By Lucas Marquardt
After a rock-solid Book 1 kept pace well from last year, Keeneland January saw declines during yesterday's Book 2 opener in Lexington. The session average of $16,836, from 242 horses sold, was down 30.4%, from $24,200. The median of $8,250 was off 45%, from $15,000. That tugged down the cumulative average, which stands at $45,925–off 5% from a year ago. The cumulative median, $23,000, is down 9.8%.
The good news is that there was still significant trading yesterday. The session RNA rate was a reasonable 21.2%–exactly what it was in 2014. The cumulative median is 26.6%.
Topping yesterday's session was a short yearling colt by Into Mischief who sold to J.S.B. Stable for $150,000. The April Fool's Day-foaled bay is the first foal from the 8-year-old mare Cayala (Cherokee Run), a daughter of GSPChasethegold (Touch Gold) and a half to GSP Goldrush Girl (Political Force). Under the third dam are two well-known Grade I winners: the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile hero Albertus Maximus (Albert the Great) and last year's GI Champagne S. hero Daredevil (More Than Ready).
The colt was consigned by Roderick Wachman's Kingswood Stable as Hip 1005. Kingswood co-bred the youngster in partnership with David Egan, who owns Corduff Stud in Kildare, Ireland.
“It's feast or famine, chicken or feathers, whatever you want to call it,” said Wachman. “There are a lot of hoops to jump through, but when you're lucky enough to get it right, it's very, very good. It's based on all the flavors–the right stallion, the right type, vets, all of it. This was a nice colt by the right stallion.”
The colt's mare Cayala has earned plenty of frequent flier miles over the years, and both Wachman and Egan earned some, too, in order to acquire her. A $75,000 KEENOV weanling in 2007, Cayala was put back through at KEESEP, where Francoise Dupuis paid $140,000 for her. Cayala began her career in Europe, making two starts before returning to the U.S. She broke her maiden for conditioner Jean-Pierre Dupuis in maiden special company over Hollywood's lawn in 2010. Cayala didn't make in impact in five subsequent races, and was returned to Europe yet again, where she concluded her career with two unplaced efforts at Dusseldorf.
When Wachman and Egan looked through the Tattersalls December Sale catalog in 2011, Egan recognized Cayala's name immediately–he's the one who pinhooked her as a foal to a yearling. They bought her as a broodmare prospect for 17,000gns ($27,556).
Wachman and Egan booked Cayala on her fourth transatlantic flight, and after putting her in foal to Into Mischief, sent her through the ring at the 2013 Keeneland November Sale. She was bought back for $52,000, however, a smart move considering she was carrying the colt who sold yesterday.
“I bred quite a few mares to Into Mischief that year,” Wachman explained. “We sold three of them in foal and were very successful, but we didn't get her sold. Lucky enough, we got a good foal out of her, and the rest is history.”
Wachman has been a big fan of Into Mischief from the Spendthrift stallion's start. At the 2011 Fasig-Tipton October Sale, he identified a colt from his first crop as a standout–a horse who sold for $5,500 who was later named Goldencents.
“I saw Goldencents as a yearling, and I thought he was exceptional,” said Wachman. “Myself and Ciaran Dunne vetted him at Fasig October, but we came off the horse because we didn't know where we'd be able to sell him. Ultimately, he went to Doug O'Neill, who we both know fairly well, and we found out early that he was a good one.”
If Goldencents was the one who got away, Wachman enjoyed success with another Into Mischief colt: an unraced 2-year-old named Restrike. Wachman purchased Restrike for $9,000 at the 2012 Keeneland November Sale, and re-sold him for $140,000 at the '13 September Sale. Restrike sold once again last year, bringing $285,000 at Barretts March. The winning bidder? Doug O'Neill's brother Dennis, who also bought Goldencents as a juvenile. Cont. p12
Wachman enjoyed another big score yesterday care of Into Mischief. But as he astutely pointed out, there are downsides to successful bloodstock transactions.
“David's getting married this year, and I suppose he can't get away with a weekend at Salt Hill for the honeymoon now!” said Wachman.
Three Mares Break Six-Figure Barrier…
Three mares also eclipsed the six-figure mark yesterday, compared to five a year ago. They were led by the $145,000 Our Gal El (Tapit–Shop Here, by Dehere), who sold to Cobble Drive Stables. Claiborne Farm consigned the unraced 4-year-old broodmare prospect as Hip 821.
