Keeneland September | Horse Racing Free Tips

Taking Stock: City of Light Stars at Keeneland

There are folks who sound like broken records when it comes to first-crop sires, complaining that breeders who use them and buyers purchasing those yearlings at auction are about as foolish as dunk-tank clowns. However, when one of those sires succeeds with his first 2-year-olds, those same people are usually the first to wax eloquent with platitudes, forgetting what they'd said earlier. That's human nature, I suppose.

What they forget is that all sires start out with first crops, and there are people on the other end that wildcat for next big sire–the next Into Mischief, Tapit, Curlin, Uncle Mo, Quality Road, etc. It's a given that most horses that enter stud will fail, but every year a few stars will appear to justify the process. This year, for example, Three Chimneys's Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) is on a tear with his first juveniles, with five black-type winners to date, including two at the highest level. In Europe over the weekend, Coolmore America's Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) and Overbury Stud's Ardad (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) were represented by the winners of the G1 Cheveley Park S. and the G1 Middle Park S., respectively, from their first crops. There are too many current and historical examples of first-season success to list here, but it shouldn't surprise anyone that it happens, because these horses tend to get their best books of mares in their first years at stud, their own intrinsic abilities aside.

Sometimes, yearling sales will tip off future success. Gun Runner, a Horse of the Year who entered stud in 2018 for a $70,000 stud fee, led all first-season sires at Keeneland September in 2020 with an average price of $253,750 for 32 sold, and that was during the height of COVID, which depressed prices across the board. Because of his exceptional early success on the track, Gun Runner's second crop of yearlings benefitted, averaging $325,925 for 40 sold at Keeneland this year.

With COVID now somewhat under control, yearling prices soared across the board at Keeneland, which concluded last Friday, and the unequivocal star of first-crop sires was Lane's End's City of Light (Quality Road), with an average price of $372,872 for 47 sold–almost an average of $50,000 more than the Gun Runners. More germane, City of Light entered stud for $35,000 in the same year that Coolmore America's powerful Scat Daddy duo of Justify, a Triple Crown winner; and Mendelssohn, a half-brother to Into Mischief and champion Beholder, started out for fees of $150,000 and $35,000, respectively.

Justify had 61 sell for an average price of $367,721, which placed him second behind City of Light. Mendelssohn, with an identical initial fee to City of Light, had 64 yearlings sell for an average of $160,078. City of Light, Justify, and Mendelssohn led all first-crop sires at Keeneland by average price, and the sales results for all of them were excellent returns on investment for breeders and consignors who'd supported them. But it's obvious that City of Light's numbers stand out.

Moreover, a $1.7-million colt by City of Light topped the sale, and for good measure, he had another colt bring $1.05 million.

City of Light

A $710,000 Keeneland September yearling bred by Ann Marie Farm, City of Light is an exceptionally attractive physical specimen, tall, athletic, and rangy, built very much like his sire, who also stands at Lane's End. When it was announced in late 2018 that City of Light would enter stud at Lane's End, the farm contacted me to write a piece about him for its website. I said this about his sire:

“The scope of Quality Road's success at stud has been astonishing, though not entirely surprising given his looks, race record, and pedigree. Bred and raced by the late Edward P. Evans, Quality Road is by Elusive Quality and is therefore a member of the Gone West branch of Mr. Prospector. On the bottom, he traces in tail-female to the highly influential mare Myrtlewood (seventh dam), from which Mr. Prospector (fourth dam) and Seattle Slew (fifth dam) also descended. Speed was the salient characteristic of these horses, and Quality Road expressed that trait by setting three track records, one at 6 1/2 furlongs and two at nine furlongs. He stayed 10 furlongs well enough when second in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, beaten a length. He is physically attractive, with height, length, and balance, and he was nimble, athletic, and notably fast for a 16.3-hand specimen. He reliably passes along his physical and aptitudinal traits to his offspring, who are effective from sprints to classic distances on dirt and turf at the highest levels, and as a sire, he has ascended to elite status in a short time.”

Todd Pletcher, who has had his hands on more top-class stallions than anyone else, guided the career of Quality Road after taking over from Jimmy Jerkens midway through the colt's 3-year-old season, and perhaps it's fitting that Pletcher's longtime assistant Michael McCarthy trained City of Light for owners Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren, Jr.

