Hard Not to Like Paces KEENOV Opener

by Jessica Martini, Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato

Hard Not to Like (Hard Spun), who sold for $1.5 million a year ago, added a pair of Grade I wins to her resume this term and returned to the Keeneland sales ring to bring a session-topping $2.2 million during Monday's first session of the November Breeding Stock Sale in Lexington. The 6-year-old racing or broodmare prospect (hip 79), who sold to Tom Ryan's DATTT Farm, was one of seven mares to bring seven figures Monday at Keeneland. That matched the million-dollar sales from last year's opening session, which was topped by the $3.6-million Naples Bay (Giant's Causeway). All seven-figure purchases were made by separate buying interests.

A colt by Medaglia d'Oro was Monday's top-priced weanling, selling to Darley for $475,000.

In all, 136 horses sold Monday for a total of $45,094,000. A year ago, 135 head grossed $41,398,000. The average rose 8.13% to $331,574 and the median was up 19.12% to $202,500.

“I thought [the market] was very good–very consistent with last year,” said Keeneland Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell. “We had seven million-dollar horses today, and we had seven last year. We only had one over $2 million this year, while we had three last year, but the next level of the market obviously helped dramatically because the median and average were up considerably.”

There were 58 horses reported not sold for a buy-back rate of 29.90%. It was 25.41% a year ago.

“At this level of the market, there's emotional attachment to these horses,” Russell said of the buy-back rate. “They're hard to replace. So, if I sell it, and I want to own a broodmare, where am I going to find one? It is the higher end, it is the tougher part, but it's something I guess we're just going to have to live with.”

The second and final Book 1 session of the Keeneland November sale begins Tuesday at 11 a.m. The sale continues through Nov. 13 with sessions starting Wednesday beginning daily at 10 a.m.

DATTT 'Likes' Hard Spun Mare the Most

Twelve months ago at this sale, Hard Not to Like (Hard Spun), who had won that April's GI Jenny Wiley S. locally, was snatched up for $1.5 million by Speedway Stables, the upstart operation of Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner.

Transferred from Michael Matz to Christophe Clement for her 6-year-old season, the grey crossed the wire first in her initial outing for her new connections in Tampa's GIII Endeavour S. in January, only to be demoted to second by the stewards. Third in defense of her Jenny Wiley title after that, she proceeded to reel off back-to-back Grade I victories in Santa Anita's Gamely S. in May and over eventual GI Breeders' Cup Mile heroine Tepin (Bernstein) in Saratoga's Diana S. in July. Last seen finishing off-the-board in Santa Anita's GI Rodeo Drive S. Sept. 26, she was scratched from Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf due to soft turf, but still lit up the Keeneland complex Monday when DATTT Farm went all the way to $2.2 million to become her newest owner.

Hard Not to Like was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent XLV as hip 79.

“She's a really nice filly and we're glad to have her,” said Denali Stud farm manager Gary Bush, who signed the ticket for Hard Not to Like while seated next to DATTT principal Tom Ryan. “We're looking for a nice filly to add to our broodmare band. She may race one more time, and we'll see how it goes.”

Of how he has found the market overall so far, Bush offered, “For the top mares, it's still tough. You've got to pay a lot of money for those, and nobody wants to pay that, but that's where it is at the top and that's where we're shopping.”

DATTT, whose horses are predominantly trained by Mark Hennig, currently owns about 12 broodmares–all boarded at Denali. The operation acquired GSW Wine Princess (Ghostzapper–Azeri) for $3 million at Fasig-Tipton November last year.

With $540,250 in earnings on the track this year, Fluor and Weiner did pretty well with their somewhat unconventional pinhook of Hard Not to Like.

“Everybody knows what we paid for her, and she's proven herself [since then]–she won two Grade I races,” Fluor said after receiving congratulations from trainer Christophe Clement.

“We're pleased, and I think the people who purchased her were pleased, so it's all good.”

