Dornoch has put in front-running performances in each of his last three victories with jockey Luis Saez aboard, but trainer Danny Gargan believes it is only because no one has been able to keep up with the speedy sophomore. Gargan said he hopes that Saturday's Derby prep at Keeneland will be an educational opportunity for Dornoch.

“We'll see what happens, but I'm going to tell [Saez] to break running and I think there will be a couple of horses who are going to come out wanting the lead,” Gargan explained. “We'd like to see him a length or half a length behind them and go around following horses so he's not on the lead the whole way.”

Gargan seems to believe that we may even see a different side of Dornoch if he is given the opportunity to stalk.

“He likes to have horses around him,” he said. “We're not taking him back to last or anything crazy, but we'd like to stalk. If he has competition I wouldn't say he runs any different, but he stays more in the bridle, more focused. We just want him to have some competition and to keep him going.”

Dornoch has put in three works at Palm Meadows since his Fountain of Youth score. In his last work on March 30, the colt went four furlongs in :47.25 (1/35).

“He's pretty talented in all his works,” said Gargan. “He's a really good work horse. We worked him a little stronger last time. We wanted to get a strong work in him because the week before, weather occurred and the track wasn't perfect to our liking. So we decided to get a little stronger work in him and we're happy with how he came out of it.”

Dornoch was originally slated to travel north to Keeneland earlier this week, but bad weather pushed back his arrival to Thursday. The colt was able to get a feel for the track that he broke his maiden on last October early on Friday morning.

Dornoch at Keeneland | Sara Gordon

“I think it ended up working well,” said Gargan. “We kept him [at Palm Meadows] where the weather was good and we were able to train. We didn't really want to get involved in the tornados and the storms or be on the highways when it was going to be that bad. So it worked out. He shipped in and looks great and knock on wood, everything is going good. Now we will just relax and hopefully have a fun day.”

Dornoch will break from post four for Saturday's mile and an eighth contest.

The 11-horse Blue Grass will offer Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top five finishers. Both Sierra Leone and 3-1 second choice Dornoch are expected to already have enough qualifying points with 55 and 60 points, respectively.

The Brad Cox duo of Just A Touch (Justify), who was second to Deterministic (Liam's Map) last time out in the GIII Gotham, and Encino (Nyquist), who makes his dirt debut after a win in the John Battaglia Memorial S. at Turfway Park, both look to add to the competition. The Repole Stable-campaigned, Todd Pletcher-trained Be You (Curlin) also comes in off an eye-catching maiden win at Gulfstream Park that earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

Gargan, a native of Lousville, will be searching for his first Grade I win on Saturday in the Blue Grass. He will also be sending out another potential Kentucky Derby-bound son of Good Magic in Society Man for the GII Wood Memorial S.

Ahead of a key stallion-making race, Gargan is hopeful that Dornoch can follow in the footsteps of his older brother, 2023 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage.

“To be a full-brother to the Kentucky Derby winner, if he could win a Grade I too, that's life changing,” said Gargan. “Winning this race would be spectacular. It'd be great for his resume and for his whole family.”

Speaking of Dornoch's family, his dam Puca (Big Brown) just delivered a full-brother to Mage and Dornoch on the eve of opening day of Keeneland's Spring Meet at John Stewart's Resolute Farm.

“Puca, dam of 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and Dornoch who is on the road to the Kentucky Derby this Saturday at Keeneland in the Blue Grass Stakes, just gave birth to a massive colt by Good Magic,” John Stewart said in a Tweet. “Little bro will be watching.”

Breaking news from @rresoluteracing. PUCA, dam of 2023 Kentucky Derby Winner @ChurchillDowns MAGE and DORNOCH who is on the road to the #Kentuckyderby this Saturday @keeneland in the #bluegrassstakes, just gave birth to a massive colt by GOOD MAGIC. Good Luck DORNOCH. Little bro… pic.twitter.com/QSnE7DrZZ8

— Jstewartrr (@jstewartrr) April 5, 2024

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Stewart's most costly recruits included the second-top lot at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, an Uncle Mo half-sister to the multiple Grade I winner Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) who sold for $2.5 million. He then rolled into the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale where a pair of Breeders' Cup winners headlined his seven purchases, splashing out $6 million on the dual Filly & Mare Sprint heroine Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) and $3 million on the Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}).

More recently, Stewart purchased five two-year-olds at the OBS March Sale, notably spending $1 million on an Authentic colt, while the three-year-old Pounce (Lookin At Lucky) was bought for $370,000 at the Fasig-Tipton February Digital Sale and made the perfect start for her new owner when winning the GIII Herecomesthebride S. at Gulfstream Park earlier this month. He also privately purchased the filly Sweet Rebecca after she broke her maiden at the same track eight days later and was named a 'TDN Rising Star'.

Certainly, nobody can accuse Stewart of not putting his money where his mouth is. It was only around 18 months ago that he teamed up with Gavin O'Connor to buy his first horse, Shiloh's Mistress (Vino Rosso), for $235,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Now, he has designs on becoming one of the most influential owner-breeders in the sport.

A lifelong racing fan, Stewart might have bided his time before getting his hands dirty at the coal face, but there's seemingly no limit to his ambition now that he's there.

Speaking about the decision to significantly increase his stake in the industry, Stewart explains, “I met Chelsey [Stone], my girlfriend, in the spring of last year, early summer. Gavin and I were planning on buying a couple more horses, and Chelsey has been around horses her whole life. She rides Saddlebreds and she worked at Gainesway, so she knows horses a lot.

“We got talking more and more about what the opportunities were and I told them, 'Something you should know about me is that I don't ever do anything halfway–I'm probably not going to be that person who has just two or three horses.'

“We went to the Keeneland Sale and Chelsey and Gavin had looked at 160 horses to try to recommend two. I was so impressed by that because it would have been very easy just to pick two horses. And so, as we started going through the sale, we had an eye on a couple and then some others came up and I thought the prices were kind of reasonable.

“Somehow, we ended up spending $8.5 million. I go to car auctions all the time and I do the same thing. I'd just been to a car auction and bought nine cars a month earlier–people that know me know that's totally not out of character.”

Altogether, Stewart came away from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale with 13 horses, including a second seven-figure purchase when he forked out $1 million for the full-brother to the multiple top-level winner Practical Joke (Into Mischief). That group is set to spearhead Stewart's racing operation, called Resolute Racing, in 2024.

In the meantime, Stewart's priority was finding a place his burgeoning broodmare band could call home. That next step in the process was ticked off late last year when he completed the purchase of Shadwell's Shadayid Stud in Midway, since renamed Resolute Farm.

“I used to live back behind Shadwell in Fishers Mill in Midway,” says Stewart, the founder and managing partner of MiddleGround Capital, a private equity firm. “I lived there for around 10 years, and I've always admired this property and thought it was beautiful. There hadn't been horses on this property since [Sheikh Hamdan] had passed away, but they took such good care of it that it was really just turnkey. We could just come in and start, so we put an offer in, they accepted it, and we bought the farm.”

Said farm now has a handful of Grade I-winning mares—not to mention dams of Grade I winners or siblings to Grade I winners–grazing its lush paddocks following Stewart's spending spree last autumn.

As well as Goodnight Olive and Pizza Bianca, Stewart paid a total of $5.9 million for the dams of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Florida Derby winner Forte (Violence) and GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic). The Listed-winning Queen Caroline (Blame), the dam of Forte, was bought for $3 million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, before the GII-placed Puca (Big Brown) was secured for $2.9 million post-RNA at the Keeneland November Sale having originally been reported as unsold.

Another mare who went unsold when offered for $2.4 million at Keeneland was the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint heroine Caravel (Mizzen Mast), but she too ended up with Stewart following a private sale conducted early in 2024.

Telling the story of how he came to buy Caravel, Stewart says, “Chelsey was very interested in Caravel from the beginning, as I was, and I had talked to Sheikh Fahad [Al Thani, chairman of Qatar Racing] at the Breeders' Cup about her. We went to Keeneland after the sale and ended up buying Puca. We found out that Caravel had RNA'd and we were so shocked, so we reached out to them directly and said, 'Hey, we'll buy the horse.'