City of Light was a top-class racehorse, winning six of 11 starts, and he was never off the board in his other five races, earning $5.7 million. Most notably, the colt won two Grade I sprints at Santa Anita over seven furlongs, the Malibu S. and the Triple Bend S.; the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill; and the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. at Gulfstream over nine furlongs. In between, he'd also placed third in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita over 10 furlongs. By racing aptitude, he was also very much his father's son, and he was unlucky to never have won an Eclipse Award.

City of Light is from the Dehere mare Paris Notion and comes from a family developed by Ray Stark and Fares Farm that also includes Grade l winners Fabulous Notion (his second dam), Cacoethes, Subordination, and Careless Jewel.

With the physique, sire, race record, and female family behind him, it's no surprise he was a hit with breeders from the beginning. WTC bloodstock editor Frances J. Karon tweeted a photo of him at Lane's End in February of 2019 and wrote: “If you like Quality Road–and who doesn't?!–you will *love* his son City of Light, a real 'wow' horse.” And in another tweet on the same thread, she wrote: “City of Light won the GI Pegasus barely more than 30 days ago. Horses aren't supposed to look this phenomenal a month out of training, so that tells you a lot about this guy.”

Usually, a stallion's stud fee will decrease after his first few years at stud, but that wasn't the case with City of Light. In 2020, he went up $5,000 to $40,000–the same fee he was at this year. That's a testament to his popularity.

His first weanlings to sell confirmed this, with 20 selling in 2020 for an average price of $190,875. That was the clue that he was going to be a hit at the yearling sales this season.

So far, there haven't been too many Quality Road sons at stud, but one who is doing well this year with his first crop is Darby Dan's Klimt, a Grade l winner at two. Klimt is in a different price range–he's been at $10,000 all four years at stud–but he's sixth on TDN's first-crop list with progeny earnings of $620,916. Klimt has 12 winners, which makes him co-tied for fourth place in that category, and has three black-type-placed horses.

These are good signs for City of Light, and all eyes will be on him next year when his first runners hit the track.

Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks.

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Dixiana-Breds Hit the Right Notes for Ingordo

The silks of Lee and Susan Searing's CRK Stable have been a formidable presence in California in recent years thanks in large part to MGSWs Express Train (Union Rags) and Midcourt (Midnight Lute). Both stable stars have excelled in their division for trainer John Shirreffs with Midcourt taking last year's GII San Pasqual S. and Express Train claiming winning honors in the same race this year before also adding the GII San Diego H. to his growing resume.

While separated by two years in age, the stablemates also share the same breeder. Dixiana Farm sold Midcourt to David Ingordo, who signed on behalf of Mayberry Farm, for $450,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September Sale. Two years later, Express Train was purchased by the same connections for $500,000.

This year, Ingordo went back to the well for another Dixiana-bred to send on to Shirreffs for CRK Stable. During the second session of the Keeneland September Sale, he purchased Dixiana's Quality Road colt out of their stakes-placed homebred Brielle's Appeal (English Channel) for $1.15 million.

Steve Cauthen, who serves as Dixiana's racing manager, said their team was thrilled with the final hammer price.

“By the time we led him up into the ring, we knew he was a very popular horse and that we were going to be well-paid for him, but I don't think we were thinking he was going to pass the million-dollar mark,” he admitted. “But it was a good sale and he was a good horse out of a young mare and Quality Road is about as hot as any stallion on the market. So all the stars came together and worked for us.”

The successful sale was significant for the colt's breeders as it was the first million-dollar yearling produced by the farm's current owners, William and Donna Shively.

“The great thing that made Mr. Shively very happy was the fact that we bred and raced the dam and now we bred this horse,” Cauthen explained. “That's what you do this for. When you lead them up into that ring, it's like you're watching your kid playing soccer. When they do well, you're very proud about it.”

It was a symbolic purchase for Ingordo as well, as it marked the longstanding connection he shares with Dixiana Farm and the colt's female family.

Brielle's Appeal takes an allowance at Keeneland by over five lengths in 2018 | Coady

“When I was about 21, I worked at Walmac Farm under Johnny Jones,” Ingordo recalled. “One weekend, I had forgotten that there was an appointment and I had gone out on the farm jogging with my dog. Then this appointment showed up and it was Bill Shively. That was about 24 years ago, but it was one of those things that was probably fate because I hit it off with Bill immediately and he has been a good friend of mine since. He's given me a lot of good advice about life and business, and hopefully I've given him some good horse advice.”

