Demand and Competition Remain Strong as Book 2 Concludes

By Christie DeBernardis & Jessica Martini

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 Another Emma for Summer Wind

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Whimsical Dance a Sentimental Purchase for Anderson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Strong Showing For Indian Creek

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

@CDeBernardisTDN

 

Collins Breaks Through for Message

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Lake Garda Set For a Date With Flightline

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

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

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

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

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

 

Finding Fame to Gage Hill/Determined Stud Partnership

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

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

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

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

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

 

Stonehaven Reinvests at Keeneland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Joe Miller Named Additional U.S. Tattersalls Rep

Tattersalls has tabbed American Joe Miller as an additional representative in the U.S. to work alongside Lincoln Collins, who has long been the Tattersalls North American representative.

“Joe is a perfect addition to the Tattersalls team and his appointment reflects the importance we attach to promoting Tattersalls sales to purchasers and vendors throughout North America,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony. “Having worked alongside our existing North American representative Lincoln Collins for many years, Joe is already wholly familiar with the Tattersalls ethos and sales portfolio, and between him and Lincoln they will cover pretty well every base in what is a key market for Tattersalls.”

A bloodstock consultant and a native of Saratoga Springs, Miller has worked with Collins at Central Kentucky's Kern Thoroughbreds for the past 18 years. In addition to managing a number of high-profile racing and breeding operations, Miller has been a regular buyer at Tattersalls on behalf of numerous clients including Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal, Tracy Farmer, Triton Racing, and Williamson Racing.

“Tattersalls already has an outstanding reputation throughout North America,” said Miller, “and I am enormously looking forward to working alongside Lincoln Collins in promoting the Tattersalls portfolio of European market-leading sales to as wide an audience as possible. Tattersalls graduates, particularly from Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale, have achieved extraordinary results over here in recent years and we will be working hard to build further on this success.”

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Pin Oak Stud Dispersal Draws a Crowd

LEXINGTON, KY – A large group of interested parties turned out at Fasig-Tipton as an offering of 23 mares and foals from the dispersal of Josephine Abercrombie's historic Pin Oak Stud went through the sales ring Sunday evening at Newtown Paddocks. Bloodstock agent Lincoln Collins, bidding on behalf of John and Susan Sykes's Woodford Thoroughbreds, made the evening's highest bid when going to $650,000 to acquire multiple graded stakes winner Don't Leave Me (Lemon Drop Kid) (hip 18). The 9-year-old mare sold in foal to 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic.

The 23 head, which were offered without reserve, sold for a gross of $3,999,000. The average was $173,870 and the median was $130,000.

“We were very pleased by the reception,” said Craig Bandoroff, whose Denali Stud handled the consignment. “We started showing Saturday morning and they were here at 7:45. We had 23 horses show 1,056 times. Broodmares don't do that. Foals do that. We were hoping that the community would appreciate the quality of the offerings and the quality of Mrs. Abercrombie and Clifford [Barry]'s lifetime work. And they did.”

Barry, who has served as Abercrombie's farm manager for over 30 years, agreed the evening was bittersweet.

“This has been Mrs. Abercrombie's baby for 60-plus years,” Barry said at the close of the auction Sunday. “It's kind of nice to come in here tonight and showcase the last part of it and make something happen and make a legacy. There are some mares in here that she's had for three and four generations. I'm very, very proud for her and a I have a debt of gratitude myself. I've been on pretty much a magic carpet ride for 35 years. I'm very proud of my staff. It came together very quickly. It was a pretty tough day when we told them what we were going to do. Friday was a tougher day putting those mares on the trailer. I won't deny it.”

Among the crowd at Newtown Paddocks Sunday were two of Abercrombie's longtime trainers, Graham Motion and Mike Stidham, as well as industry participants like Gabriel Duignan, Adrian Regan, Doug Arnold, Peter O'Callaghan, Chris Baccari, Terry Gabriel, John Greathouse, John Dowd, Mike Akers, Tami Bobo, Archie St. George, and Marette Farrell, many of whom had spent the day shopping and selling across town ahead of Monday's first session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Both Barry and Bandoroff gave credit to Fasig-Tipton for putting together an unorthodox bloodstock sale.

“I want to take my hat off to Fasig-Tipton,” Bandoroff said. “It was their idea to do this. I was somewhat skeptical–it was out of the box, but Boyd [Browning] and Bayne [Welker] and Clifford said we could do it. And this sales company is unbelievable. They try hard and the answer is never no. The answer might be let me think about it, but it's always yes.”

Welker added, “We thought all along that we could do a stand-up sale to shine the light on the achievements of Mrs. Abercrombie and Pin Oak and what it's done over the years. We thought the consignment and the horses would take care of themselves. And they certainly did.”