“There's a lot of people in the industry that don't want to sell privately because they think it's going to take away from the value of the horse. But coming after the Fasig-Tipton sale where I had bought some of the most expensive horses there and paid really premium prices, I said, 'Guys, nobody's ever going to know what I pay for the horse and they're all going to assume I paid a ridiculous price, because look at what I just paid for all these other horses.' So, they agreed to sell her to us.”

As for the next steps for Caravel and Puca–who is the dam of another colt on the Triple Crown trail this year in the GII Fountain of Youth S. winner Dornoch (Good Magic)–Stewart adds, “We knew all along that we wanted to breed Caravel to Frankel and I've used that with the team to convince them to let me send Puca to Frankel. We're going to send Puca to Into Mischief this year and then she's going to join Caravel over there and she's going to be bred to Frankel next year.”

The prospect of having a homebred colt or filly by Frankel (GB) on the ground is a tantalising one for Stewart, though it won't be the first offspring of the unbeaten world champion to have graced the turf at Resolute Farm. Instead, that honour belongs to the colt out of the G1 Oaks runner-up Pink Dogwood (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) who receives rave reports from farm manager Noel Murphy. “I love the Frankel foal,” he says. “He's big and strong and looks like a Frankel should.”

Pink Dogwood, a full-sister to the G1 Irish Derby winner Latrobe (Ire), was carrying said foal when she became one of four Coolmore mares acquired by Stewart during last year's Thanksgiving trip to Tipperary at the invitation of MV Magnier. That quartet also includes the impeccably-bred Champagne (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a full-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Found (Ire); Dramatically (War Front), who is out of the G1 Oaks runner-up Wonder Of Wonders (Kingmambo); and G3 Athasi S. winner Happen (War Front), a daughter of the dual Classic heroine Alexandrova (Ire) (Sadler's Wells).

“Pink Dogwood and Champagne are just different,” Murphy says of two of the new recruits. “When you have them in your hand and when you're around them, they're just different. Those two, in particular, there's something very unique about them. There's a presence that you don't find all the time–it's rare.”

Stewart, too, freely admits that it was the uniqueness of the opportunity offered to him by the Coolmore team that made it so difficult to turn down. “When you start to look at the pedigrees of the horses, the depth is just something that you don't see,” he sums up. “I'm trying to get the families that are really deep and I think one of the things you see in Europe that you don't see in America is more concentration of families.

“We were able to buy these [mares] all in foal and so we had three colts and one filly expected out of these horses. To have a Frankel on the ground now, which is a huge, 140-pound foal, is super exciting. You just don't see that on every farm here. And we have a Siyouni filly [out of Champagne], you don't see that a lot. They were a couple of stallions I was really interested in and Coolmore gave us a big step in that direction, kind of creating the foundation for what's going to be the future of the farm.”

Closer to hand, Stewart can look forward to one of the biggest days in his relatively brief time as a racehorse owner when unbeaten two-year-old Storm Boy (Aus) (Justify) runs in Saturday's G1 Golden Slipper, the world's richest race for juveniles. Favourite Storm Boy was purchased by Coolmore and a group of their clients and friends, including Stewart, for an undisclosed sum after winning the Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January.

Stewart has travelled to Australia to enjoy the occasion, hoping to make another big statement on another continent–and with Europe unlikely to be far behind.

“I'm international with my business,” he explains. “I just opened an office in Amsterdam and I spend a lot of time over there. It's actually pretty efficient for me to go to Europe and I'm there probably three or four times a quarter. Again, I respect the bloodlines over there and I respect a lot of the farms that are over there. I would envisage, in the future, the next place we'll be racing horses will be over in Europe. There's not an immediate plan for that, but I would expect that in the future.”

The post At Home With John Stewart and the Team at Resolute Farm appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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While the modern booty plundered in the desert by a son of the venerable Mineshaft is temporarily distorting his latest title defense, the opening skirmishes of 2024 have already seen Into Mischief overtake Medaglia d'Oro in the all-time earnings table. He now stands cents shy of $170 million with only Giant's Causeway ($178 million) dividing him from Tapit ($204.5 million). The latter obviously has much unfinished business-and we fervently hope that he can still come up with the Derby winner he so deserves-but the industrial model at Spendthrift means that Into Mischief is about to overtake Tapit's aggregate of lifetime starters, from four fewer crops. And, as often remarked, he's only lately started to bring his elite mares into play.

Newgate himself was conceived at $150,000, but made that investment pay for Town and Country Farms-besides the $360,000 they gave for his graded stakes-placed dam Majestic Presence (Majestic Warrior) at the 2017 November Sale, already amply defrayed by the Runhappy foal she was carrying there and a couple of others-by realizing $850,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. The same farm gave us Adare Manor (Uncle Mo), who similarly made her Grade I breakthrough in her third campaign for Baffert, so they can take credit for raising horses that persevere. (Majestic Presence, incidentally, was returned to Into Mischief to produce the $500,000 yearling Denim and Pearls, who won her first two and has now run second in consecutive stakes.)

Life is hard enough for rival sires without Into Mischief again enlisting Dettori to clinch another narrow verdict in the GII San Felipe S. through Imagination. This colt is yet another tribute to Peter Blum's patient curation of a dynasty tracing to his foundation mare, Mono (Better Self), identified as a priceless conduit of King Ranch blood way back in 1975.

Mono was out of a sister to 1946 Triple Crown winner Assault, from the family of Man o' War himself. But she was actually being sold from the estate of the King Ranch farm manager, and had duly been confined to less expensive covers. The young Blum noticed that she had nevertheless produced good runners, and vowed that he would not leave the Keeneland January Sale without her. He'll never know where he might have stopped, but was able to do so at $17,500.

Blum, of course, has in recent years bred a Horse of the Year. But Authentic came from a rather younger line in his program, and possibly he's deriving no less satisfaction from the emergence of Imagination at a time when GI Preakness winner National Treasure (Quality Road) is also consolidating his own reputation. For both trace to Mono's daughter Mine Only.

Blum's first choice of mate for Mono had been an unproven Florida sire named Mr. Prospector. When the resulting colt won on debut at Del Mar, he resolved to send her back to the stallion at his new base at Claiborne. Their second tryst produced Mine Only, who won no more than a maiden but set a pattern for this family by proving a much better producer. Her three graded stakes scorers (all on turf) included Good Mood (Devil's Bag), who won the GIII Miss Grillo S. and is third dam of Imagination.

National Treasure | Adam Coglianese

Before that Mine Only had already produced a daughter by Secretariat, Chosen Lady, who failed to win but produced not only GI Ashland winner Well Chosen (Deputy Minister) but also the third dam of National Treasure. So while Blum always emphasizes the help he gets from the likes of Doug Cauthen and Bridie Harrison, he must accept the compliment implied to his own patient stewardship by the elite investors who target his program at the sales.

National Treasure made $500,000 at Saratoga, and Imagination $1.05 million at Keeneland September. The latter sum partly reflected the Grade II sprint success of his dam Magical Feeling (Empire Maker), who has always been given nothing but the best: she had four foals by Tapit before more recently being sent to Into Mischief and producing first Occult, sold as a yearling for $625,000 before winning the GIII Monmouth Oaks last year; and now Imagination.

Yes, Nysos (Nyquist) was the specter at this particular feast. But even the supporting roles on this circuit demand real caliber, and it might not require that much more Imagination to aspire to the mature deeds of National Treasure or Newgate this time next year.

Mage Page Paying Many a Wage

Let's not get too glum about these sophomores. After all, most enter their single year of Classic eligibility as little more than gawky adolescents. In fact, however diffident a crop they may seem for now, recent history suggests that there's probably a Horse of the Year lurking among them somewhere.

At this stage of his career, Cody's Wish remained unraced and he would only break his maiden, at the fourth attempt, in October. Flightline was also weeks short of his debut. Knicks Go had admittedly established his caliber at two, but at this point was bombing out in the GIII Sam F. Davis and then the GIII Gotham.

All three, of course, would only achieve their peak with age. But this time last year even the horse that went on to win the GI Kentucky Derby had just been beaten seven lengths in the GII Fountain of Youth S.

