Conquest Dispersal Lights Up Keeneland

LEXINGTON, Ky – The dispersal of Ernie Semersky and Dory Newell's Conquest Stables provided plenty of punch during Tuesday's horses of racing age section of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, with two offerings from the dispersal selling for over $700,000.

“I always said Ernie got into racing fast and furious and now he went out fast and furious,” Mark Casse, who trained for Semersky for the past three years, said. “That's him.”

Conquest Enforcer (Into Mischief), a multiple graded stakes placed sophomore, brought Tuesday's top price when selling for $775,000 to Ron Paolucci's Loooch Racing. Only eight hips earlier, Gary Hartunian's Rockingham Ranch purchased the day's second highest lot, going to $735,000 to acquire graded stakes placed juvenile Conquest Farenheit (Scat Daddy).

“When you have those good horses, like Farenheit and Enforcer, you just don't know what they're going to bring,” Casse said. “The only disappointment is they're not coming back.”

Tuesday's session saw 50 Conquest racing and stallion prospects sell for $4,250,500 and an average of $85,010. Monday's racing and broodmare prospect dispersal offerings were led by Conquest Serenade (Unbridled's Song), who sold for $800,000 to Stonestreet Stables.

The dispersal's top offering was the broodmare My Conquestadory (Artie Schiller), who brought a final bid of $1.5 million from SF Bloodstock and Newgate Stud during last Monday's first session of the auction.

In total, 96 Conquest horses sold at Keeneland for $11,113,000 and an average of $115,760.

“I think, overall, it went better than we anticipated,” commented Bill Farish, whose Lane's End consigned the dispersal to the November sale. “The dispersal ended up grossing a couple million more than we thought.”

The massive dispersal, with horses coming from all sections of the country, was handled expertly by Lane's End Farm.

“I think our team did a super job with the logistics of it, with the help of Mark and his team,” Farish said.

Keeneland's Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell was also full of praise for the Lane's End team.

“I think from start to finish, the Conquest dispersal went very well and full credit goes to Lane's End's Allaire Ryan for the logistics, which given the large number of horses all with the same first name, can be very trying. I think Allaire did a spectacular job getting it all done.”

After the mammoth undertaking, a clearly exhausted Casse admitted, “I need a rest. Between the Breeders' Cup last week and this, I'm ready to go do some fishing.”

During Tuesday's eighth session of the November sale, 287 horses grossed $10,833,700. The average was $37,748 and the median was $20,000.

“I thought the prices were great across the board,” Russell said. “Obviously, the top-priced horses are exciting, but those horses tend to attract buyers who are then able to cover those mid-level tiered horses. I thought that was very rewarding, as well.”

The Keeneland November sale continues through Sunday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

Conquest Enforcer Tops Keeneland Tuesday

Multiple graded stakes placed sophomore Conquest Enforcer (Into Mischief) (hip 2973) set off a bidding frenzy late in Tuesday's horses of racing age section of the Keeneland November sale, ultimately selling for a session-topping $785,000 to Buckland Sales' Zach Madden, acting on behalf of Ron Paolucci of Loooch Racing.

“Obviously, he is an unbelievably talented horse,” Madden said. “I actually had the chance to spend some time with him up north on Queen's Plate day when he ran on the undercard and he gutted out that win that day [in the Charlie Barley S.]. The only time he's really lost is when he runs against older horses and even then he doesn't get beat that much. He is so talented and it's a rare opportunity to buy something like him.”

Conquest Enforcer, a $210,000 Fasig-Tipton July yearling purchase of 2014, was making his racing debut when fourth in last year's GII Summer S. before putting together a string of three-straight stakes wins at Woodbine. Third in the Aug. 20

GII Play the King S., he added Belmont's Allied Forces S. Sept. 11 before finishing a narrowly beaten third in the Oct. 16

GII Nearctic S. in his most recent start. He has won four of seven starts to date and earned $360,640.

The bay colt is a half-brother to unbeaten Conquest Vivi (Court Vision), who sold to Adena Springs for $480,000 during Monday's session of the November sale. He is also a half to multiple stakes placed Keen Gizmo (Giant Gizmo).

Madden was on the phone with Paolucci while doing his bidding out back and he admitted he was surprised to ultimately acquire the colt.

“They called me, we vetted probably 10 horses and he just said, 'Go after him,'” Madden recalled. “I was actually out the door at $750,000, but he said, 'Don't hang up.' The guy who delivered the ticket said, 'I thought you were gone' and I said, 'I thought I was gone, too.' He reached a little bit and we gutted it out the last little bit.”

Madden said a trainer for Conquest Enforcer had yet to be chosen. Loooch Racing campaigned 2013 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Ria Antonia.

