Quality Colt Sparks Book 3 Opener

The first Book 3 session of the Keeneland September Yearling sale got off to a measured start Sunday in Lexington, but action picked up throughout the day with a colt by Quality Road providing the biggest bang when selling for $710,000 to Mark Reid of Walnut Green. It was the highest price paid for a Keeneland Book 3 horse since 2007.

“A breakout horse is a breakout horse,” said Keeneland’s Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell. “It can happen in any session and this one happened at the start of Book 3. It shows there is plenty of money around here if the right horse shows up.”

The session topper was part of a big day for Lane’s End, which was the day’s leading consignor with 29 sold for a total of $3,765,000 and an average of $129,828. The farm’s stallions were represented by four of the day’s tops; a pair of colts by Quality Road, a colt by Twirling Candy and a colt by Union Rags.

For the session, 266 yearlings grossed $19,618,000. The average was $73,752–a decrease of 4.9% compared to last year’s first Book 3 session. The median fell 21.43% to $55,000. The buy-back rate was 27.72%, up from 21.10% a year ago. During last year’s first Book 3 session, 273 yearlings grossed $21,172,000 for an average of $77,553 and a median of $70,000.

The session topper was one of three to surpass the $300,000 mark. Last year, only one hit that figure. There were 11 over $200,000 Sunday, compared to 12 a year ago.

“It was sticky today,” admitted Russell. “It was tough. It started out slow, but it did gather momentum during the day and finished up very well. But I think the slow start dragged us down today, so we hope to get out of the gates better tomorrow.”

Action was lively around the sales barns Sunday and Russell hopes that activity is reflected in the bidding during Monday’s second and final Book 3 session.

“There are a lot of new people starting to show up,” Russell said. “It’s a transitional day of people arriving and people leaving. Let’s hope the new people come with fresh enthusiasm and we’ll start off with a good note Monday.”

The Keeneland September sale resumes at 10 a.m. Monday.

Fireworks for Quality Road Colt at Keeneland

Mark Reid of the Thoroughbred management company Walnut Green outlasted Donato Lanni after a spirited bidding duel to secure a colt by Quality Road for a session-topping $710,000 during Sunday’s session of the Keeneland September sale. Consigned by Lane’s End on behalf of his breeder Ann Marie Farm, hip 1814 is out of Paris Notion (Dehere) and is a half-brother to stakes placed Pointsman (Mt. Livermore).

“I liked everything about him,” Reid said. “Physically he’s young–he’s a May 7 foal that has a perfect frame that will fill in and he’ll be a pretty good horse. I think we’re going to like what we’ll see on him this time next year.”

Of the protracted bidding duel, Reid said, “I did not expect anything remotely close to that. We had him pegged at $400,000 because he is an awful nice physical, but that got a little intense. But it’s getting late for us and we wanted to get one bought. He fit the bill. He will probably go out west to our trainer out there, Michael McCarthy, and we’ll hope that he develops the way he looks like he will and we’ll have a nice racehorse.”

Reid added he was getting a little payback with his winning bid.

“We were underbidders on the Uncle Mo that Bob [Baffert] bought on Friday,” he explained. “And talking to Donato, we outbid him this time. So it was one to go the other way. We got lucky.”

Ann Marie Farm, established by Noreen O’Neill and her late husband Ted in Paris, Kentucky in 1994, purchased Paris Notion for $52,000 at the 1999 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” O’Neill admitted in a statement. “I said, ‘Are you sure we brought the right horse?’ We’re just dumbfounded. The horse was beautiful. We handled him right. He did everything right, never got excited. I’m glad he went to a good home. I really can’t believe it. I’m just so happy.”

Lane’s End’s Allaire Ryan said, “He was a very well-liked horse.” Of Ann Marie, Ryan added, “Usually they breed to race, but they’ve become a little more commercial in recent years and have been selling what they raise off the farm. So it was a huge success for them. They do everything themselves, they do it the right way and they’ve been rewarded for it. And that is so great to see.”

Ryan Stretches for Twirling Candy Colt

Bloodstock agent Mike Ryan, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client, acquired a colt by freshman sire Twirling Candy for $320,000 during Sunday’s session of the Keeneland September sale. Consigned by Lane’s End, as agent for breeder Dixiana Farms, the yearling (hip 1653) is out of stakes-placed Early Vintage and is a half-brother to stakes winner Conquest Top Gun (Pioneerof the Nile). Early Vintage is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Tasha’s Miracle and to the dam of multiple graded stakes winner Concord Point (Tapit).

“He is a lovely horse with a lot of quality and a great mind,” Ryan said. “He’s a very smooth horse. I couldn’t find a hole in him. He was probably my pick of the day.”

Of the colt’s final price tag, which topped early returns Sunday, Ryan added, “We had to stretch. I told [my client] this would be one that we’d have to stretch on and we had to stretch. Somebody else wanted him pretty badly also.”