Our Gal El is a half to SW & GSP Fifth Avenue (Monarchos) and to SP Shoptate (Orientate). Her winning dam is a half to the GISW Miss Shop (Deputy Minister) and to the red-hot young sire Trappe Shot (Tapit), a Grade II winner on the track. Bred by Gainesway, Our Gal El was making her second trip through the Keeneland ring: Steve Young purchased her for $275,000 at the 2012 September Sale.
Later in the Day, Twin Hopes Farm paid $110,000 for Grenoble (Afleet Alex–Great Connection, by Dayjur), who sold from Doug Arnold's Buck Pond Farm as Hip 1083. The winning Grenoble is from the immediate family of A.P. Indy and is a half to three stakes winners: Guana (Fr) (Sillery), Great News (Fr) (Bering {GB}) and Lord Sinclair (Mizzen Mast). Grenoble was claimed from owner Richard Pell and trainer Nick Zito for $35,000 at Gulfstream Park early last January–Eddie Kenneally dropped the winning slip–and sold here on a Mar. 20 cover to Uncle Mo.
The last of the six-figure mares was the $105,000 Bella Traviata (Indian Charlie–Deceit, by Danzig), who was purchased by Coronation Investments. Bella Traviata was consigned by Brent and Crystal Fernung's Journeyman Bloodstock asHip 991, and like Grenoble, was claimed in South Florida last year. The stakes-placed 5-year-old, a half to MSW & MGSP Afleet Deceit (Northern Afleet), was haltered by Kathleen O'Connell for $30,000 at Gulfstream Park West in mid-October. She sold as a broodmare prospect.
Last year's session three was topped by the $310,000 Lady Kierkegaard (Arch), who was acquired by Fleetwood Bloodstock.
Take Note: Familiar Names in Millennium Draft…
While it's safe the say the sale topper won't come out of today's session at Keeneland January, Ro Parra's Millennium Farm brings some classy animals into the fourth and final day. They include several familiar names to racing fans, most notably the MGSW Unbridled's Note (Unbridled's Song–Siberian Fur, by Siberian Express). The 6-year-old, who was campaigned by Mike McCarty and trained by Steve Asmussen, was beaten just a half-length in the GI King's Bishop in 2012 after a troubled trip, and came back two months later to be second by a half-length to Mizdirection (Mizzen Mast) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. A close-up fourth in the 2013 Turf Sprint, he was unable to crack the '14 field and instead ran third to Chitu (Henny Hughes) in the Damascus S. on the undercard. He sells as a racing or stallion prospect at the end of the day as Hip 1600.
“With his race record and pedigree–he's a half to the Grade I winner Spoken Fur–he's a horse that a lot of people want,” said Millennium's Zach Madden. “Since the catalogue came out, my cell phone's been ringing off the hook from everywhere–just spin the globe and I've gotten a call from there. And there's been domestic interest, too. Plus he's still sound, so the buyer could go both ways.”
Added Madden, “He stands over a ton of ground. He's a bigger type of horse with a ton of leg and substance. You wouldn't think he's a sprinting type of horse, but he finished third in the King's Bishop and second in the Breeders' Cup. To me, anytime they do something atypical like that, it's impressive.”
Those looking for a hard-knocking racemare will be interested in another Millennium offering, the 5-year-old Sister Ginger (Student Council–Letters in Silver, by Silver Hawk). Bred and raced by Millennium in partnership with Little Brother Farm, Sister Ginger won Oaklawn's Martha Washington S. in 2013–beating a few good ones in Rose to Gold (Friends Lake) and Broken Spell (Broken Vow)–and added the Indiana Grand S. on turf later in the season. Last term, Sister Ginger won the $100,000 Shelby County S. In total, she's earned over $330,000 under Asmussen's care.
“She's an attractive mare who stands over a lot of ground,” said Madden. “She was bred in partnership with a longtime partner of ours, the Ackerley brothers, and she's been a lot of fun. I know she's given Mr. Parra a lot of joy; he's a little sad to see her go.”
Sister Ginger, who breezed last Sunday, sells as a racing or broodmare prospect as Hip 1280.
Today's finale gets underway at 10:00 a.m. For more, visit www.keeneland.com.
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