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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

David Ingordo signed the ticket for the colt.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To view the session's results, click here.

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China Horse Club’s Breeding Operation Continues To Branch Out

A new chapter in the evolution of China Horse Club has been written with confirmation that the first yearling produced by one of its American-based Grade 1-winning racehorses is now taking its formative steps towards a racing career.

Yellow Agate, who became the China Horse Club's inaugural Grade 1 winner in the United States, is again blazing a trail for the internationally-minded operation, closing the final loop in a long-standing plan to buy and race elite fillies before breeding them to sell at major markets the world over.

“This is an exciting time for the Club. A long-term plan set in process several years ago is now coming full circle,” said Michael Wallace, chief operating officer for the China Horse Club. “In 2015 we started a plan to selectively purchase quality fillies from major sales around the world. The objective being to develop some of them into Grade 1 winners on the track and, in time, for these Grade 1 winning fillies and mares to become a cornerstone of our breeding operations in major markets.

“That has now happened,” he continued. “Earlier this year we had First Seal's first yearling offered publicly at auction in Australia and this spring we have the first yearling by one of our American stars, Yellow Agate, taking the first steps in his career for his new owners.”

In April, a Snitzel colt out of G1 Flight Stakes winner First Seal topped the 2020 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, Australia's premier yearling sale, when Coolmore Australia won out with a final bid of $1,800,000 Australian (US$1,315,751). The athletic colt has recently turned two and is in the care of champion trainer Chris Waller.

The Curlin x Yellow Agate colt is currently being broken in at Stonestreet Farm before joining the operation of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Pletcher's record grows season upon season and its achievements with the China Horse Club and partners are representative of this. He trained former G1 Florida Derby winner and now WinStar Farm-based sire Audible, Kentucky Oaks contender Ivy Bell and currently oversees the careers of the stakes-winner Valiance and the above-average Fearless.

Yellow Agate was purchased from the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and franked that assessment by becoming a Grade 1 winner at just her second start in the 2016 Frizette Stakes. That explosive performance was a career highlight for the athletic bay who joined China Horse Club's U.S.-based breeding operation after an injury setback.

The 2008 Eclipse Horse of the Year, Curlin, was chosen as the first mate for Yellow Agate. In the ensuing years the champion racehorse has continued to build on his imposing record as a sire and there is every reason to be buoyant about this latest prospect by Yellow Agate.

“The Curlin x Yellow Agate yearling is a stunning colt, he really is,” Wallace said. “He has always been highlighted rated in our system and just continue to develop physically. He is a really powerful type who gets over ground well.

“Earlier this year Yellow Agate delivered a filly by Quality Road and she is just exceptional,”Wallace continued. “The mare is doing a wonderful job to China Horse Club. She is the racetrack graduate we hoped for and she is throwing her athletic frame into her progeny and giving them the chance to replicate what she was able to do on the track.”

Yellow Agate was covered again by star stallion Quality Road in March. In Australia, China Horse Club's talismanic First Seal was covered by champion first, second and third-season sire Zoustar earlier this month.

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$1.25-Million Tapit Filly Leads Opening Day Of Keeneland September Yearling Sale

Claiborne Farm, agent, paid $1.25 million for a filly by leading sire Tapit out of Grade 1 winner Embellish the Lace to top today's first session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale on a day marked by brisk trade and the sale of five horses for $1 million or more.

On Sunday, the first of two sessions of the prestigious Book 1 catalog, Keeneland sold 109 yearlings for a total of $40,680,000, for an average of $373,211 and a median of $330,000.

“We're so happy to be having a September Yearling Sale,” Keeneland President-Elect and Interim Head of Sales Shannon Arvin said. “It was great to have people on the grounds. It was great to have trade. It was great to see people following (COVID-19) protocols so we can continue to have trade. It was a good day overall.”

Keeneland is conducting the September Sale, which continues through Sept. 25, amid COVID-19 protocols designed to create the safest sales environment possible. The sale is offering online and expanded phone bidding to enable buyers to participate remotely. Keeneland also has increased the number of bidding locations on the sales grounds to enable buyers to maintain proper social distancing. The new location at the Show Barn directly outside the Sales Pavilion proved popular with bidders.

