Jill Gordon and Jacob West's new venture Highgate Sales looks to get off to a strong start with its first consignment at the upcoming Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale. They have a very good chance to do so thanks to the 10-horse consignment's star, GI La Brea S. runner-up Brilliant Cut (Speightstown) (Hip 541).
“We couldn't be more excited to be offering her on behalf of this ownership group [Boom Racing, ERJ Racing, Dave Kenney and William Strauss],” Gordon said. “They are a fun group of guys and I have had some luck in the past selling some fillies off the track for them. They don't breed, so we thought we would cash in while the iron's hot. On the buyer's perspective, you have limitless possibilities. You can run her for the rest of the year or you can take her directly to the breeding shed. She is by a leading broodmare sire in Speightstown. You combine her looks, her pedigree and her race record and she is the complete package for buyers.”
Brilliant Cut was claimed by these connections and trainer Doug O'Neill for $50,000 out of a winning effort at fourth asking at Del Mar in the fall of 2020. Third to La Brea winner Kalypso (Brody's Cause) in the GII Santa Ynez S. last winter, she was fourth next out in the GIII La Virgenes S., after which she was switched to the turf, finishing second in a local optional claimer last March.
Given a brief freshening, Brilliant Cut returned in the grassy Unzip Me S. in Arcadia Oct. 3, finishing fourth. Getting back on dirt, she returned to wining ways in an Oct. 30 starter optional claimer. Dispatched at 20-1 in the La Brea, she tracked pressed from second most of the way and stayed on to complete the exacta.
“We toyed with the idea [of selling her] a little bit before the La Brea and after that effort, it was clear [selling in a breeding stock sale] made the most sense for those guys and what their goals are,” Gordon said. “She shipped to Kentucky the very first week of January and she has been sales prepping at Nick Drion's farm since then. I am really appreciative for all of the hard work that he puts in. He does a wonderful job and she couldn't be in better hands.”
Brilliant Cut has a pedigree to match her ever-improving race record and lovely physical. Her year-younger half-sister Lemieux (Nyquist) captured a stake at Gulfstream last term and is gearing up for her 3-year-old season. Their dam Polish a Diamond (The Factor) is a half to SW & MGISP Bonnie Blue Flag (Mineshaft), who is the dam of one of the most exciting horses in training, GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner and recent GI Pegasus World Cup romper Life is Good (Into Mischief). Polish a Diamond is also a half to MGISW Diamondrella, who is the dam of GSW Spectroscope (Medaglia d'Oro), and to SW Highest Honors (Tapit).
“It is a family that is just exploding top to bottom,” Gordon said. “Life is Good obviously gave us a really good update over the weekend. Her 3-year-old half-sister Lemieux was a stakes winner last year and is back on the worktab for [Mark] Casse. It is a family that seems to have a new update every week.”
Gordon and West announced the launch of their new sales and bloodstock agency just before Christmas and this February consignment will be their first under the Highgate banner. Gordon brings plenty of experience to the consignment from her previous roles at Claiborne Farm and Warrendale Sales.
When asked about what led to this new venture, Gordon said, “It was something I thought about for quite a while. I sat down with Jacob West, who is obviously a very successful agent and a very good friend of mine. We decided to just jump in and do it. We have skill sets that are very complimentary and we work well together. I have sold horses for him in the past. We decided to just take the leap of faith. I have a good group of clients who are going to support me and Jacob brings a lot to the table.”
The Highgate banner will make an appearance at the major yearling, racehorse and breeding stock sales this season.
“We will do breeding stock, racehorses and yearlings,” Gordon said. “We will do the April sale at Keeneland, [Fasig] July, hopefully a [Fasig] Saratoga consignment and then we will roll right into September at Keeneland.”
While Brilliant Cut may be the star of Highgate's shedrow, the remaining nine mares also have plenty to offer potential clients.
“We have a really exciting consignment top to bottom,” Gordon said. “We feel like every horse we are bringing over has something to offer in terms of appeal. We have Vacay (Not This Time) (Hip 501). She is an exciting filly. She was a stakes winner at two and a multiple stakes-placed at three. She is by Not This Time, who couldn't be having a better couple of months.”
She added, “We have mares in foal to red-hot covering sires, like Munnings, Maclean's Music and Connect. We also have an Into Mischief broodmare prospect [Speeding (Hip 502)] with a lot of appeal. She was a winner herself and her recently turned 3-year-old brother was stakes-placed as a 2-year-old and is back on the worktab for Arnaud Delacour.”
As to be expected when starting a new business, Gordon heads into her first sale with Highgate with a mix of nerves and excitement.
“I think anytime you start something new there are a certain amount of nerves associated with that,” she said. “We have a great team around us. I have a guy Jose Vaquera who is going to run the barn with me. He has come with me from place to place, so having him there with me is a big comfort. We are excited to get started. This is something we have been brainstorming and working on for a while. We are excited to bring what we think is a really quality group of horses over for our first sale.”
The Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale, which was delayed a day due to a winter storm in Lexington, runs Feb. 8-9 with each session beginning at 10 a.m.
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