Speedway also paid $1 million for local GII TCA S. winner Leigh Court (Grand Slam) at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale. The 5-year-old hit the board in a pair of graded stakes this year. The 2-year-old Bob Baffert pupil One Last Shot (Any Given Saturday), a $230,000 OBS April 2-year-old, was second in the Sept. 7 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf S. in the Speedway red and white.

“It was our plan because this was our first year,” Fluor, CEO and chairman of Texas Crude Energy, said when asked if it was always his and Weiner's intention to put Hard Not to Like back on the market after racing her this year. “We started last November, and that's kind of our business model for now. We'll figure out what we do if we want to change it down the road, but by and large, the plan is to race them–hopefully improve them–and put them back in the sale.” –@BDiDonato

Spring In the Air The 'Prince's Pick'

Bidding steadily climbed all the way to $1.65 million late Monday evening at Keeneland November for Grade I winner Spring in the Air (Spring At Last). Offered by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent CIV as hip 199, she was carrying her first foal, by War Front. When the dust settled, agent Hugo Merry was left holding the ticket on behalf of Prince A. A. Faisal's Nawara Stud.

“She's a lovely, scopey mare,” Merry said. “She walked like Zenyatta out back–she was kind of dancing around. She's just a lovely shaped mare and Prince Faisal was very keen to add a good race mare to his broodmare band.”

Prince Faisal of Saudi Arabia campaigns the likes of this year's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and G1 Prix de la Foret winner Make Believe (GB) (Makfi {GB}), who was fifth as the favorite in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Mile.

Spring in the Air, a $130,000 OBS March acquisition in 2012 by trainer Mark Casse on behalf of John Oxley, earned champion juvenile filly honors in Canada later that year after a campaign that included a victory in Keeneland's GI Darley Alcibiades S. She annexed the GIII Hendrie S. sprinting at Woodbine last May, and retired earlier this year with earnings of $930,318 from a record of 20-4-6-2.

“It's a good, old Runnymede Farm family,” Merry offered. “I owned [Group 1-winning relative] Palace Episode (Machiavellian) for a bit, so I've known the family for a long time. She's really very much the Prince's pick. He's a brilliant horseman.”

Merry acknowledged that the War Front covering contributed to Spring in the Air's popularity.

“We would've probably gotten her for a lot less if she wasn't [in foal to War Front],” he noted. “The War Front coverings are very popular at the moment, obviously. He had a great weekend [thanks to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Hit It a Bomb]–it's all about timing–and Coolmore has a fantastic 2-year-old in Ireland [in Air Force Blue] who won the G1 Dewhurst S. very impressively last month. He's just very hot at the moment, so hopefully when the War Front foal sells it will recoup a lot of the money.” –@BDiDonato

All Shook Up at Keeneland November

Shook Up (Tapit), a valiant second at 26-1 behind Lovely Maria (Majesticperfection) in this term's GI Kentucky Oaks, brought $1.65 million from Three Chimneys Farm at Monday's Keeneland November sale.

The well-built gray, tabbed as a 'TDN Rising Star' following a double-digit maiden win for owner Nat Rea and trainer Steve Asmussen at Fair Grounds in January, was also second in this sprin2.g's GII Fair Grounds Oaks. The daughter of GISW Sugar Shake (Awesome Again), sporting a right front wrap in the ring, was retired after suffering a leg wound during an unplaced finish in the GI Acorn S. at Belmont Park June 6.

Shook Up was consigned as Hip 184 by Three Chimneys Farm as part of the Regis Farms dispersal and was offered strictly as a broodmare prospect, contrary to the catalogue page.

“Since we got her at the farm for prep, [her injury is] only getting better and she's a lovely mare,” Three Chimneys Chairman Goncalo Borges Torrealba, seated to the right of the ring, said after signing the ticket.

As for who she will be bred to, he continued, “We're going to think hard about it. We didn't think that we could afford her. We're very happy that we could.”