Collins Takes Her Home

Don't Leave Me, winner of the GIII Ontario Colleen S. and GIII Bourbonette Oaks, proved the most popular of Sunday's 23 offerings. She is out of GI Selene S. winner See How She Runs (Maria's Mon). Her first foal I'm So Sorry (Uncle Mo), a $42,000 Keeneland September yearling last year, was second on debut at Saratoga Aug. 5 for trainer Brian Lynch.

“She's a lovely mare, it's the right pedigree, we like the [covering] sire,” Collins said of the 9-year-old's appeal. “As a commercial operation you have to consider that a lot of times these first-season stallions will be very popular. We have had a general upgrading program. She fit into it and Mr. Sykes was prepared to give it a go.”

Of the mare's final price tag, Collins added, “Mrs. Abercrombie is a great breeder and she's bred all kinds of good horses. You don't argue with people like her and Clifford Barry. When they've got a good one, you've got to pay up for it. It was richly deserved.”

Don't Leave Me had originally been scheduled to go through the ring before her weanling filly by Medaglia d'Oro, but after a last-minute change she followed after that dark bay youngster. Collins was underbidder on the weanling after Denali's Conrad Bandoroff signed for the filly at $370,000 on behalf of Rigney Racing.

“I was underbidder on the weanling,” Collins confirmed. “She was full of class, a beautiful mover. I hope it will end up as a beautiful yearling. If we had bought her for the client we were bidding for, that would have been to race. Inevitably if you love a foal that much, you've got to like the mare as well. In some respects, I wish that the Bandoroffs hadn't switched the order.”

Conrad Bandoroff said options for the session's top-priced weanling were up in the air.

“She is a lovely filly,” Bandoroff said. “We loved her when we saw her at the farm. She's a beautiful filly who presents you with a lot of options. There is a good chance she could end up at [Denali's] Barn 7a at Saratoga, but we will take it day by day. For now she will go back to Denali. We are thrilled to have her at the farm.”

As Bandoroff described plans for the weanling, Barry, standing nearby, jumped in to add, “I'll raise her if you want.” Bandoroff smiled and said, “I might have to take him up on that.”

Point System Joins Highlander Band

Bloodstock agent Clark Shepherd, bidding on behalf of Larry Hirsch, topped early returns at the Pin Oak dispersal when purchasing the 7-year-old mare Point System (Broken Vow) (hip 5) for $420,000. The stakes winner, in foal to champion Improbable, is a daughter of graded stakes winner Brownie Points (Forest Wildcat) and a half-sister to multiple graded winner Synchrony (Tapit) and graded stakes winner Chocolate Kisses (Candy Ride {Arg}), as well as to the dam of multiple graded-placed 'TDN Rising Star' Dream Shake (Twirling Candy).

“We will foal her out and we will see,” Shepherd said of plans for the mare. “Obviously we will have different plans if it's a colt or a filly. If it's a filly, you'd want to keep that family around. And if it's a colt, we will see how he develops and it could be 100% a commercial play. That's the plan as of right now.”

Hirsch, of Highlander Training Center, has a small broodmare band primarily focused on racing, according to Shepherd.

“He keeps some fillies that he races, but there is no scheme of building a big commercial broodmare band,” Shepherd said. “Our focus is on racing and if we can breed great racehorses, and in particular hopefully fillies, that would be the big picture.”

Of the dispersal dynamic, Shepherd said, “You come across good horses from great families all the time, but these were all centrally located in one spot. Dispersals tend to take on a certain mystery within themselves. And sometimes you overpay, but I think she was well worth that kind of money.”

Graded stakes winner Gold Medal Dancer (Medaglia d'Oro) (hip 23), in foal to Munnings, was the night's third-priciest offering when selling for $400,000 to Eaton Sales.

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Idol Has Foundations To Keep Believing

The old school has found a new Idol. The son of Curlin made his breakthrough a couple of weekends ago in a race cherished by traditionalists, and did so with genes of which much the same might be said. Indeed, if the GI Santa Anita H. winner can go on from here–and he has still only made six starts–to lead the older-horse division, then we'll be looking at one of the most eligible stud prospects on the scene.

Even traditionalists, of course, must accept that the world moves on. Or, at least, that the world changes. The two mares who stand opposite each other in the family tree of Marion Ravenwood, the dam of Idol, would possibly no longer be registered with names that have obtained a somewhat different resonance over the couple of generations since. To breeders, however, Gay Hostess and Gay Missile are just two of the timeless brands pegging down a pedigree that preserves pretty seamlessly the kind of quality you used to be able to lock in, simply because books were so small that only eligible mares could reach top-class stallions.