Russell said five horses in the Sunday session sold via online bidding with one yearling purchased by a domestic buyer while the other four horses were sold to international buyers.

“The mechanics of the Internet bidding worked really well,” Arvin said. “We spent a lot of time practicing and preparing for that. It was great that it worked out as well as we expected it would.”

“Just to have a sale met our expectations,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell said. “We're very happy it's September at Keeneland and we're having a horse sale. To have competitive bidding at all levels of the market was very rewarding. The resiliency of this industry is unbelievable. For what everyone has been through, we appreciate all the buyers who are here and we wish them all success.”

During Sunday's session, fillies commanded the four-highest prices.

The session-topping Tapit filly, who was consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent, is out of Grade 1 Alabama winner Embellish the Lace, by Super Saver, and from the family of Grade 1 winners Afleet Express and Materiality.

Claiborne Stallion Seasons and Bloodstock Manager Bernie Sams signed the ticket for the filly.

“This is for a Claiborne client,” Sams said. “He is going to try to buy a couple more fillies and build a broodmare band in the next few years. He wanted a Tapit filly. I saw her for the first time here a few days ago. (My first impression was that she is a) pretty, athletic filly. She is from a young mare from a family that could run. (With Tapit) it is a good cross.”

“You just never know what is going to happen even though she had all of the interest,” Bluewater owner Meg Levy told TVG. “She jumped through all the hoops. I am really, really thrilled that Claiborne's client ended up getting her. She is such a queen. This filly did everything right the entire time.”

Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm paid $1.1 million for a daughter of Medaglia d'Oro who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and sire Constitution, Group 2 winner Boynton and Group 3 winner Jacaranda. Denali Stud, agent, consigned the filly, who is out of the Grade 3-placed winner Baffled, by Distorted Humor.

“We are not looking for collectable (broodmares); we are looking for a racehorse first,” said Todd Quast, who signed the ticket. “She obviously has great broodmare potential. She checked all the boxes for us. She is very athletic with a super, super shoulder like the Medaglia d'Oros have. We are happy to have her.”

Mike Ryan, agent, paid $1.05 million for a daughter of War Front who is a full sister to European champion and multiple Group 1 winner Air Force Blue. Out of the stakes-placed Maria's Mon mare Chatham, she was consigned by breeder Stone Farm.

“This is for a client I started to buy a few horses for last year,” Ryan said. “He has been in racing awhile. This filly probably will go to Europe. She will start out there. Being a full sister to champion Air Force Blue, you would have to think she will love the turf. She looks to me like a filly who will run in the states on the dirt. She's looks more to me like a dirt horse, but we know she will handle the grass. Hopefully she will do some good in Europe and we bring her back here later in her career.”

Ryan said he “thought she was an exceptional physical when I saw her at Stone Farm on (Aug. 28). She is a May foal and is very well grown for her age. Stone Farm raises good horses, and it is nice to buy from people who consistently raise good horses.”

Gainesway, agent, sold two yearlings – a daughter of Quality Road and a colt by Into Mischief – for $1 million each.

The Quality Road filly was purchased by Donato Lanni, agent. Out of the Grade 3-placed Ghostzapper mare Beloveda, she is from the family of Grade 3 winners Voyagers Quest and Golden Mystery.

Larry Best's OXO Equine paid $1 million for the son of Into Mischief out of Grade 2-placed winner Curlina, by Cuvee, to make him the session's high-priced colt. Best, who has a well-known affinity for progeny of Into Mischief, said, “I was looking for a good colt – I seem to collect the fillies.”

Asked about the market on opening day of the September Sale, Best said, “Based on what I've heard and seen today, the market's a little stronger than what I anticipated. There's a lot of buyers here paying a lot of money for good horses. So that's a good sign for the industry. I hope it continues.”

Lanni, agent for SF/Starlight/Madaket, was the session's leading buyer, spending $4.17 million for eight horses.

The leading consignor was Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, which sold 22 horses for $7.26 million.

The second session of the September Sale starts tomorrow at noon ET. The entire sale is streamed live at Keeneland.com.

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