Klawervlei’s John Koster secured five interesting mares at the Keeneland Sale, two American mares by each of Storm Cat and A.P. Indy, the fifth an Irish-bred by Sadler’s Wells.
Ebaraya (#104), by Sadler’s Wells out of a stakes winning Darshaan mare, is full sister to Irish Oaks & French St Leger winner Ebadiyla. At $150k, the mare sold in foal to Street Sense, from the second season of the Kentucky Derby and Breeder’s Cup Juvenile winner.
Rubicat (248), by Storm Cat, was a $200k purchase. The mare is half sister to two Graded stakes winners, one the dam of a Gr3 winner in England. She is in foal to Gr1 sire Elusive Quality.
Dive (#375) is a Storm Cat daughter of a stakes winner in Japan, and herself full sister to a Japanese stakes winner. She fetched $200k, in foal to Mr Greeley.
Ms Blue Blood (#839) is a half sister by A.P. Indy to Kentucky Derby winner & sire Monarchos, from the female line of Dynaformer and Albert Hall, among others. She sold for $190k, in foal to Danzig-sire Hard Spun, a Gr1 winning front runner who also placed in the Gr1 Preakness and Breeder’s Cup Classic – this is a foal from his second crop.
Seattle Weekend (1318) is by A.P. Indy and from that sire’s female line – making her inbred 3×2 to Lassie Dear (also dam of Al Mufti and Wolfhound). She sold for $110k, in foal to and from the first crop of US Champion 2yo War Pass.
Thoroughbred Times reports that the top of the Thoroughbred auction market showed some strength at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale with eight seven figure purchases, but the middle to lower half of the market remained a tough selling spot for breeders and consignors.
The November sale closed its 13-day run on Saturday 20 November in Lexington. Keeneland reported 2929 horses as sold from 3780 offered for $147m, a 7% decline from $159m in total sales at the 2009 November sale. Last year’s November sale was bolstered by the Overbrook Farm dispersal, which accounted for $31m in sales. The 2010 sale got a boost from a Phipps Stable reduction and the dispersals of Irving Cowan, Stud TNT, Gulf Coast Farms, Clovelly Farms, and Elkhorn Creek Farm. Average price was $50k, down 12% from $57k at the 2009 November sale. Median declined 15% to $17k. The solid buy-back rate of 22% indicated strong trade at Keeneland November.
“The market is very resilient, and despite some continuing challenges, we saw several positive signs for the industry,” said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland’s director of sales. “As we anticipated, there has been a tremendous international presence here these past two weeks.
Foreign buyers, particularly Australians, were bolstered in their spending by quickly recovering economies and thriving racing programs at home. Their buying power made it difficult for Americans to compete. And yet, despite a lack of available credit, Americans stepped up and bought. It was very encouraging that both the buyer and underbidder on the sale topper were North American-based breeders.”
Frank Stronach went to $2.55-million to secure sale-topper Dreamtheimpossible during the second session. Bidding through Eric Hamelback, Adena Springs’ farm manager, Stronach outlasted Greg Goodman of Mt. Brilliant Farm to secure the four-year old daughter of Giant’s Causeway in foal to leading English/Irish sire Galileo (Ire).
“We thought she was the best mare in the sale,” Hamelback said. “And a big part of it was that Frank has acquired Plan and we’ll be standing him in 2011. We’re always looking for top-class mares and being in foal to Galileo was a huge plus.”
Dreamtheimpossible, winner of the 2008 Flame of Tara EBF Stakes, is a three-quarter sister to Plan, a son of Storm Cat out of 2000 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Spain, by Thunder Gulch. A 3-part brother to Dreamtheimpossible is Storm Cat sire Carpocrates, who stands at Middlefield in Natal, and has his first yearlings for sale in South Africa in 2011.
“We thought she should bring in the million-plus range, but you really never know,” said Reiley McDonald of consignor Eaton Sales. “I would say that there were probably at least 15 people here willing to give a million or more. It’s not often that you have a mare show 135 times at a breeding stock sale. It’s very unusual.
“This mare was particularly special because she had race record and ability, she had pedigree, and she was in foal to a horse we don’t get our hands on in this country, Galileo, who is arguably one of the best sires in the world.”
Lucky One, an eight-year-old mare by Best of Luck in foal to Pollard’s Vision and multiple Grade 1 winner Society Selection, by Coronado’s Quest, each sold for $1.85-million, the co-second-highest price of the sale. Shadai Farm purchased Lucky One, dam of probable champion three-year-old filly Blind Luck, from the consignment of Fairview Farm. Aisling Duignan, acting on behalf of Ireland’s Coolmore Stud, signed the ticket for Society Selection from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Cowan.