Puca selling at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale

The success of his full-brother Dornoch (Good Magic) in the same race last weekend has elicited some faint praise, thanks to the decimation of the field, but the fact remains that he's far more seasoned than was Mage at this stage. True, the latter was duly on a steeper curve of improvement, but whatever happens John Stewart can be gratified that his $2.9 million investment in their dam Puca (Big Brown) at Keeneland last November has stood up to both its first big tests, in the GII Remsen S. and now here. Just like Mage, Dornoch is advertising the expert grounding he received at storied Runnymede Farm, which raised and then consigned both colts on behalf of breeders Grandview Equine.

Mage proved a fairly marginal pinhook ($235,000 to $290,000) when resold at two, but events in the meantime make the extra investment on Dornoch at the Keeneland September Sale ($325,000 from Oracle Bloodstock) look pretty inspired. Those supporting Mage in his first year at stud, meanwhile, must be feeling similarly comforted by the way his page is evolving. Remember that Puca is a half-sister to a Grade I winner on turf, Finnegan's Weake (Powerscourt {GB}); was herself runner-up in the GII Gazelle S.; while her only previous foal-the Gun Runner filly she was carrying when acquired by Grandview for $475,000 at Fasig-Tipton in November 2018-was herself twice stakes-placed. Not least granted the parallel strides since made by her rookie sire, what a stroke of luck for Grandview that she failed to meet her reserve as a yearling!

By the time Puca sent her son by McKinzie into the Keeneland ring last September, her genetic wares were sufficiently known for Mayberry Farms to have to go to $1.2 million. Yet only that January, Puca's own dam Boat's Ghost (Silver Ghost) had been discarded in the same ring, in foal to Raging Bull (Fr), for just $17,000. That indignity, at the age of 19, was redressed by finding herself on a peerless farm of its type, Nursery Place, where she safely delivered a filly, apparently a good specimen too; and was then given a typically astute covering in Hard Spun.

Lonesome Days Long Forgotten for Pounce

Another interesting mare in Hard Spun's book last year was Bouncy (Twirling Candy), whose daughter Pounce (Lookin At Lucky) won the GIII Herecomesthebride S. at Gulfstream last weekend. In fact, if you ever needed a cross-section of our community to offer its most considered judgement, you could do worse than simply consult those breeders using Hard Spun. In an environment so childishly prey to fashion, those sticking with the Darley stalwart instead prize proven value in the last commercially accessible son of his breed-shaping sire.

Those who sent him Bouncy have four resonant surnames: Pounce's breeders are registered as Bell, Rankin, VanMeter and Hancock. From these familiar clans, it turns out we are dealing respectively with Gatewood, Hunter, Ike and, “the rose among thorns,” Lynn. One or two of them have evidently followed Bouncy from the outset, though along the way she also appears to have caught the attention of a couple of Texas rangers.

Bred and raised by the Hancock family's Stone Farm, she was pinhooked as a $85,000 yearling by Bell's Cromwell Bloodstock Agency; made $170,000 from “Augustus McRae” at OBS the following April; showed plenty of ability in both her starts in the silks of Augustin Stables, winning on debut at Keeneland before a close second to a stakes winner at Belmont; and was then picked up by “Joshua Deets” for just $37,000 in the Covid market of the 2020 Keeneland November Sale.

At that point Bouncy was pregnant to a maiden cover by Lookin At Lucky, an excellent choice to prove a mare despite his appalling treatment by the commercial market. That came at an initial cost, in that Pounce was a $20,000 RNA at the Keeneland September Sale-but in the long run it has paid off handsomely.

For she had caught Mark Casse's eye in the back ring. “When she didn't sell, we approached Mark to work out a deal so we could make sure she got into good hands,” Hancock explains. “And we are fortunate that she did! He trained her up to a certain level, to acquire interest in the filly, and we were partners from there on out. We are very appreciative of Mark for taking a chance on her and obviously he has done a spectacular job.”

Yes, he has: Pounce won on debut at Churchill in November and again at Turfway in February, after which she topped Fasig-Tipton's Digital Sale at $370,000 from Resolute Bloodstock. As with Puca, noted above, John Stewart has been quickly vindicated in a bold investment with Pounce's graded success at Gulfstream, still for the Casse barn, coming just 11 days later.

Hancock says that Bouncy has now delivered a “lovely” Hard Spun filly, but the gang is still debating-or maybe we should say bouncing around-her next cover. Maybe they should ask Woodrow Call what he thinks…

The post Breeding Digest: Another Week Full of Mischief appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“We have such an awesome fleet of mares, but we are always looking to add to the group,” said Stone. “We have 16 mares total. 5 of those are maidens and so we are due for eleven foals this year.”

GOODNIGHT OLIVE (m, 6, Ghostzapper – Salty Strike, by Smart Strike) bred to Not This Time

Purchased for $6 million at 2023 Fasig-Tipton November

She was the first mare to visit Not This Time this year. We're very excited about this mating. Not This Time has really been impressive over the past few years and we thought it would be a great fit with Goodnight Olive. It nicked well. We have a great relationship with the Taylors and love what they're doing at Taylor Made, so it was the perfect fit.

CARAVEL (m, 7, Mizzen Mast – Zeezee Zoomzoom, by Congrats) to be bred to Frankel

Purchased privately in January, 2024

John and I actually visited Frankel last week at Juddmonte. He's big-boned and the shoulder and hip on him is so impressive. He's every bit of what he's hyped up to. We were more than thrilled with that mating.

Caravel will leave the farm in the first part of March. The idea is to keep her over there, let her foal out and then we'll breed her back and then bring her back home.

QUEEN CAROLINE (m, 11, Blame – Queens Plaza, by Forestry) to be bred to Tapit

Dam of Forte (Violence). Purchased for $3 million at 2023 Fasig-Tipton November

Queen Caroline, the dam of champion Forte, will be bred to Tapit in 2024 | Sara Gordon

Queen Caroline had a massive filly by Flightline this weekend. Once we nicked her, it was kind of a no-brainer to send her to King Tapit.

PIZZA BIANCA (m, 5, Fastnet Rock {Aus}) – White Hot {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) to be bred to Justify

Purchased for $3 million at 2023 Fasig-Tipton November

Pizza Bianca is currently in foal to Into Mischief with her first foal. We are taking her to Justify. She's by Fastnet Rock and that pairing to Justify has worked time and time again.

PUCA (m, 12, Big Brown – Boat's Ghost, by Silver Ghost) to be bred to Into Mischief

Dam of Mage (Good Magic). Purchased for $2.9 million at 2023 Keeneland November

Puca is currently in foal to Good Magic and will be bred to Into Mischief. There was definitely a lot of discussion between John, Gavin [O'Connor, General Manager] and me. There were a lot of options for her, but we kept coming back to Into Mischief.

LENNI GIRL (m, 5, Candy Ride {Arg} – Unicorn Girl, by A.P. Five Hundred) to be bred to Practical Joke

Purchased for $500,00 at 2023 Fasig-Tipton November

She is currently in foal to Not This Time and we are taking her to Practical Joke. Practical Joke has been a favorite of ours and we actually have his full brother, who we purchased at the Keeneland September Sale [for $1 million]. That was the horse John bought all on his own when Gavin and I weren't around. He liked the horse that much. We have a great relationship with Coolmore and supporting their stallions is important to us.

GODDESS PELE (m, 4, West Coast – Fiery Pulpit, by Pulpit) to be bred to Munnings

Purchased for $300,000 at 2023 Fasig-Tipton November

Goddess Pele recently had the first foal at Resolute Farm, a very nice Epicenter filly. We will be sending her to Munnings. We have a couple of yearlings on the farm sired by him and they're fantastic. They all have a great look about that. I think he'll pair up very nicely with this mare.

CHAMPAGNE (Ire) (m, 5, Galileo {Ire} – Red Evie {Ire}, by Intikhab) to be bred to Justify

Purchased privately in 2024.

This is the full-sister to champion Found (Ire). Champagne is in foal to Siyouni and we are breeding her back to Justify.  Justify is on fire and we are excited to be sending mares to him this season.