Shook Up was bred in Kentucky by S F Bloodstock. Her dam Sugar Shake, winner of the 2007 GI Santa Maria H. at Santa Anita, brought $825,000 from Global Bloodstock while in foal to Bernardini at the 2009 FTKNOV sale. The resulting filly realized $950,000 as a FTSAUG yearling. @SteveSherackTDN

Colonial Flag Rings the Bell

The well-pedigreed GSW Colonial Flag (Pleasant Tap) was the first offering at Monday's opening session of the Keeneland November sale to breach the $1-million mark, as Reynolds Bell–acting on behalf of Jon Clay's Alpha Delta Stables–stretched to $1.6 million to secure the 6-year-old mare. Consigned by Lane's End, agent as hip 28, the dark bay was offered in foal to none other than leading sire Tapit.

A $475,000 Keeneland September yearling in 2010–right before her half-sister Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect) upended the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf–Colonial Flag was trained by Michael Matz on behalf of Skara Glen Stables, W. S. Farish, and George Prussin with her signature win coming in Woodbine's GIII Ontario Colleen S. in 2012. She earned $312,463 on the track from a record of 13-4-2-2, and is also a half to GSP Mark of Success (Mt. Livermore) and a $1.2-million KEESEP yearling of 2011. Colonial Flag produced a Malibu Moon filly earlier this year.

“That as about what we expected,” Bell said when asked about the lofty price tag. “She's a quality mare, and quality mares bring about what you expect.”

Bell noted that Colonial Flag would return to Lane's End. Clay's broodmare band–which is about 15 strong–is split between that nursery and Mill Ridge Farm. He plans to keep it around that number at this point.

“She obviously had ability on the racetrack, and is from a good family,” Bell said of her appeal. “She's a half-sister to a Breeders' Cup F/M Turf winner and in foal to Tapit.”

New York-based Clay, who is involved in sports marketing, was represented on the track this year by the likes of GI First Lady S. and GII Ballston Spa S. third My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song). Bell acquired the 2014 GII Gazelle H. winner and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up on behalf of Alpha Delta for $2.15 million at last year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

Bell/Alpha Delta purchased Fame and Fortune (Unbridled's Song), a full-sister to last week's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile hero Liam's Map, for $750,000 in foal to Bernardini Monday evening at Fasig-Tipton. –@BDiDonato

Prentice Pursues Success with Sunset Glow

Sunset Glow (Exchange Rate), winner of last year's GI Del Mar Debutante for David Mowat's Ten Broeck Farm, will join the commercial broodmare band of Bryant Prentice after selling for $1.375 million during Monday's first session of the Keeneland November sale. Seated next to bloodstock agent James Delahooke, Prentice signed as Pursuit of Success.

In addition to the Debutante, Sunset Glow also won last year's GII Sorrento S. and was second behind Lady Eli (Divine Park) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

She set a course record while breaking her maiden over the turf at Belmont in June. Prentice acknowledged the filly's race record was a major selling point.

“I think she faced very competitive horses and she certainly proved she could run,” Prentice admitted. “And I like the Dynaformer on the bottom side.”

The 3-year-old filly, who was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, is out of stakes placed Perfectforthepart (Dynaformer). She was a $140,000 Keeneland September yearling in 2013.

Prentice has 11 broodmares boarded at Craig Bandoroff's Denali Stud. He purchased an unraced 2-year-old by Bernardini out of bluehen Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister) for $1.4 million during Sunday's Fasig-Tipton November sale.

“I think the market is probably a little softer than it has been the last year or two,” Prentice commented. “You can find value if you are patient.”

Prentice added that the American portion of his shopping list may be complete with the purchase of Sunset Glow.

“We bought a couple in Europe–James Delahooke has picked out a few for us in Europe in the last few years,” he explained. “We'll probably look in Europe, but that is probably it for this sale.”@JessMartiniTDN

A Little Levity for Stonestreet Band

Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Farm, which secured Molly Morgan (Ghostzapper) for $1.35 million during Sunday's Fasig-Tipton November sale, was back in action across town to take home Comedy (Theatrical {Ire}) for $1.5 million early in Monday's opening session of the Keeneland November sale.

“We think she is beautiful,” Banke said. “We like her foals–we like the fact that she's had stakes winners. She is obviously a good addition to our broodmare band.”