Ryan said a competitive Book 1 has provided momentum for the September sale as it moves through Book 3.

“I think the market has been very strong–Saturday was incredible,” he said. “The deeper into the sale, the better horses bring more money because there are fewer of them and there are still people shopping. There is a great appetite for good horses. Book 2 had a lot of good physicals and Book 3 has them too, but you have to go find them. It’s a lot of work and you have to look at a lot of horses. But the good ones stand out and the people are very prepared. They know what they want and they’ll pay you for what they like.”

Trio Top $200k Mark Early at Keeneland

A trio of yearlings broke the $200,000 barrier in the early hours of the opening session of Keeneland September’s Book 3 Sunday. The group was led by hip 1541, a colt by Harlan’s Holiday out of Waving (Street Cry {Ire}). Carson Asbury, bidding on behalf of Chester Broman’s Chestertown Farm, signed the ticket at $285,000. It was Asbury’s second purchase of the sale for Chestertown, having gone to $555,000 for a colt by Unbridled’s Song (hip 651) during Book 1.

The yearling was consigned by Gainesway on behalf of Don Alberto Corporation, which purchased Waving with this foal in utero for $190,000 at the 2013 Keeneland November sale.

“He was a really quality, strong colt who made rapid progress in the last 45 days,” said Gainesway’s Michael Hernon. “He is an excellent racing prospect.”

George Isaacs, bidding on behalf of Southwind Stables, purchased hip 1610 for $235,000. A daughter of First Samurai, the yearling is the first foal out of stakes winner Celtic Chant (Songandaprayer) and from the family of Grade I winner Vicar. The chestnut filly was consigned by her breeder Clarkland Farm, which purchased the mare with this foal in utero for $175,000 at the 2013 Keeneland November sale.

Margaux Farm owners Jim and Susan Hill made their 13th purchase of the September sale when going to $210,000 to secure a filly by Ghostzapper out of Casey’s Dreamin’ (Unbridled’s Song). Bred by Kingview Farms, which purchased her dam for $80,000 at the 2012 Keeneland November sale, the yearling was consigned by Elm Tree Farm.

“We thought she was a very strong filly,” Jim Hill said of hip 1605. “We certainly liked her walk.”

While the husband and wife team generally both go their own way during pre-sale inspections, Hill said both agreed on the Ontario-bred filly.

“We sort of split up, both my wife and I buy horses independently so that we are both involved,” he explained. “And we both hit on this horse independently.”

Of the final price, Hill added, “It was definitely more than I thought we’d have to go for her. I think it’s starting to thin out a bit now in Book 3, so we thought we’d go a little deeper on this one.”

Keeneland Makes Sales Plan Around Breeders’ Cup

Keeneland has unveiled its game plan to facilitate the sales process ahead of its November Breeding Stock Sale while at the same time hosting the Breeders’ Cup Championships for the first time this fall.

“We have tried to make it impediment-free, both for our buyers and our consignors and their staff, and for vendors,” explained Keeneland’s Associate Director of Sales Tom Thornbury.

Starting with Keeneland’s Prelude to the Cup day on Oct. 29, buyers, consignors and their staff will be given hang tags for their vehicles to allow access through Gate 3 on Rice Road. There will also be specified marked parking areas for buyers and consignors and shuttles to the barns and back.

“We’ve tried to eliminate any impediment coming and going,” Thornbury said. “You have your own gate and your access and parking will be close to the sales barns for buyers and consignors. There will be continual ingress and egress from Gate 3 on Rice Road for everyone involved in the sales, separated by screening and security to keep the racing fans and crowds going up to the racetrack and not filtering through the barns. And it’s a short walk from the grandstand to a barn to look at a horse. It’s a short walk back to the grandstand–in fact we’ll have golf cart shuttles going back and forth.”

Keeneland is also making sure those involved in pre-sale activities will still be able to conveniently watch and wager on the Breeders’ Cup races.

“If you’re involved in showing horses and you can’t get up to the races, we have a Watch and Wager area between barns nine and 10 where we will have a tent and picnic tables and you can grab lunch right next door at the track kitchen and walk over, have lunch and watch and wager the races,” Thornbury said.

The juxtaposition of championships and sales provides a unique opportunity for sellers, according to Thornbury.

“We’re trying to make it as cozy, as comfortable, as accessible and as pleasant a situation as possible,” he said. “And it’s a great opportunity to showcase your horses before all of the major buyers throughout the world because they will all be right here. They won’t have to take a plane from California and there won’t be any delay.”

Once the Breeders’ Cup is over on Saturday, all gates and parking will be available.

“This is really only for a three-day period prior to the sale,” Thornbury said. “Thursday’s Prelude to the Cup and Friday and Saturday the Breeders’ Cup days. Those will be the only days that traffic will be affected.”