DRAMATICALLY  (m, 9, War Front – Wonder of Wonders, by Kingmambo) to be bred to Curlin

Purchased privately in 2024.

Dramatically is in foal to Wootton Bassett and she will go to Curlin.

HAPPEN (m, 8, War Front – Alexandrova {Ire}, by Sadler's Wells) to be bred to Into Mischief

Purchased privately in 2024.

Happen, a daughter of multiple Group 1 winner Alexandrova, is also in foal to Wootton Bassett and she will visit Into Mischief.

PINK DOGWOOD (Ire) (m, 8, Camelot {GB} – Question Times {GB}, by Shamardal) to be bred to Justify

Purchased privately in 2024.

This is the full-sister to Group 1 winner Latrobe (Ire). She is in foal to Frankel and is due in April, so we're ecstatic that she will have the first Frankel on our farm. John is a huge fan of Frankel. We will be sending her back to Justify.

The post Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift: Resolute Bloodstock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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LEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale gained momentum throughout its opening session and concluded a day of competitive bidding Wednesday evening with 11 seven-figure mares and a median up 30% from its 2022 counterpart.

“It was a good day. It was a really good day,” said Keeneland President Shannon Arvin. “We were really pleased with the session overall. The theme of the century seems to be that the quality sells and there was really high demand for the quality. There was great international participation, but plenty of domestic participation as well. There was a real diversity among the buyers. It was a very, very strong market.”

During Wednesday's session, 120 horses grossed $54,340,000. The average of $452,833 was down 8% from the corresponding 2022 session, which included a $4.6-million fractional interest in champion Flightline. The median of $375,000 was up 29.31% from a year ago.

White Hot (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was the day's top seller in the ring, when BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe bid $2.1 million for the dam of Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), but the session had a post-sale topper when Puca (Big Brown), carrying a full-sibling to GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic), was purchased by John Stewart for $2.9 million after initially being led out of the ring unsold. The mare capped a busy couple of days for Stewart, who also purchased a colt by Curlin for $600,000 Wednesday, as well as seven horses Tuesday at Fasig-Tipton for $13,350,000.

WHITE HOT (IRE) goes for $2.1 million at #KeeNov! The dam of Pizza Bianca sells in foal to Into Mischief, she was consigned by @stonefarmky and purchased by @BBAIreland. pic.twitter.com/6Oun8mwzeR

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) November 8, 2023

“There is a lot of confidence in the breeding industry right now,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “I think the median jumping just over 30% when you include Puca, is a significant increase.”

Shadwell Racing, which purchased the co-topping weanling at Fasig-Tipton Tuesday, purchased Wednesday's highest-priced foal when going to $750,000 for a colt by Gun Runner (hip 154) from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. The colt was the top of a particularly vibrant weanling market Wednesday.

Last year's November Book 1 section had six weanlings sell for $400,000 or more. Twelve hit that mark Wednesday.

“The foal market was especially strong, we thought today,” said Arvin. “We had double the number of foals this year sell for $400,000 or more than last.”

With 65 horses reported not sold, Wednesday's buy-back rate was 35.14%. It was 26.49% a year ago.

“There was some protectionism in the market,” said Lacy. “A lot of people were setting reserves that were not letting horses go. They were not going to sell them short. There were quality mares not being sold off cheap which I think is great for the industry. When you speak to the sellers, they were comfortable that they were not going to sell this one below a certain value. And that's ok.”

The Keeneland November sale continues through Nov. 16 with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

Mage's Dam Puca Brings $2.9M

Plenty of the pre-sale hype revolved around Case Clay Thoroughbred Management's initial sales offering, including the big mare–Puca (Big Brown) (Hip 191)–dam of this season's GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic). Initially led out of the ring unsold at $2.8 million, the 11-year-old mare later found a home with Lexington financier John Stewart, who snapped the mare up for $2.9 million.

Clay sold the mare on behalf of Robert Clay's Grandview Equine, who purchased her in foal to Gun Runner for $475,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in 2018.

Puca | Keeneland

“What we were fine with, RNAing her, was that Good Magic Baby in her belly,” Clay explained. “We were confident in her value, and fortunately, John Stewart recognized that.”

Puca, a half-sister to Grade I winner and $1.5-million earner Finnegans Wake (Powerscourt {GB}), is also responsible for multiple stakes placed Gunning (Gun Runner) and Dornoch, a full-brother to Mage. Runner up in the Sapling S. at Monmouth this past summer, he came back to graduate impressively going a mile and a sixteenth at Keeneland Oct. 14. To further bolster her resume, Puca's yearling colt by McKinzie also realized $1.2 million at the Keeneland September Sale.

“He's buying a queen,” Clay said of Puca. “She is the dam of Derby winner and black-type for the first three foals. If Dornoch wins the [Dec. 2] GII Remsen S. [at Aqueduct], she's 'Broodmare of the Year'.”

The daughter of SP Boat's Ghost (Silver Ghost) sold carrying a full-sibling to the Derby hero.

Clay underscored, “I really think that's her fair market value. Dams of Kentucky Derby winners don't come along in the same year. It's been a long time since that has happened.”

Later in the sale, Clay also sold the second half of his maiden consignment–Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger})–to Bryant Prentice's Pursuit of Success for $1.65 million.

“I am really grateful to both Paul Varga [owner of Dalika] and Grandview for giving me the opportunity to sell them. And for Bryant Prentice who purchased Dalika and John Stewart for buying Puca. I am excited for them too. I think they bought beautiful mares.”–@CbossTDN

White Hot in Demand at Keeneland

After bloodstock agent Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client, got outbid on GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) at Fasig-Tipton Tuesday night, he went to $2.1 million to acquire that filly's dam, White Hot (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (hip 170) Wednesday at Keeneland.

“She is a Galileo mare and she's the dam of a Group 1-winning juvenile,” Donohoe said of the 10-year-old mare who sold in foal to Into Mischief. “She is in foal to a champion stallion. So she made a lot of sense. It's a great family and those Galileo mares, you can see what they can do around the world as broodmare sires. We are happy to get her.”

#KeenelandNovember: WHITE HOT (Galileo), dam of Pizza Bianca, sells for $2.1 million to @BBAIreland's Michael Donohoe. Consigned by @stonefarmky! pic.twitter.com/CS4xV2b7AE

— TDN (@theTDN) November 8, 2023

White Hot was consigned by Stone Farm on behalf of Bobby Flay, who purchased the mare as a yearling for 1,250,000gns at the 2014 Tattersalls October sale. While the bay never made it to the races, her first foal was Pizza Bianca, who sold for $3 million Tuesday night.

“Pizza Bianca made all of that money last night at Fasig-Tipton,” Donohoe said. “We had a good go at her last night.”

Out of Gwynn (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), White Hot is a half-sister to G1 Epsom Derby winner Pour Moi (Montjeu {Ire}).

“I bought her for an existing client and she will probably stay in the States and foal here,” Donohoe said.

Of a potential mating in 2024, Donohoe said, “We will see what kind of baby comes out of her. But those Galileo mares, you can cover them to most of the stallions based here in the States.”

While Donohoe declined to name his client, the Irishman has previously bought several high-profile fillies and mares for Yuesheng Zhang's Yulong.

Lynn Hancock of Stone Farm said it was a good result from both sides of the transaction.

“Obviously, great sale, but she's a lovely mare,” Hancock said. “She's beautiful, looks the part. Her first foal is a Breeders' Cup champion. So, you can't ask any more of a mare than that. We're happy with that.”

Of the price, Hancock added, “I think she's worth every penny of it. She's a lovely mare, she's beautiful. She acted like a queen in the back ring and she is in foal to a hot sire.” @JessMartiniTDN

Juddmonte Strikes Late for Ack Naughty

After getting shut out on a number of high-profile mares at Fasig-Tipton Tuesday and earlier in the first session of the Keeneland November session, Juddmonte Farm's Garrett O'Rourke finally got his mare when acquiring Ack Naughty (Afleet Alex) (hip 246) for $1.8 million. The 11-year-old mare, who sold in foal to Into Mischief, was consigned by Sequel New York as agent for Chester and Mary Broman. She is the dam of ill-fated Grade I winner Practical Move (Practical Joke).