Hartunian Turns Up the Heat for Farenheit

Conquest Farenheit (Scat Daddy) (hip 2965) will be joining the barn of trainer Peter Miller after Gary Hartunian's Rockingham Ranch purchased the juvenile for $735,000 from the Conquest Stable dispersal Tuesday at Keeneland. Bloodstock agent David Meah signed the ticket on the colt.

“This is the first time that I've bought a horse for those guys,” Meah, a former assistant to trainer Richard Baltas, said.

Conquest Farenheit was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' after his five-length debut win at Woodbine in August. He was second behind subsequent

GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf third-place finisher Good Samaritan (Harlan's Holiday) in the Sept. 18 GII Summer S.

“He is just a gorgeous horse–he's the whole package,” Meah said. “I don't know how to talk about any one part of him. He's an amazing horse and I think he can win a Grade I and go on and be a stallion.” For more on Hartunian and Rockingham Ranch from Aug. 3 TDN, click here.

Conquest Smartee Heads West

The once-raced Conquest Smartee (Smart Strike), a full-brother to Grade I winner Square Eddie, will be joining the Southern California stable of trainer John Sadler after selling for $390,000 Tuesday at Keeneland. Bloodstock agent David Ingordo signed the ticket on the 2-year-old from the Conquest Stables dispersal.

“He is a lovely colt,” Ingordo said. “We watched him run. He's got a very good pedigree–he's the last of the Smart Strikes. He is one we've been following.”

Conquest Smartee (hip 2950), purchased for $425,000 last year at Keeneland September, was second in his debut over the synthetic at Woodbine Oct. 10.

Of the dark bay colt's final price, Ingordo said, “It's a fair price. If he had broken his maiden, it would have added a couple hundred grand to his price, with his pedigree and his looks.”

Diversify Goes Home with Violette

Diversify (Bellamy Road), a two-for-two 'TDN Rising Star,' will return to the barn of trainer Rick Violette and will race in the colors of Ralph and Lauren Evans after selling for $210,000 Tuesday at Keeneland from the WinStar Racing consignment.

“We bought him for Ralph Evans and his daughter Lauren,” Violette said while signing the ticket alongside Evans out back. “I've had him since the early summer. He's two-for-two for us and he's a really nice horse. WinStar had a partnership that the agreement was to get out–he's a gelding, so he's not a stallion prospect, so that was the deal that they would sell him. And we're lucky we're taking him home.”

The 3-year-old Diversify (hip 2927) was a maiden winner at Belmont in July and added an allowance tally in Elmont Sept. 22.

“He's pretty fast,” Violette said of Diversify. “He's done everything very fast and easy in the morning. He's two-for-two, going a mile and a mile and a sixteenth, with fast fractions, he's got a high-cruising speed. He's a pretty handy horse.”

Hawthornes Buy a Superstar

Jerry and Jan Hawthorne, sitting alongside trainer Gary Mandella, went to $185,000 to acquire Conquest Superstar (Uncle Mo) from the Conquest Stable dispersal Tuesday at Keeneland.

“Talk to Jan, she bought the horse–I told her to stop at like $25,000,” Mandella laughed while walking to the shipping counter to arrange transportation for Conquest Superstar back to California.

“He is beautiful and he's got good breeding,” Jan Hawthorne said. “He looks like a winner to me. We'll race him in California.”

The Hawthornes, who currently have five horses in training with Mandella, race under the name Double JH Stables.

Conquest Superstar (hip 2915), a $725,000 OBS March juvenile purchase in 2015, has raced twice to date, winning a Keeneland maiden over the turf last April and finishing fifth in a Belmont optional claimer May 12.

Casse Keeps Conquest Typhoon in the Barn

Mark Casse admitted it was emotional watching the Conquest Stable horses he has conditioned go through the sales ring at Keeneland the last two days, but the trainer will be getting a barn favorite back after signing the ticket at $115,000 for Canadian champion Conquest Typhoon (Stormy Atlantic), who the trainer called 'the barn pet.'

The 4-year-old colt (hip 2884), part of the dispersal of Ernie Semersky and Dory Newell's Conquest Stable, was named Canada's champion juvenile after winning the 2014 GII Summer S.

“He's been with us for a long time,” Casse said. “So it was nice [to be able to keep him].”

As for a new owner for the bay, Casse said, “We're not sure yet–I put our assistant trainer's name [Julie Stormfelt] down, but I don't think she's going to be able to pay for him. We'll figure out who will own him when the dust clears.”

Casse admitted it was difficult to watch the Conquest horses go through the sales ring.

“I think last night was tough and tonight is going to be really tough,” Casse said. “It's not just the horses, but also Ernie and Dory. We'll continue to be in contact with them. It's tough to walk around and see the horses sell. But we're going to make the best of it.”