Three weanlings tied for the highest price among foals at the sale at $450,000—a filly by Dynaformer and colts from the first crops of Henrythenavigator and Street Sense. Michael V. Magnier purchased the Dynaformer filly out of Sometime (Ire), by Royal Academy, from the consignment of Pauls Mill, agent; D.M.I. Racing secured the Henrythenavigator colt out of multiple Grade 1 winner Versailles Treaty from Paramount Sales, agent; and Shadwell Estate Co. bought the Street Sense colt out of the Forest Wildcat mare Be My Prospect from Paragon Sales, agent.
“Quality individuals were highly prized by pinhookers and end-users alike,” Russell said of the weanling market. “Interest was also keen for racing prospects, which were featured during the second week of the sale. Those consignments created a unique energy and attracted several buyers who might not otherwise have attended a breeding stock sale.”
Dynaformer led all weanling sires by average price, minimum of two offered, with four reported as sold for $286,250. Henrythenavigator topped the stallions represented by first-crop weanlings with five reported as sold for $208,000. Taylor Made Sales Agency led all consignors by totals sales with 340 sold for $26,923,800. Duignan led all buyers with two purchases for $3,250,000.
Overall highest prices
378 DREAMTHEIMPOSSIBLE, f, 4, by Giant’s Causeway—Spain, by Thunder Gulch. (Galileo (Ire)) {Eaton Sales, agent} Adena Springs, $2,550,000.
429 LUCKY ONE, m, 8, by Best of Luck—Twilight Spectre, by Imp Society. (Pollard’s Vision) {Fairlawn Farm} Shadai Farm, $1,850,000.
43 SOCIETY SELECTION, m, 9, by Coronado’s Quest—Love That Jazz, by Dixieland Band. (Medaglia d’Oro) {Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Irving Cowan} Aisling Duignan, agent, $1,850,000.
404 HEART SHAPED, f, 4, by Storm Cat—Twenty Eight Carat, by Alydar. (A.P. Indy) {Eaton Sales, agent} Blandford Bloodstock, $1,550,000.
161 GOLDEN BALLET, m, 12, by Moscow Ballet—Golden Jewel Box, by Slew o’ Gold. (Unbridled’s Song) {Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Aaron U. Jones and Marie D. Jones} Aisling Duignan, agent, $1,400,000.
383 ELUSIVE SPARKLE, m, 5, by Elusive Quality—Bedazzle, by Dixieland Band. (Street Cry (Ire)) {Mill Ridge Sales, agent} Waratah Thoroughbreds, $1,200,000.
389 FIT RIGHT IN, m, 8, by Out of Place—Gaye’s Blossom, by Thirty Six Red. (Curlin) {Burleson Farms, agent} Katsumi Yoshida, $1,050,000.
110 CARRIBEAN SUNSET (IRE), m, 5, by =Danehill Dancer (Ire)—=Bonheur (Ire), by Royal Academy. {Middlebrook Farm, agent} James Bester, agent, $1,000,000.
145 =EXCITING TIMES (FR), m, 13, by Jeune Homme—=Eloura (Fr), by =Top Ville (Ire). (=Sea The Stars (Ire)) {Lane’s End, agent for Breeding Capital Plc} IBS Ltd., $900,000.
185 JUST REWARD, m, 11, by Deputy Minister—Heavenly Prize, by Seeking the Gold. (Malibu Moon) {Claiborne Farm, agent for Phipps Stable} Wertheimer & Frere, $825,000.
5020 DISTORTED PASSION, m, 5, by Distorted Humor—Arianna’s Passion, by Unbridled’s Song. (Giant’s Causeway) {Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Gulf Coast Farms} Aaron U. Jones and Marie D. Jones, $800,000.
Overall top-priced weanlings
277 f, wnlg., by Dynaformer—Sometime (Ire), by Royal Academy. {Pauls Mill, agent} M. V. Magnier, $450,000.
310 c, wnlg., by Henrythenavigator—Versailles Treaty, by Danzig. {Paramount Sales, agent} D.M.I. Racing, $450,000.
66 c, wnlg., by Street Sense—Time for a Crown, by Time for a Change. {Paragon Farms, agent} Shadwell Estate Co. Ltd., $450,000.
102 c, wnlg., by Unbridled’s Song—Be My Prospect, by Forest Wildcat. {Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Gulf Coast Farms} M. V. Magnier, $410,000.
323 f, wnlg., by Medaglia d’Oro—You, by You and I. {Mill Ridge Sales, agent} Freyer Bloodstock, $350,000.
5018 f, wnlg., by Dynaformer—Critical Crew, by Dr. Blum. {Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Gulf Coast Farms} Martin J. Wygod and Pam Wygod, $350,000.
478 c, wnlg., by Tapit—Pretty Proud, by Mr. Greeley. {Gainesway, agent} Shadwell Estate Co. Ltd., $350,000.
50 c, wnlg., by Tapit—Storm Key, by Storm Cat. {Select Sales, agent} Lakewoode Stables, $340,000.
5023 c, wnlg., by Raven’s Pass—Eishin Bridle, by Unbridled. {Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Gulf Coast Farms} Ray Bell, $335,000.
(main story and prices from Thoroughbred Times)
