankin has been hired as Senior Director of Racing for the Company. The role was recently vacated following Mike Ziegler's promotion to General Manager of Churchill Downs Racetrack in December 2020.

As CDI's Senior Director of Racing, Rankin will act as a representative and liaison to the U.S. Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry and champion Company initiatives aimed at supporting and enhancing the racing and breeding landscape. He will focus on the implementation of standards and processes outlined in the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act (“HISA”) across all of the Company's racing properties while representing CDI's interests as an advocate for important issues and policies within the racing and breeding industry.

“Hunter brings to this role a breadth of relationships he has developed with key stakeholder groups within the racing and breeding industries,” said Bill Mudd, President and Chief Operating Officer of CDI. “His keen familiarity with HISA will help lead the Company and its racing assets into a successful future within a continuously-changing and evolving industry.”

Prior to this role, Rankin was the President of Sagamore Farm where he oversaw all farm and Sagamore Racing operations while also building Sagamore Farm as a hospitality asset. He previously served as Executive Vice President of Sagamore Development (now known as Weller Development) and as a Partner at Sterling Thompson Company where he managed commercial insurance profiles for large real estate, construction and equine businesses.

Rankin holds a bachelor's degree in public relations from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is the son of R. Alex Rankin, chairman of the board of Churchill Downs Inc.

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