Gary Broad/Walmac Farm paid $550,000 for the 3-year-old Street Sense mare Belle Street, a half-sister to Grade 2 winner and Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Eight Belles, who is carrying her first foal by Bernardini, to post the highest price of Saturday's fourth session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in Lexington, Ky.
Saturday marked another day of robust trade at the November Sale when 252 horses sold for $19,981,500, for an average of $79,292 and a median of $65,000. During the fourth session last year, total sales reached $13,141,000 for 226 horses, for an average of $58,146 and a median of $43,500.
Cumulative sales this year are $146,615,500 for 838 horses, for an average of $174,959 and a median of $120,000. Through the same period last year, the gross was $115,669,000 for 747 horses, for an average of $154,845 and a median of $90,000.
Godolphin consigned Belle Street, who is out of stakes winner Away, by Dixieland Band, and also from the family of Grade 3 winners Sky Captain and Belong to Me.
“She's a good-looking mare from a very good family,” Michael Banahan, Director of Farm Operations, Godolphin USA, said. “We didn't anticipate she was going to make that much money. But it's been so strong here since the sale started. She made well over her reserve. You can probably put an extra 20-35 percent on top of what we were valuing the mares at. It's just an unbelievably strong market.
Leading sire Bernardini, who died in July, stood for Godolphin at Darley at Jonabell.
Banahan said the Godolphin consignment is “part of what we do every year, trying to streamline our broodmare band.” Selling mares such as Belle Street represents an opportunity for breeders to buy mares from top-quality Godolphin families.
“Anytime we've brought mares to the sale, even when we haven't sold them ourselves, people are very keen to try to get into these families,” Banahan said. “They've done well for other people as well. That's why they are so popular.”
Gainesway Farm paid $340,000 for the day's second highest-priced horse, Trophy Wife, a 12-year-old daughter of Giant's Causeway, who has produced two stakes-placed runners, High Tech and Power Move, and is in foal to Mastery.
Claiborne Farm, agent, consigned Trophy Wife, whose dam is Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) winner Pleasant Home, by Seeking the Gold. The family also includes Grade 1 winner Guarana and Grade 2 winner Country Hideaway.
Multiple stakes winner and Grade 3-placed I'm Betty G, a 7-year-old daughter of Into Mischief in foal to Improbable, sold to Stoneriggs Farm for $275,000. Consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent, she is out of Lady in Ermine, by Honour and Glory, and from the family of stakes winners Sadler's Sarah, Commonsensical and Truth and Nobility.
Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, was the session's leading consignor with sales of $2,571,000 for 23 horses.
Taylor Made consigned the session's fourth highest-priced horse, stakes winner and Grade 3-placed Ask Bailey, a 4-year-old daughter of Run Away and Hide cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect, to Mulholland Springs for $255,000. Ask Bailey is a half-sister to Grade 3-placed Codoy and from the family of Grade 1 winners Graydar and Ron the Greek and Grade 2 winner Musket Man. Her dam is Puype's Dream, by Kris S.
Taylor Made also sold the $210,000 top-priced weanling, a filly by Nyquist purchased by Bolter Bloodstock. Out of Chifa, by Orientate, she is from the family of Grade 1 winners Dream Tree and Golden Ticket and Grade 2 winners Academy Award and Magical Feeling.
Code of Honor LLC/L.E.B., agent, paid $1 million for eight horses to lead buyers.
The November Sale resumes Sunday at 10 a.m. ET and continues through Friday, Nov. 19.
The Nov. 19 session will conclude with a single dedicated portion of horses of racing age following the conclusion of breeding stock. A total of 285 horses of racing age have been cataloged to the closing day and will follow the total of 148 head of breeding stock in the catalog.
Keeneland will accept supplements to the horses of racing age section through mid-November.
Click here for the online catalog for the horses of racing age in Session 10 of the November Sale. The entire auction is streamed live on Keeneland.com.
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