Juddmonte goes to $1.8 million for ACK NAUGHTY, dam of Grade 1 winner Practical Move from the @sequelnewyork consignment! #KeeNov pic.twitter.com/8uEhLQ3TEi

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) November 9, 2023

“We were at the sales yesterday and we were here again today for Puca,” said O'Rourke. “This felt like the last legitimate big, good-looking mare. Obviously, she is the dam of a Grade I winner and she's in foal to Into Mischief, who is a stallion we have had a lot of success with and we breed to every year. There is the opportunity to keep on doing the same mating if the family would want to do that. We are happy with her. She's my type of mare–a nice, big, strong mare with great bone, a good race mare and a good producer already. So I'm glad we got something.”

O'Rourke admitted it's been tough bidding, both at Newtown Paddocks Tuesday and Wednesday at Keeneland.

“It's been hard in there,” he said. “The top end, as everyone says, is just killer strong. It's just like people are buying art in a hot market. It's hard to put a value on them at this level. If you want them, you've got to pay for them. And we weren't able to get there earlier today. This was our last chance and I'm delighted to have something to bring home to add to the Juddmonte broodmare band.”

The Bromans purchased Ack Naughty, in foal to Upstart, for $500,000 at this year's Keeneland January sale. That was just a month after her first foal to race, Practical Move, won the GII Los Alamitos Futurity. The colt added wins in the GII San Felipe S. and GI Santa Anita Derby this past spring.

“We just bought this mare in January,” said Sequel's Becky Thomas. “But it was before Practical Move really became Practical Move. So he won a Grade II and then a Grade I after we bought her. Mr. Broman still races quite a bit, but he is breeding to sell in a commercial market. This will be a chance to put cash back into the program and that's what we did.”

Of the mare's price tag Wednesday, Thomas added, “Way above the reserve, but she's a beautiful mare and she had Practical Move. We are just really happy that we were able to do it and happy that Mr. Broman gives us the ability to play at a high level.”

Frankel Filly for Lyon

Graded stakes winner Skims (GB) (Frankel {GB}) (hip 125) became the first seven-figure mare of the Keeneland November sale when selling for $1.8 million to Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm.

“I am very excited about getting this mare,” Lyon said. “I am a Frankel lover. I had one filly [by him] that unfortunately isn't going to be a race filly that I bred. But when I saw this filly, with her race record, I was so excited to have her in my broodmare band.”

#KeenelandNovember: GII winner SKIMS (Frankel) sells for $1.8 million to Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm. Consigned by Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services! pic.twitter.com/tsgLzmwVDS

— TDN (@theTDN) November 8, 2023

Bred and raced by Andrew Rosen and trained by Shug McGaughey, Skims won last year's GII Sands Point S. and was second in this year's GII Canadian S. On the board in eight of 14 starts, she won four times and earned $426,685.

The 4-year-old racing or broodmare prospect, who was consigned by Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services, is out of Royal Decree (Street Cry {Ire}) and is a half-sister to group winner War Decree (War Front). Her second dam is multiple Grade I winner Ticker Tape (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}).

“That was right in line with what we thought she would bring,” said Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services' John Stuart. “She is by Frankel and from a nice family. I am really happy that she is staying right here in the Bluegrass.”

'Pursuit' Lands Dalika for $1.65M

Bryant Prentice's Pursuit of Success may not have made the leader board with raw numbers, but it certainly did when it came to quality. With Archie St. George handling the bidding duties, Prentice extended to $1.65 million for Grade I winner Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger}) (Hip 223) during Keeneland's Book 1 session.

“I was thinking she might not bring that much, but the market is strong and she is a Grade I winner,” said St. George. “It was definitely more than we were hoping to have to give.”

#KeenelandNovember: GI winner DALIKA (Pastorius), in foal to Flightline, leaves the ring after selling for $1.65 million to Pursuit of Success/Bryan Prentice. Consigned by @caseclay1! pic.twitter.com/PE9EWYhNVU

— TDN (@theTDN) November 8, 2023

Consigned by Case Clay Thoroughbred Management, the gray mare sold in foal to Flightline.

Clay said, “I thought it was great and was well sold and well bought. She's sound, a Grade I winner and in foal to Flightline, so I think it's a fair value for her.”

The mare is a member of the first group of mares to be bred to the 2022 Horse of the Year.

“She is a beautiful mare. We were keen to get her,” said St. George. “Obviously, in foal to a beautiful stallion. She was just a top-quality mare.”

Clay added, “[She was] the whole package. She won in 5 1/2 furlongs up to 11 furlongs–very versatile and carried her speed. It was every little thing and then when she arrived here she showed well the whole time. People really liked her, so there was a lot of attention.”

Out of the Hurricane Run (Ire) mare Drawn To Run, the 7-year-old is a half-sister to Group 3 placed Drawn To Dream (Ire) (Iquitos {Ger}). Her extended family includes Group 1 winners Corre Caminos and Recital.

“She is a top race filly,” said St. George. “She has the quality and looks and, hopefully, she can throw something that looks like her. The sky is the limit.”

While at the forefront of Wednesday's purchase for Prentice, St. George was quick to credit the late bloodstock James Delahooke for much of the team's success.

“Mr. James Delahooke used to do a lot of work for [the Prentices] and I am carrying on his legacy,” he said. “It's really a team effort. The mare is on the farm.”

“Taking on James's legacy, it takes an army to do it. God rest his soul.” —@CbossTDN

Dalika Departure Bittersweet for Varga

Paul Varga of Bal Mar Equine found himself in the unprecedented position of experiencing the joy of reeling in seven figures for his prized mare Dalika, but also facing the sad reality of her departure.

“She definitely gave us a great day,” he said. “But it really is hard obviously to let go of a mare like that.”

Grade 1 winner in foal to Flightline, DALIKA (GER), sells for $1.6 million from the @caseclay1 consignment, bought by Pursuit of Success LLC! #KeeNov pic.twitter.com/MWXpvn24ou

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) November 9, 2023

Bred by Gestut Ammerland, Dalika made three starts in Europe, including a win at Dresden in 2018, before selling privately to Varga late in her 2-year-old season.

For Varga and trainer Al Stall, the German bred annexed four wins at the graded level in the U.S., headed by a score in the 2022 GI Beverly D. S. before retiring with earnings in excess of $1.4 million

In regard to the final price, he added, “Given the results of her accomplishments, that's sort of where we thought she might be.”

While bittersweet, Varga explained the bright side was that he retains Drawn to Race (Ger), a full-sister to the Grade I winner.

“One great thing is I have her full-sister. She's in foal, so I can still keep the family. A huge amount of congratulations to not only Case [Clay] for selling her, but also to Albert Stall, who trained her all along. She required a ton of patience to run that much over that long a time. And he and his group did a super job. Honestly, this was great, but it's so much more fun to watch them win on the racetrack.” —@CbossTDN

Repole Back in Action at Keeneland

Mike Repole, who spent $6 million to buy out his partners on champion Nest (Curlin) at the Fasig-Tipton November sale Tuesday, was back in action at Keeneland Wednesday, purchasing five mares for $4.4 million. Leading the way was the racing/broodmare prospect Interstatedaydream (Classic Empire) (hip 201), who sold for $1.4 million.

“Nice, nice, nice horse,” Repole said of the 4-year-old Ontario-bred who was consigned by Four Star Sales. “I thought she was worth that as a broodmare. We are going to race her next year. I am trying to save racing one horse at a time. Thought about keeping her with Brad Cox.”

The hits keep coming at #KeeNov! Interstatedaydream, recent stakes winner by Classic Empire sold for $1.4 million from the @FourStarSales consignment, purchased by @Westbloodstock for @RepoleStable. pic.twitter.com/UzBgf4pU8A

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) November 9, 2023

Interstatedaydream, who was purchased by Staton Flurry's Flurry Racing Stable for $175,000 at the 2021 OBS April sale, won last year's GII Black-Eyed Susan S. and GIII Indiana Oaks and was third in the GI Ashland S. She came into the Keeneland sale off wins in the Sept. 30 Twixt S. and Nov. 3 Turnback the Alarm S.

