Country’ Home of the Stars

by Lucas Marquardt
As expected, the undefeated Grade II winner Cluster of Stars (Greeley’s Galaxy–Babyurthegreatest, by Honour and Glory) was one of the bright lights of yesterday’s opener, bringing a bid of $300,000 from Town and Country Farm. That was the second-highest price on the session. 
Taylor Made Sales’ Shannon Potter, who advises Town and Country principals Louise Courtelis and daughter Kiki Courtelis, was on the phone upstairs when he secured the well-made 5-year-old broodmare prospect, who sold from Taylor Made’s draft as hip 99. 
“She’ll join the good collection of mares we’ve been building up,” said Potter, who added the mare would most likely visit Grade I winner Graydar (Unbridled’s Song) in his first year at Taylor Made Stallions. “She was probably the prettiest mare on the grounds, and what she did on the track speaks for itself. What she did was unreal.” 
Cluster of Stars, bred in New York by Michael McPoland and Sean Finn, was campaigned by owner Turtle Bird Stable and trainer Steve Asmussen. She opened her account with a daylight win at Aqueduct in February of 2012, but went missing for a year before doubling up in a restricted allowance last January. During an impressive 2013 campaign, she added wins in the GII Distaff H. and GII Gallant Bloom H.–the latter over the Grade I winners Dance to Bristol (Speightstown) and Dance Card (Tapit). 
Cluster of Stars was retired with seven wins from seven starts and earnings of $549,600. 
Potter said the price was right around what he expected. “We had seen the mare earlier, right around the November sales, and she’d been priced to us right around there,” he explained. “So we had a pretty good clue that’s what it was going to take.” 
Cluster of Stars is the lone stakes winner under her first two dams. “She doesn’t have the best pedigree,” admitted Potter, “so we were definitely buying based on looks and race record. And she’s pretty darn good looking. She’s correct, she’s got a great shoulder, has a lot of bone, has a pretty head–she’s what you want physically for a broodmare.” 
Town and Country has made its impact felt at the bloodstock sales in the last few months. At Keeneland November, it purchased seven mares for $4.375 million, including the $1.75-million Upperline (Maria’s Mon), who sold in foal to War Front. Across town at Fasig-Tipton November, meanwhile, Town and Country purchased three more mares for $1.7 million, including another star Empire-bred, the GSW Agave Kiss (Lion Heart), who sold for $1.5 million in foal to Tapit. 
Potter said Town and Country has culled probably a half dozen mares from its band to make room for the new purchases. “And we’ll continue to cull, as the mares we bought recently are really top end, so there are some mares going down the totem pole,” he said. 
Potter gave all credit to the Courtelises for their drive and direction. “Those ladies are great,” he said. “Mrs. Courtelis and Kiki are determined to make Town and Country a successful commercial breeder.”