Gay Hostess is Marion Ravenwood's fourth dam; while Gay Missile, of course, is third dam of her sire A.P. Indy. Apart from the random connection of :gaiety,” their real bond is that each consolidated in the American breed a concentration of Classic influences from the Old World, notably by duplicating one apiece of the most important European mares of the interwar era.

In the case of Gay Missile, it was Lavendula (Fr), whose pedigree combined virtually all the foundation mares assembled by the 17th Earl of Derby in creating arguably the most important stud in the breed's history. Two of Lavendula's daughters had produced Turn-To (Ire) and My Babu (Fr) to become grandsire and damsire, respectively, of Gay Missile.

Gay Hostess, for her part, replicated Mumtaz Mahal (GB)–whose daughters had produced dual Classic winner Sun Princess (GB) and the breed-shaper Mahmoud (Fr). The former became the dam of Royal Charger (GB), sire of Gay Hostess; while the latter sired her granddam. Gay Hostess was out of Your Hostess (Alibhai {GB}), a sister to Kelso's sire, Your Host, and half-sister to the dam of Flower Bowl (who was herself by Alibhai, and gave us both Graustark and His Majesty). And Gay Hostess herself became a Classic icon: dam of Hall of Famer Majestic Prince (Raise A Native); second dam of French Derby winner Caracolero (himself by Graustark, and so highly inbred); and third dam of Epsom Derby winner Secreto (Northern Dancer).

I know, I know. So far as Idol himself is concerned, for many people these are just parchments of scroll. But blue-hens like Gay Hostess and Gay Missile don't just fall out of the sky. And, because of his family's exemplary stewardship since its arrival in America, Idol is now extending the legacy of Gay Hostess exactly a century since the foaling of Mumtaz Mahal in 1921.

Marion Ravenwood's third dam Meadow Blue was a full sister to Majestic Prince, i.e. by Raise A Native out of Gay Hostess. Though unraced, like Gay Hostess herself, she produced some significant daughters from just half a dozen named foals. Two were only modest winners on the track but proved a sound conduit of her genetic quality: Mangala (Sharpen Up {GB}) produced G2 Queen Anne S. winner Allied Forces (Miswaki); and Really Blue (Believe It) became the dam of none other than Real Quiet (Quiet American), who matched Majestic Prince as a Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner. (Really Blue is also the second dam of Grade II winner/GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up Real Cozzy (Cozzene).)

Two other daughters of Meadow Blue, meanwhile, were group-placed on the track: one went on to produce a Listed winner at Newmarket (over two miles); the other was Nureyev's Best (Nureyev), who won a listed race and finished third in a Group 3 in France.

Nureyev's Best had not achieved a great deal in her second career, however, by the time Narvick International bought her at Keeneland November as a 12-year-old for $170,000. Unfortunately, the obvious mating, with Real Quiet's sire Quiet American, produced a filly that brought her Tuscany-based breeders no more than €32,000 as a Deauville yearling.

As Andujar, she showed only glimpses of ability for Carlos Laffon-Parias as a 3-year-old but then, astutely imported to California by Paul Reddam and Mark Schlesinger, progressed extremely rapidly for Doug O'Neill: she quickly broke her maiden, followed up in an allowance, and then won the GII Milady H. by seven lengths before finishing off with two Grade I podiums. Offered at Fasig-Tipton the following November, she made no less than $2.5 million from My Meadowview Farm.

Marion Ravenwood is Andujar's first foal. She showed a fair level of ability for Graham Motion, racing as a homebred in the My Meadowview silks, winning four of 10 starts, including a stakes over a mile on dirt at Aqueduct. But while she was given every opportunity, in her coverings, Andujar only really came up with one, fleeting excitement in third foal Abstraction (Pulpit), who won the Federico Tesio S. at Pimlico but disappeared after then running third in the GIII Matt Winn S.

Overall, it seems, the family was not quite doing enough to prevent Marion Ravenwood being culled, with a Pioneerof the Nile cover, to Ashview Farm for $400,000 at Keeneland November in 2017.

She left behind a weanling colt by Curlin, who was sold through Denali in the same ring the following September, for $375,000 to John S. Holmes–and this, of course, has turned out to be Idol. His blossoming since, for Calvin Nguyen and trainer Richard Baltas, duly makes the Lyster family's purchase of the mare look very smart business.

They had already been drawn to the pedigree, buying Marion Ravenwood's half-sister Judy Legend (Medaglia d'Oro) out of the same ring two years previously for $180,000 as a 4-year-old maiden. (She had been unable to break her maiden in seven starts, but we've seen the depth of the family tree.) Gray Lyster of Ashview Farm remembers asking Joe Miller and Lincoln Collins, representing Len Riggio of My Meadowview, about Marion Ravenwood's Curlin weanling.