The bay filly is out of Babcock (Uncle Mo), a half-sister to Canadian champion Uncaptured (Lion Heart).

Repole, who said Tuesday he expects to return Nest to the races in 2024, also plans to send Surprisingly (Mastery) (hip 140)  back to the track after purchasing the 4-year-old filly for an even $1 million Wednesday from the Claiborne Farm consignment. Bred and campaigned by the Phipps family, the filly won the GIII Endeavor S. in February for trainer Shug McGaughey before hitting the board in four straight graded events through the summer. She was most recently seventh in the GII Ballston Spa S. in August at Saratoga.

“I have a lot of respect for the Phippses,” Repole said. “I have been partners with them on other horses. Plus, I like that she can race. We will keep her here for about 30 days and then ship out to Palm Beach to Todd [Pletcher] and have some fun with her last year. And then put her in our broodmare band.”

Surprisingly is out of Vagabond (Arch), a half-sister to graded winner Great Island (Scat Daddy). Her third dam is Matlacha Pass (Seeking the Gold), who produced MGISWs Point of Entry and Pine Island.

“I get excited about the mares we are buying to race,” Repole said. “[My associates] are getting excited about the mares we are buying in foal. But I like running and I enjoy the races. If we can keep horses around at ages four and five, they can become stars and be more durable.”

Champagne Lady to Barronstown Stud

Stakes-placed Champagne Lady (Uncle Mo) (hip 214) has a pending date with Triple Crown winner Justify after selling for $1.45 million to the bid of the David and Diane Nagle's Barronstown Stud. The 6-year-old mare, who sold in foal to champion Flightline, was consigned by Lane's End. She is out of Grazie Mille (Bernardini) and is a full-sister to Grade I winner Mo Town and a half-sister to stakes-winning and multiple graded placed 'TDN Rising Star' Justique (Justify).

CHAMPAGNE LADY hammers at $1.45 million, the Uncle Mo mare in foal to Flightline was consigned by @LanesEndFarms and purchased by Barronstown Stud at #KeeNov pic.twitter.com/dcsTCIsifv

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) November 9, 2023

“We loved Champagne Lady's pedigree and we bought her to go to Justify,” said Diane Nagle. “She's a gorgeous mare. Fingers crossed.”

Don Adam's Courtlandt Farms purchased Champagne Lady for $875,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September sale. She was third in the 2022 My Charmer S.

Spendthrift Back in Action at Keeneland

On the heels of an active day of buying the preceding day, Spendthrift Farm was back at it during Keeneland's Book 1 session. The operation's purchases were led by the $1.05-million buy Tarabi (First Samurai) (Hip 142), offered by Lane's End Farm.

“She is a really impressive physical and a well-bred filly, so we are really excited to have her,” said Spendthrift's Ned Toffey. “It was about what we thought we would have to pay. It was a fair price for her. She would be a nice addition to the broodmare band.”

The hammer falls at $1.05 million for Grade 1 placed TARABI! Consigned by @LanesEndFarms, and purchased by @spendthriftfarm at #KeeNov pic.twitter.com/nRZlTcuGft

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) November 8, 2023

A stakes winner and twice Grade I placed on the track, the chestnut is out of Indian Bay (Indian Charlie), also responsible for full-sibling Shivaji, a group stakes winner and Group 1 placed in Japan.

Asked about who might be first up as a possible mate for the 4-year-old mare, Toffey said, “We have a couple of options there. Maybe something on the farm, or maybe we'll take her off the farm. We'll figure it out.”

At Fasig-Tipton Tuesday, Spendthrift secured five mares for $7.7 million, headed by the $3-million purchase of GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Secret Oath (Arrogate).

“A couple of years ago we bought a number of really strong mares,” said Toffey, explaining the nursery's spending over the two days. “We always continue to try to upgrade the broodmare band. The old adage: pad at the top, and carve from the bottom. That's us just trying to do that. This is part of our process.” —@CbossTDN

Technical Analysis to Japan

Technical Analysis (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) (hip 145), consigned by Elite, will eventually be heading to the Far East after selling for $1 million Wednesday at Keeneland. Bloodstock agent Keisuke Onishi of J S Company made the winning bid on behalf of an undisclosed Japanese client.

“She was a very good race horse and was quite a good mover,” said Onishi. “The owner may keep her here to breed her in the U.S. or he may send her straight to Japan.”

Consigned by @EliteRaceSales and purchased by J.S. Company, multiple graded stakes winner TECHNICAL ANALYSIS (IRE) sells for $1 million at #KeeNov! pic.twitter.com/SfM1voaUNK

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) November 8, 2023

Technical Analysis, purchased for 200,000gns at the 2019 Tattersalls October sale, was a four-time graded stakes winner for Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown, with victories in the 2022 GII Ballston Spa S. and 2021 GII Lake Placid S. The 5-year-old mare capped her racing career with a win in the Oct. 27 Athenia S.

The mare's trip through the sales ring Wednesday added to an impressive roster of sales for Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, which also sold Grade I winner Search Results (Flatter) to Katsumi Yoshida for $3.6 million and stakes winner Strong Incentive (Warrior's Reward) for $2,150,000 to Alpha Delta Stables at Fasig-Tipton Tuesday.

The Japanese buyers, who were such a strong presence at Fasig-Tipton, continued to be active across town Wednesday despite the weakness of the yen to the dollar.

“The currency situation is not that good for us, but I think the Japanese buyers still have to be active and try to find good pedigrees and horses to import to Japan,” said Onishi.

AAA Active from Fasig to Keeneland

Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo's weanling-to-yearling pinhooking partnership AAA Thoroughbreds, which enjoyed seven-figure success at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, has been busy buying foals, both at Newtown Paddocks Tuesday and at Keeneland Wednesday. The group purchased a colt by Gun Runner (hip 51) for $470,000 and a colt by Justify (hip 67) for $450,000 Tuesday.

At Keeneland Wednesday, AAA Thoroughbreds purchased four weanlings, led by a daughter of Curlin (hip 151) consigned by Denali Stud for $550,000. The foal is out of multiple graded winner Tin Type Gal (Tapit), who is a daughter of Grade I winner Miss Shop (Deputy Minister).

“She's a Curlin filly with a big pedigree,” Hartley said of the chestnut's appeal. “It's so hard to buy Curlins, so we felt like any one that we can get our hands on, we are going to try to buy. I felt like this filly, with the pedigree, she had the whole package. It's a lot of money, but to get a Curlin, if you like them, you're going to have to pay for them.”

Keeneland November Sale | Keeneland

The AAA Thoroughbreds partnership also acquired a colt from the first crop of Grade I winner Yaupon (Uncle Mo) (hip 37) for $400,000 from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. The weanling is out of graded winner Lady Sabelia (Majestic Warrior).

“I thought he was the best Yaupon on the ground,” Hartley said. “My goal was to come here and try to buy the best one.”

Hartley said he had plenty of faith in the young stallion, who stands for $25,000 at Spendthrift Farm.

“And my friend Hoby Kight bought [Yaupon] as a yearling, so I was around him when he worked :20 and change at Gulfstream,” Hartley said. “He was such a beautiful horse. And then he went off and won those graded races. We just felt like he could be a big up-and-coming stallion for us. We searched over there [at Fasig] and over here and he was the best one we saw.”

Yaupon worked a quarter in :20 3/5 before RNA'ing for $485,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale. He returned to sell for $255,000 to Corinne and Bill Heiligbrodt at the OBS June sale and went on to win the 2021 GI Forego S.

Yaupon was also represented in the Keeneland sales ring Wednesday by a filly (hip 5) who sold for $400,000 to Haruya Yoshida.

Asked about paying $400,000 for a pinhooking prospect by a first-crop sire, Hartley said, “$400,000 is the new number if you like a baby now. You used to be able to come here and buy these for $200,000 or $250,000, but those $200,000 babies are $400,000 now. If you want them, you've just got to buy them.” @JessMartiniTDN

Justify Colt Brings $525K On Day 1

Midway through Wednesday's Book 1 session, a weanling colt by Justify, Hip 150, realized $525,000 from Michelle St. George, signing as Teddy Town Thoroughbreds from the back of the sales pavilion. Consigned by Vinery Sales, the Feb. 27 foal is out of Peruvian Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Thundering Emilia (Thunder Gulch).