One important tip that Ingordo offered to Shively came a few years later in 2006, when Ingordo recommended the purchase of an unraced 3-year-old named Court of Appeal (Deputy Minister). Dixiana Stables purchased the mare, who was in foal to Quiet American, for $335,000.

Two years later, Court of Appeal's Quiet American filly was offered at the Keeneland September Sale and Ingordo signed the $250,000 ticket on the yearling for Padua Stables..

“My arrangement with Padua was that I owned part of every horse,” Ingordo said. “She was kind of a start-and-stop filly, but we finally got her to Todd Pletcher.”

The filly, named Authenticity, didn't make her first start until she was four, but would eventually claim the GII La Troienne S. and GIII Shuvee H. while also running second in three Grade I contests. Sold for $1.2 million to Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings in 2013, she is now responsible for recently-retired MGISW 'TDN Rising Star' Charlatan (Speightstown).

In 2014, Court of Appeal produced a filly by English Channel. Dixiana sent the homebred to trainer Albert Stall. Named Brielle's Appeal, the filly won on debut at Kentucky Downs at three before later adding an allowance win at Keeneland to her resume and running third in the GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint S. Retired to the farm where she was foaled in 2019, her first foal was the million-dollar Quality Road colt.

“I've been following [this colt] for almost a year,” Ingordo said. “On my internal notes that I made for myself and for the farm, he always scored very, very highly. Because I knew his pedigree so well, it all added up to a million-dollar plus sale.”

“There are two kinds of people in this business,” he continued. “There are the ones that let the horses do the talking and the ones that the humans do the talking for. Mr. Shively is one that lets his horses do the talking. I think it was a great honor for him to sell a horse like this. He's been a big supporter of racing for a very long time, but he's only getting started in a lot of ways. His family is involved and he's setting up for the long run.”

Dixiana Farm, a historic landmark in Lexington for well over a century, was purchased by Bill and Donna Shively in 2004. Cauthen, who has been on the farm's team for six years, spoke on the relationship Dixiana holds with Ingordo.

“David is obviously a good horseman and he likes the way Dixiana breeds and raises their horses,” he said. “He's around the farm a lot and gets to watch the horses as they're growing and maturing. We're happy to have the association with David. He's been a big part of helping our farm continue to succeed and grow.”

Dixiana Farm's Bill Shively | Keeneland

“Mr. Shively does such a good job of raising them,” Ingordo said. “No expense is spared for the horses and it gives you confidence to go and buy them and try to develop them. A rising tide lifts all boats, so these pedigrees continue to improve and it's a symbiotic relationship. My clients asks to buy Dixiana-breds because we've had such good luck with them.”

In addition to purchasing the $1.15 million Quality Road colt at the September Sale, Ingordo also went to $300,000 for the Accelerate half-brother to CRK Stable's Express Train–the goal being that this pair of youngsters can follow the same path as their two Dixiana-bred predecessors

“It's fine to sell a horse for a lot of money, but how many Express Trains and Midcourts are there that people give $450,000 and $500,000 for, but they never run,” Ingordo said. “It's a really positive thing for Dixiana that their horses sell for top dollar and then they go on and perform. That's something we don't always see. One of the great things about Dixiana is that they raise their horses really organically. They have good land and do everything right.”

While Brielle's Appeal did not produce a foal this year, she is now in foal to Speightstown. The closely-related cross to the speedy Charlatan could be an exciting sales prospect in just a few years.

“We're thinking maybe a champion in the Breeders' Cup Mile,” Cauthen said with a laugh, then added that Shively has expressed an interest in putting more focus on producing quality turf runners.

“[Shively] is a big fan of turf racing,” he said. “Compared to back when I was riding, there are at least twice as many turf races and turf stakes races, so I'm all for it. That's one of his main focuses, but obviously the goal is to raise good horses. Raise them healthy and do it the right way. We race a few, but mainly we breed for the sales. I think we're starting to really find our footing in the sales arena and hopefully now on the racetrack as well.”

