For Flay, a $1 Million Return on Investment

It was back at the 2008 September Sale that celebrity chef Bobby Flay, looking to ramp up the pedigree power of his racing stable, purchased a Medaglia d’Oro yearling filly later named Super Espresso. The transaction was anything but routine. The filly was originally knocked down to British connections for $1.1 million, but within hours, it came out that the winning bidders had failed to establish credit with Keeneland. The episode had the potential to be a giant headache for the sale company. Two days later, Flay and his advisor, TDN publisher Barry Weisbord, were notified the filly was available. It was a chance opportunity for Flay that would pay big dividends. 

Two years later, Super Espresso had the likes of Life at Ten (Malibu Moon) behind her when winning the GIII Allaire DuPont Distaff S. In her next two starts, she ran third in the GI Ogden Phipps H. and second in the GI Ruffian S. That black-type added significant value to the half-sister to Group 2 winner King of Rome (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), whose dam was a half to champion Althea (Alydar) and a daughter of Broodmare of the Year Courtly Dee (Never Bend). 
Yesterday at Keeneland, Super Espresso continued to reward Flay’s investment. The mare’s first foal, a bay filly by Tapit from Arthur Hancock’s Stone Farm consignment (hip 307), was a talking horse coming into Tuesday’s session, and touched off a bidding duel that concluded with a bid of $1 million from Chiefswood Stable’s Robert Krembil. 

“I loved the family, and she’s a good physical,” said Krembil, who did his bidding from just under the press box and was one of two or three interested parties in the section. “She’ll probably race in the States somewhere. Eventually, she’ll be a broodmare.” 

Hancock thanked the Canadian-based businessman just after the transaction, and gave credit to his employees. “The guys on the farm deserve the credit,” said Hancock. “They did the work and got her looking good. To me, this filly was a pearl beyond price. She’s a lovely filly, and they bought into a real future here, I think. We’ve raised three Kentucky Derby winners, and now we’re looking for an Oaks winner. You never know–she could be the one.” 

Stone Farm is currently home to Flay’s half-dozen-strong broodmare band. Flay said the decision to sell wasn’t easy, but just made sense. “She’s got a full-sister by Tapit on the ground, and is carrying a filly by Tapit, and I can’t keep everything,” he said. “This filly had a great physical, the mare had a nice race record, and it’s a great family, obviously. And she was by the right sire. So it made some sense to take some money off the table.”

 The decision was made easier as the interest began to swell on the Keeneland grounds. “The momentum grew over the last couple of days as she was being shown,” said Flay. “It seemed like a lot of really good horse people were on her, and that gave us a lot of confidence. What we are really happy about is that she went to a great outfit, and we’ll be rooting for her as if we owned her.” 

Flay added, “It’s important for me to let the industry know that I like to sell, too. I like buying, I like racing, I like selling.” 

Flay will be back selling today. He sends through another smartly bred yearling, a Tiznow filly from GSP Countess Lemonade (Storm Cat), a half to champions Duke of Marmalade (Ire) and Ruler of the World (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Stone Farm consigns as Hip 549. -LM