“Everything about him was desirable,” said St. George. “He was a beautiful horse. The stallion is also on top of the world right now. We are very happy to have him.”

According to St. George, also the wife of Archie St. George, the colt was purchased as a pinhook prospect.

“We have been very fortunate this year,” she said when asked about the year in the ring thus far. “Some of them were pinhooks and others, homebreds. But we did have a  good year. When you have the right stallions and the right pedigree, it helps.”

The colt's 17-year-old dam is also responsible for Peruvian Group 1 scorer Emilia's Moon (Malibu Moon), SP Mighty Scarlett (Scat Daddy) and Helium (Ironicus), winner of the GII Tampa Bay Derby.

The St. Georges also purchased Hip 138, a filly by Charlatan, for $280,000 earlier in the session. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales selling on behalf of the dispersal of White Fox Farm, the chestnut is out of GSW Summersault (Rock Hard Ten).

According to St. George, the operation aims to secure up to about 20 weanlings throughout the season, but admits that they typically aren't at the price point of Wednesday's purchase.

“You have to do this [buy at the upper level] unfortunately. It's hard, but it's kind of what we're up against now. But this is the one we wanted for today, and we are delighted to have him.” —@CbossTDN

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“For the long-term plan, we are trying to get the quality is there for the buyers we are recruiting, Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “We spend many months throughout the year meeting our potential customers and current clients. When you look at that effort this year, the strong Middle East presence and the Japanese that are coming over her in greater numbers than ever before. We want to make sure that is something we are constantly doing. It is our job to create as good a marketplace as possible for the stock we have on the grounds. I think we're making real traction in that regard.”

Among the headliners in this season's catalog is Puca (Big Brown) (Hip 191), carrying a full-sister to GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic), and Grade I winner Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger}) (Hip 223), in foal to 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline.

“Keeneland is excited that Case has chosen us to offer these two exceptional broodmares in Book 1 of the November Breeding Stock Sale–and mark the debut of Case Clay Thoroughbred Management,” said Lacy. “While at Three Chimneys Farm, when it was owned by his family, Case oversaw the sale of a large number of million-dollar-plus broodmares over many years, including the great Take Charge Lady here at Keeneland in 2004. Along with this experience at the top end, he has an extraordinary amount of connections and relationships with domestic and international buyers.”

In addition to appearing on Puca's page, Flightline, an undefeated earner of over $4.5 million, is also listed as the covering sire of Grade I winner/graded producer Centre Court (Smart Strike) (Hip 213), and graded winners Another Broad (Include) (Hip 180) and Lady Scarlet (Union Rags) (Hip 338). He was bred to a limited book of 152 mares in his first season at stud, and will be represented by 10 in-foal mares at Keeneland November. Flightline made headlines at Keeneland's November sale last year when a fractional share in the champion brought $4.6 million.

“You have a stallion that gained a lot of focus because of what he did on the track and also finished off his career here at Keeneland. We were fortunate enough to sell that fractional interest here and this year we offer some very high-quality mares in foal to him. That is a great continuation. We're very excited about the mares, it is a select group and it's not over-flooding the market. It is going to gain serious attention, not just from domestic buying base but also from the international breeders as well because he is a fascinating stallion.”

Also making an appearance with their first in-foal mares are a trio of champions Corniche (Quality Road), Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music), Epicenter (Not This Time), and GI Preakness and GI Belmont S. winners Early Voting (Gun Runner) and Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo).

Caravel | Sarah Andrew

Among the mares certain to garner plenty of attention during Book 1 is 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint heroine Caravel (Mizzen Mast) (Hip 210), consigned by Hunter Valley Farm. The 6-year-old, a half-sister to MSW Witty (Great Notion), won three of six starts this term, including the GI Jaipur S. Bolstered by her recent form, Chilean Group 1 winner Le Da Vida (Chi) (Gemologist) (Hip 41) enters this off a third-place effort in last weekend's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Sold as a racing or broodmare prospect, the 6-year-old mare is consigned by Greenfield Farms. Also among mares to watch in this year's catalog, GI American Oaks heroine Rhea Moon (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) is offered as Hip 101 from the Gainesway consignment, in addition to Grade I-producing Ack Naughty (Afleet Alex) (Hip 246), who sells in foal to Into Mischief. The dam of the late GI Santa Anita Derby winner Practical Move (Practical Joke) is consigned by Sequel Bloodstock, agent for Chester and Mary Broman.

“We have a lot of nice individuals. Obviously, we have Caravel. She was one we had in the sale last year and she's back this year. We've had a few defections like Zeezee Zoomzoom (dam of Caravel). They just felt they wanted to hang on a little longer, which is fine. What is good in a healthy market and is difficult in November is that sometimes feel like they don't need to sell because they had a good yearling market. We have some really nice stock in here, very high-class mares that people are attracted by.

“Midnight Bisou last year was a nice late addition that really stood out. I think this year, there is a broader range of high-quality stock and Grade I winners and producers.

“We're looking at long term. We're looking to build a solid foundation as we go forward. We're more focused that the whole structure of our sale's process is developing. That we are moving forward year over year.”

A bevy of sires also enter the stage with their first weanlings, highlighted by GISWs Yaupon (Uncle Mo) (46) and GISW Silver State (Hard Spun) (37), in addition to Horse of the Year Knicks Go (Paynter) (27) and champion and Classic scorer Essential Quality (Tapit) (10).

Last year's sale was topped by champion older dirt female Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute), who brought $5.5 million from Katsumi Yoshida. On Day 1 in 2022, a total of nine head brought seven figures or more, in addition to Flightline's fractional share. The initial session generated $68.53 million in gross revenue (including post sales) for 142 horses sold.

Launching its nine-day run Wednesday, the sale begins with 250 head catalogued on its opening day, with bidding commencing at 1:00p.m. The remaining eight sessions start at 10:00 a.m. The November sale concludes with a single-session Horses of Racing Age Sale Nov. 17.

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Clay was in Australia for the Inglis Easter Sale this spring to oversee a successful auction for his clients offering yearlings there. They celebrated several lucrative sales, including a Dundeel (NZ) colt out of Kevikki (Aus) (Smart Missile {Aus})–a mare that Clay had purchased privately for the breeding partnership–that sold for A$500,000 out of the Arrowfield consignment to Katsumi Yoshida.

He maintains his longstanding relationship with Three Chimneys by working to expand Gun Runner's international presence. In April he took a trip to Japan, visiting farms there to recruit mares for the emerging supersire.

Of course he was recently on hand for the domestic yearlings sales as well, representing clients both buying and selling. During Book 1 of Keeneland September, Case Clay Thoroughbred Management purchased a Kingman (GB) filly from the family of Uncle Mo for $625,000.

“It's going well,” Clay shared. “I'm really enjoying it and having a lot of fun. The goal is to try and do well for my clients, whether that is advising or buying or selling for them. I feel lucky to be working with some great people and what I'm really liking is the variety of work. It's never the same job from one day to the next.”

Clay's next undertaking is one that he admits was never really in the cards for his business until now. At the Keeneland November Sale, he will launch his first consignment. The two-horse lineup features Puca (Big Brown–Boat's Ghost, by Silver Ghost), the dam of GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic), and Grade I-winning millionaire Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger}–Drawn to Run {Ire}), by Hurricane Run {Ire}).

Mage gets the win in the GI Kentucky Derby | Horsephotos

“This was not really in the plans, but when these two mares came along and did well, it became part of the plan,” Clay explained. “I'm lucky to have clients and relationships that have confidence in me to take them to a sale. They were very much a part of this decision and very much a part of me being fortunate enough to sell them.”