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KEESEP Book 4 Opens With More Competitive Bidding

The Keeneland September Yearling Sale marched into its second week with continued competitive bidding as the auction's Book 4 section opened Monday in Lexington.

“There is unbelievable trade here today,” said consignor Peter O'Callaghan of Woods Edge Farm. “There is just a huge crowd up there. And they'd knock you down for a good horse. I'm actually not surprised it's this strong. Not with the way it started and the amount of people who have not yet got to buy horses. It was clear that trickle down effect was going to happen.”

During Monday's session, 319 yearlings grossed $27,330,000. The average of $85,674 soared 76.31% over the 2020 Book 4 opener and the median was up 50% to $60,000. With 52 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was just 14.02%.

“It was a feeding frenzy,” Gainesway's Brian Graves said of Monday's trade. “That's all. It was just an absolute feeding frenzy. I think that right now the soft spot in the market is at the top, with the absence of Sheikh Mohammed and Shadwell. If there is any soft spot in the market, it's for turf-type horses with European appeal. The tip-top could be considered a little bit soft and probably some good buys were made. And once you get into Book 2, and especially Books 3 and 4, that's where the turnover is and it's extremely strong.”

A colt from the first crop of Mo Town brought the session's top bid when trainer Tom Amoss purchased the yearling for $450,000 on behalf of a partnership of clients. The session-topper was consigned by Gainesway, which was the day's leading consignor with 27 sold for $3,262,000.

The yearling was one of three to reach the $400,000 mark Monday and five to bring $300,000 or more. The top price at the opening Book 4 session of the 2020 September sale–which was held amidst the uncertainty of the pre-vaccination pandemic–was $210,000.

“It's been extremely strong,” bloodstock agent Ben McElroy said of the market. “I thought it was going to be strong going in, with the purses being so high–there are four or five tracks where maiden special weights are running for $100,000–and I think everybody is feeling good and hopefully getting back to normalcy. I think there is so much enthusiasm, it's reflected in the yearling prices.”

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

Mo Town Colt Completes the Ensemble

It may not have been one of the colt-buying partnerships in the headlines this past week at Keeneland, but Tom Amoss was quietly assembling a package of four potential Classic horses for a new partnership of 10 of his existing clients. The trainer made his highest purchase of the auction when going to $450,000 to acquire a colt by Mo Town (Uncle Mo) (hip 2242) in the name of Ensemble Stables.

“I have tremendous respect for the Uncle Mo line,” Amoss said of the yearling's appeal. “I bought Mo Tom from his first crop. When I saw this horse today, I really liked what I saw. This is a really special athlete, in my opinion. I am fully aware that this was an awful lot–and maybe the highest Mo Town that will sell this year–but I am confident he is an athlete.”

Mo Tom, purchased for $150,000 at the 2014 Keeneland September sale, went on to win the 2016 GIII Lecomte S. and earned over $665,000 for G M B Racing.

Joel Politi, owner of the Amoss-trained 2019 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress, spearheaded the new partnership.

“The trend has been for people to come together and partner up so they can buy better horses,” Amoss said. “We are seeing that a lot at the sales. I might be a little late to the party, but Joel Politi put this group together. We call it Ensemble Stables because it is an ensemble of people. And we are excited.”

In addition to the Mo Town colt, Amoss also purchased a colt by West Coast (hip 1110) for $70,000, a son of Runhappy (hip 1706) and a colt by Midnight Storm (hip 1863) for $45,000.

“We have completed the group with those four,” Amoss said.

Of the focus on colts, he explained, “It's what appeals to the group. The group was formed with the idea of trying to get an opportunity to win the Kentucky Derby. We wanted to get a lottery ticket to the Derby. And right now we've got four lottery tickets.”

Consigned by Gainesway, the session-topping son of first-crop sire Mo Town is out of Closing Move (Bernardini), a half-sister to the dam of multiple graded stakes winner Stanford (Malibu Moon) and stakes winner and multiple graded placed Hedge Fund (Super Saver).

The dark bay was purchased by Stella Stables for $75,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“He was one that Danielle Jones and I had bought last year,” explained Gainesway's Brian Graves. “Danielle has worked at Gainesway for many years. She wanted to get some horses on her farm and we picked that one out together. She took him home and prepped him and she did a great job with him. She was partners with Gainesway on him.”

