Discreet Marq to Remain With Clement

Discreet Marq (Discreet Cat) (hip 185) was second behind Dayatthespa (City Zip) in the Yaddo S. at Saratoga in August, but the 4-year-old filly was able to upstage the GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Turf winner in the sales ring Monday. Selling just one hip after Dayatthespa, last year’s GI Del Mar Oaks winner sold for $2.4 million to Moyglare Stud’s Fiona Craig. 

“She’s a classy mare with a great outcross and a proven performance record,” Craig said. “And she’s a great looker.” 
Christophe Clement, who trained Discreet Marq, consigned the mare on behalf of breeders Frank and Patricia Generazio. The gray will be returning to the Clement barn. 

“She’ll go back to Christophe Clement,” Craig said. “She’s only a 4-year-old, so she’s got a whole other year and then eventually she’ll go to Ireland and we’ll breed her and send her to the best and hopefully she’ll produce something that looks like she does.” 

While Craig wouldn’t go so far as to call Discreet Marq’s price a bargain, she did say, “When you convert it to sterling, that price is good. I promise you, when you walk into Tattersalls at the December sales and try to buy a Group 1 winner, they won’t be coming at that price. It’s not a bargain, but she’s a lovely mare and there is a lot to like about her.” 
While there is plenty of talk that European agents may be reluctant to buy American bloodstock which have competed with raceday medication, Craig was happy to buy American. In addition to Discreet Marq, Craig signed the ticket on a Medaglia d’Oro filly for $1.5 million at last month’s Keeneland September sale. 

Asked if there was any hesitancy to buy American bloodstock, Craig said, “No. Moyglare was founded on American bloodstock. And, as you may have noticed, this year it’s coming back in spades to us–even if they don’t all belong to us.” 

As an example, Craig pointed to GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. winner Rich Tapestry (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), who was bred by Moyglare and who traces back four Moyglare generations to Grenzen (Grenfall). California runner Grenzen was purchased by Moyglare in 1977. 

“It was in the TDN the other day,” Craig said. “Rich Tapestry won a Group 1 a month ago–fourth generation from Grenzen. [Moyglare founder] Mr. [Walter] Haefner would have loved that.” 

Clement, meanwhile, was already picking out a next start for Discreet Marq, who is coming off a three-length win in the Oct. 18 Ticonderoga S. 

“I’m delighted to have her back,” Clement said. “I love the horse. I’m very happy for Mr. and Mrs. Generazio, because I think it was a very good sale. And I’m delighted for Moyglare, which has been a very loyal customer over the years and I think she has all the making of a top-class mare. I definitely think she can race another year. We’ll train her for the [Nov. 30 GI] Matriarch [at Del Mar] next time, in three weeks, and we’ll go from there.”