Clay's father Robert Clay launched Grandview Equine not long after selling Three Chimneys in 2013. When the partnership bought several shares in Good Magic, they purchased Puca, a stakes-winning half-sister to GISW Finnegans Wake (Powerscourt {GB}), for $475,000. After producing her first foal by Gun Runner the following spring, Puca was sent to Good Magic in his first year at stud.

The resulting foal was Mage, who Grandview sold as a yearling for $235,000. Although he won't make it to the Breeders' Cup this weekend due to a fever, the Kentucky Derby winner has stamped himself as a top 3-year-old this year as he collected additional Grade I placings in the Florida Derby, Preakness S. and Haskell S. and he will now point to the GI Pegasus World Cup in 2024.

“My dad has been floating around since May,” Clay said with a laugh. “It's very exciting for my parents and the partners in Grandview.”

At 11 years old, Puca's produce record extends past Mage. That first Gun Runner foal, a filly named Gunning, was retained by Grandview and is twice stakes placed. Her 2-year-old Dornoch, a full-brother to Mage, was second in the Sapling S. in August and just broke his maiden at Keeneland by six and a half lengths for trainer Danny Gargan. Puca's yearling colt by McKinzie sold to Mayberry Farm for $1.2 million at the Keeneland September Sale.

“She's three for three with producing blacktype and now has sold a $1.2 million yearling as well,” said Clay. “Her foals are all a little bit different, but one consistency is that they're good-looking horses. They're all commercially-appealing physicals. She's a big, beautiful mare and she's from a good-producing family.”

Puca will be offered at Keeneland November in foal to Good Magic.

“Who knows what her potential is with what she has already produced?” said Clay. “I can't think of another Derby producer that sold in the same year with this kind of produce record from only three foals to race.”

The other mare in the consignment, the German-bred Dalika, represents the scope of Clay's international network.

A winner at two in her native country for her breeder Gestüt Ammerland, Dalika caught the eye of Bal Mar Equine's Paul Varga.

“Paul and I had talked a lot about buying fillies in Europe and racing them here,” explained Clay. “By good luck, I am friends with Ammerland. He used to board his horses at Three Chimneys back in the day. Crispin de Moubray is a good friend and he managed for Ammerland for many years. I called him and we were able to buy Dalika privately.”

Dalika quickly emerged as a turf force on American soil and she was a presence in the Al Stall barn for four years as she amassed four career graded stakes wins highlighted by the 2022 GI Beverly D. S. at Churchill Downs.

“She won at seven distances, from five and a half to 11 furlongs,” said Clay. “A track record setter at Churchill Downs and Kentucky Downs, she had 32 starts and retired sounds. She was kind of the dream filly. Al Stall did an amazing job training her. It's one of those things where it was such a lucky circumstance that such a durable mare ended up in Stall's hands.”

Dalika is Stall's highest-earning filly with over $1.4 million in earnings.

“She is very unique to what we are training in America,” said Stall. “When she was traveling well close to the front end, she was a tough horse to get by. She outlasted the competition and she brought it most of the time. That was the best thing about her. Every time she ran we would just assume that she would come out of the race fine and usually she did. There's a lot to like about this mare with her soundness, heart and reliability.”

Dalika wins the 2022 GI Beverly D. | Horsephotos

Retired from racing at the start of the year, Dalika is now carrying her first foal by 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline.

Clay said he believes the 7-year-old's pedigree will offer breeders ample opportunity for success.

“You've got breedability with her,” he said. “She's pretty much an outcross anywhere. These German mares are durable and they have produced winners of a lot of races around the world–the Arc, the Melbourne Cup, the King George and Queen Elizabeth, the French Derby and Epsom Derby. For anyone around the world who wants to win a major Classic, the more you look into it, these German mares produce those types.”

Clay said he doesn't plan to set expectations for his consignment until the mares are on site. Until then, he will finalize last-minute preparations, take a quick trip to the Breeders' Cup on Friday and then return to Lexington to ship in for the weekend.

“Once you get to the sale you can get a feel for things, so I've left all that until later,” he said. “I plan to treat my customers and the people I deal with right and hopefully the rest takes care of itself.”

Clay is quick to say that while he is looking forward to this latest endeavor, he has no plans of expanding his consignment into yearling sales.

“Selling mares that are in my camp is vertical integration, so it makes sense,” he said. “Mares are much more straightforward, whether you're buying or selling them. That's what I like about it.”

After a 20-year tenure at Three Chimneys, Clay has had a hand in offering many top-selling broodmares and broodmare prospects to the marketplace. One of his most memorable Keeneland November Sales was back in 2004, when MGISW Take Charge Lady (Dehere) was consigned by Three Chimneys and sold for $4.2 million.

Clay said he hopes his past experiences serve him well going forward.

“I was super lucky to be working for Three Chimneys when there were a lot of these million-dollar plus mares going through,” he said. “Take Charge Lady was a really memorable one, as well as Mizdirection (Mizzen Mast), Composure (Touch Gold) and Life at Ten (Malibu Moon). It's nice to have that experience to pull from and I'm looking forward to getting back in the saddle with these two mares.”

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(2) Dornoch is all class in race 6 with @luissaezpty aboard. (4) Django finishes second and (3) Lat Long takes third.

Dornoch is a full brother to Kentucky Derby winner Mage. Look for his dam Puca selling as hip 191 at #KeeNov! pic.twitter.com/9MaQxS7TpF

— Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) October 14, 2023

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The foal crop keeps dropping every year, but that doesn't seem to affect the September sale. There were 4,215 horses entered in the sale this year, the second straight year that number had increased. Breathnach was asked how Keeneland has avoided a downturn in the number of horses entered in the sale.

“It's a great question, and I'm not sure there's an easy answer, but there's a lot of things that we look at in there,” Breathnach said. “We're very grateful for the support that we get. Twenty-four percent of the entire North American foal crop goes through the Keeneland  September sale, which is staggering. It's a tribute to the people who came long before Tony (Lacy) and I, people like Rogers Beasley and Geoffrey Russell and everybody else that made this sale what it is today. We're just trying to be stewards to advance that as far as we can. There are a lot of very clever, very experienced, very dedicated commercial breeders. And thankfully for us, they're looking to our September sale as a large outlet for their for their stock every year. That's a privilege for us, but also a huge responsibility that we do the best we can with what they're bringing us.”

The November sale will feature stars like GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel (Mizzen Mast), Grade I winner Dalika (GER) (Pastorious {GER}) and Puca (Big Brown). Puca is the dam of GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) and will also be carrying a foal who is a full sibling to Mage. The sale will also give buyers their first chance to buy mares who are in foal to 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline (Tapit).

“We've had a lot of calls about Flightline already from all over the world about what mares are going to be in the catalog that he was bred to and how many and so on,” Breathnach said. “I think he's going to create the splash that everybody expects. People still remember that last year we sold a 2 1/2 percent share in him that went for $4.6 million. We're excited to continue that story.”

Keeneland opened Oct. 6 with its Fall Stars Weekend. Like everyone else, Breathnach is looking forward to what should be a great weekend of racing.

“It's going to be fantastic,” he said. “We have 11 stakes this weekend. Eight of them are Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' races. It's three unparalleled days of action here. One race that I think really jumps out to me is the Darley Alcibiades. I think that race is loaded. Look at the morning line, you've got fillies like Alys Beach at 20-1. It could be one of the best races of the year. The whole weekend, it's going to be action packed, turf and dirt sprints, races going long on the turf and dirt. I can't wait for it.”

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Retired Racehorse Project, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, West Point Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm, XBTV.com and 1/ST Racing, Lane's End, the team of Zoe Cadman, Bill Finley and Randy Moss discussed a story in the TDN in which John Sikura called for a massive purse increase for the GI Kentucky Derby and the GI Kentucky Oaks. While agreeing with Sikura, Finley pointed out that Churchill Downs has very little incentive to increase the pot. The team reviewed last weekend's big slate of races, which included a win by Cody's Wish (Curlin) in the GII Vosburgh S. Looking ahead, the trio agreed that the GI Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland could be the highlight of the weekend as it could be a showdown of the best turf horse in the U.S. in Up to the Mark (Not This Time) and the Charlie Appleby trained star Master of the Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

To watch the Writers' Room, click here. To view the show as a podcast, click here.

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