The session-topper is one of 14 yearlings by Mo Town to have sold so far at the September sale for a total of $1,916,000. The Coolmore stallion also had fillies sell for $275,000 (hip 1905) and $255,000 (hip 1014) and a colt sell for $200,000 (hip 2118).

Ten Broeck Farm Back for More Munnings

David Mowat's Ten Broeck Farm, which has enjoyed Grade I success with Kimari (Munnings), added another daughter of the Coolmore stallion to its roster when bloodstock agent Ben McElroy signed the ticket at $400,000 on hip 2163 Monday at Keeneland.

“She was the spitting image of Kimari as a yearling,” McElroy said. “I saw her yesterday and she was the one we had to have.

We tried on a couple of fillies yesterday and got outbid, but since I saw her yesterday, I always had a preference for this filly.”

McElroy signed the ticket at $152,00 to acquire Kimari at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton July sale. The bay filly, second in Royal Ascot engagements in the 2019 G2 Queen Mary S. and 2020 G1 Commonwealth Cup, earned her top-level success in the GI Madison S. in April for trainer Wesley Ward.

Hip 2163 was bred by Gail Radke's Asiel Stable and was consigned by Lane's End. She is out of Vitae (Awesome Again), a daughter of multiple stakes winner Bonita Meadow (Meadowlake) and a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Meadow Bride (Runaway Groom).

“When she walked in the back walking ring, she was all class,” McElroy said. “She's a May foal and there is a lot to look forward to.”

Asked who would train the filly, McElroy said, “We will probably stick to the same plan as Kimari.”

Practical Joke Colt Continues Strong Sale for O'Callaghan

Peter O'Callaghan's Woods Edge Farm has had a bang-up Keeneland September sale, led by a mixture of popular homebreds and prescient pinhook prospects. The consignment had another strong session Monday with a colt by Practical Joke (hip 2070) bringing $285,000 to top the operation's returns on the day. The bay yearling was purchased by O'Callaghan for $110,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale.

“He is an outstanding physical,” O'Callaghan said. “He was a real powerhouse of a foal and a very good representation of Practical Joke. You'd see a lot of Practical Joke in him, but you'd also see Elusive Quality–those really good Elusive Qualitys who are big, masculine horses. And he was exactly one of those. We had all sorts of interest in him at the sale and he sold accordingly.”

Beyond the popular pinhook, Woods Edge was strong throughout the Book 4 opener Monday as demand continued to be high.

“We've had a bonanza of a day,” O'Callaghan said. “We got $230,000 for a homebred Bolt d'Oro filly with a $79,000 reserve. We got $200,000 for a Mo Town colt with a $59,000 reserve and $150,000 for a Goldencents who was the second horse in the ring. We didn't sell two in the ring, but we sold one shortly after and then the other one will be sold soon, I'd imagine.”

Woods Edge, which had homebred success with a $1.05-million son of City of Light, has sold 34 yearlings through the first week of the September sale for $9,815,000.

“It's been a great sale,” O'Callaghan said. “We had a very strong crop of horses this year, the homebreds and the bought foals. It was a good mix of horses. We weren't in on the foals too deep, our spending was way down last year. It all fit in just right. We are breeding a lot more of them now, so we don't have to chase [the foals] as hard. I still like to buy them and we need to buy them. There is just no fun in these $300,000 foals. You have to keep it to where enough people can bid for them. But everyone is trying to do that. We are all trying to do that and everyone knows it. It's up to ourselves to be disciplined.”

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Momentum Continues To Build As Book 3 Concludes at KEESEP

LEXINGTON, KY – With five sessions of selling still to come, the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale surpassed the total gross of its 12-session 2020 renewal during a final Book 3 session which featured competitive bidding through to the very end Sunday night in Lexington. By the end of business Sunday, 1,169 yearlings had sold during six sessions for a total of $278,883,000. The auction's total 2020 gross, recorded during the uncertainty of the pre-vaccination pandemic, was $200,750,700.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

West Strikes Late for City of Light Topper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Breeze Easy Takes Top Filly

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Violence Colt Rewards Hertrich and Fielding

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

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

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

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

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

Buchanan Gets Her Gun Runner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ward Sees the Light

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

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

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

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

Speightstown Filly Heads West

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mathiesen, Jennings Have Big Day Before The Big Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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