“I'm good friends with Joe and Lincoln and they were very high in their reports,” Lyster says. “You know, sometimes the market really can slaughter those mares that are getting traded when they've had two or three foals without something obvious on the page. But they were very positive on the Curlin, so we were kind of lucky. We knew already that her half-sister was really nice-looking, and it turned out that this was just a gorgeous A.P. Indy mare.”

Ashview got a first dividend on their investment when selling the Pioneerof the Nile colt, acquired in utero and co-bred with Colts Neck Stables, for $250,000 as a weanling. And they were wise enough, too, to send Marion Ravenwood back to Curlin: last September the resulting filly made $350,000 from Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Repole Stable, just days after Idol had run a promising second on debut.

“I was trying to tell people looking at her about the full-brother that had just run second on debut,” Lyster says. “But I know how people will roll their eyes and say: 'A fall 3-year-old, second? Okay, great, sell your magic beans somewhere else.' To the point that with people you didn't know, you didn't even tell them, because they don't want those B.S. updates! But I had watched the race and thought: 'Oh my gosh, this horse came flying.' That was only six furlongs, remember.”

Marion Ravenwood has a yearling colt by Violence and has been covered by Quality Road this time around. “The Violence is beautiful and will likely be pointing towards Keeneland September,” Lyster says. “The mare was empty on one try to City Of Light, very late last year, so we got her a good early cover this time. Judy Legend, who has a Runhappy yearling on the farm, was the same: took last year off on a very late cover, and is in foal early to Frosted now.”

Turning up a Grade I mare at this farm comes as no surprise, Ashview being widely respected as one of the very best operations of its size. (Graduates include champions Runhappy (Super Saver) and Johannesburg (Hennessy). And you have to like the mates chosen for her, too: Violence brings in three extra strands of Somethingroyal (plus one extra to her sire Princequillo); and Quality Road has two apiece of Somethingroyal and Princequillo.

This drills down into a genetic seam that means Marion Ravenwood doesn't depend solely on that aristocratic bottom line. Her sire A.P. Indy continues posthumously to develop his reputation as a top-class broodmare sire, and that has always seemed, to me, to be rooted in the 2×4 replication of Somethingroyal behind his dam Weekend Surprise: as dam of both Weekend Surprise's sire Secretariat and of Gay Missile's sire Sir Gaylord. (Basically anything to do with Somethingroyal translates into distaff gold.)

And Somethingroyal's sire is also drawn in twice by Marion Westwood's damsire Quiet American. The fact that both Quiet American himself and his sire Fappiano are out of daughters of Dr. Fager is so exotic that it tends to distract from the fact that both these Dr. Fager mares are out of daughters of the matriarch Cequillo–who was, of course, by Princequillo.

Quiet American's grandsire Mr. Prospector also doubles up Raise A Native who, as noted already, sired Marion Ravenwood's third dam. And the mating that produced Idol himself obviously gives us another line of Mr. Prospector, Curlin being by Smart Strike.

Smart Strike has been a significant contributor to the diversification of the Mr. Prospector legacy. Not just through Curlin, but also through Lookin At Lucky and English Channel, his influence has been branded by tough two-turn horses that thrive with maturity. (Tom's d'Etat certainly enhanced that reputation on the track, and will hopefully now do the same at WinStar).

In that context, you would have to think that Idol is only just getting started. For a horse with this kind of pedigree to be winning a Grade I barely five months after breaking his maiden must be auspicious; moreover the Big 'Cap looked much worthier of its heritage than has sometimes been the case since being squeezed by gaudy new prizes elsewhere. Runner-up Express Train (Union Rags) appears to be repaying a typically artful grounding by his trainer, while this was a first defeat for the next home, hot favorite Maxfield (Street Sense).

Exciting times, then, at Ashview. The farm is also co-breeder of the 3-year-old Untreated (Nyquist), who recently broke his maiden by 8 3/4 lengths at Tampa Bay on the local Derby undercard. “He was really impressive,” Lyster said. “We've been hearing good things about him for a while and I believe Todd Pletcher and Team Valor have some pretty high hopes.”

And it does feel as though Idol, though a year older, is himself only just getting going. “After his first couple of races, I began to think that this was going to become a serious older horse,” Lyster says. “I don't know whether it was the rider change [to Joel Rosario in the Big 'Cap] or just learning more about the horse. But he looks like a big horse that takes a little while to get going, and when he hit that eighth pole, he laid his head down like he hasn't done before. He was really motoring. And there are a couple of big races in California this year, at that distance, so we'll see–fingers crossed!”

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