Comedy (hip 29), who sold in foal to Tapit, is the dam of graded stakes winner Taris (Flatter), who fetched $2.35 million at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale and who was third in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint. The 11-year-old mare is also the dam of stakes winner and graded stakes placed Theatre Star (War Front) and stakes winner Stoweshoe (Flatter).

While breeding plans for Comedy are still undecided, Banke noted, “She seems to work on the A.P. Indy line very well, so we'll probably be looking along those lines.”

“We thought she could bring $1.1 million and a $1.5 million,” said Carrie Brogden of Select Sales, which consigned Comedy on behalf of SF Bloodstock. “So she hit the top of our very happy expectations. The owners are thrilled.”

Brogden compared Comedy to a mare she previously owned–and sold for $750,000 at last year's Keeneland January sale–Life Happened, the dam of GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Tepin (Bernstein) and multiple graded stakes winner Vyjck (Into Mischief).

“She reminded me a lot of Life Happened except that she was younger,” Brogden said. “But the same kind of deal, four foals, three stakes winners, two graded stakes horses. And she was in foal to Tapit–how do you top that? Plus she had that beautiful slinky walk.”

West Virginia breeder Mike Di Cola purchased Comedy, in foal to Flatter, for $24,000 at the 2012 Keeneland November sale and, after selling the mare privately, still retains a yearling colt by Stay Thirsty out of the mare. (Click for TDN story on Di Cola)

“[Di Cola] still owns the yearling and is keeping him to go to the 2-year-old sales, so they are thrilled because they still have a piece of her,” Brogden continued. “So it was a win-win all the way around. She is going to a great home and I hope she just keeps producing.” @JessMartiniTDN

Don't Tell Sophia Off to Japan

Don't Tell Sophia (Congaree–Lost Expectations, by Valid Expectations), heroine of last term's GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland and runner-up behind champion Untapable (Tapit) in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita, is headed to Japan. The 7-year-old, offered in foal to leading sire Medaglia d'Oro, brought $1.2 million from Northern Farm at Monday's first session of the Keeneland November Sale.

“I thought she was a really good-looking mare,” Northern Farm's Shunsuke Yoshida said. “She was second in the Breeders' Cup last year and it was a really good race. I think the price was really fair.”

Don't Tell Sophia is likely headed for a mating with Japanese leading sire Deep Impact (Jpn), according to Yoshida.

“I think so,” Yoshida responded when asked if she was purchased with him in mind. “He's a very busy stallion, but, yeah, I think she'll go to him.”

Acquired for just $1,000 by co-owner/trainer Phil Sims as a Keeneland September yearling in 2009, Don't Tell Sophia proved to be more than a purchase of a lifetime. The seven-time stakes winner posted a career record of 24-11-6-3 and earnings of $1,382,479. Consigned by Sims's Spring Trace Farm as Hip 41, the bay, bred in Kentucky by Stonerside Farm, is a half-sister to Summer Song (Sunday Break {Jpn}), MSW & MGSP, $336,981. She was produced by the graded stakes placed mare Lost Expectations.

“It was tough,” Sims admitted of parting ways with his stable star. “But I had to try and do what was right for business. That was the right price for her. That's about what I had her appraised for. Medaglia d'Oro is such a solid stallion and I thought he'd go really great with her because she could run on any surface and it looks like his offspring can as well. I thought it would be a really good match. He was the right horse for her.”

Don't Tell Sophia finished second in the GII Falls City H. at Churchill in late November after her game run in the Breeders' Cup and was kept in training for her 7-year-old season. Minor lingering issues, however, forced Sims to call it a career for the overachiever in late March. She was campaigned in partnership with Jerry Namy.

“I retired her kind of late and had to make a quick decision,” Sims explained. “Our goal was to run her in the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland this fall, but the right thing to do was to just go ahead and breed her.”

What did he like about her as a yearling?

“She was a nice big filly and I liked the pedigree, too,” he replied. “John Adger bought the mare for the McNairs. She was a graded-stakes filly on the track. Don't Tell Sophia wasn't going to be a 2-year-old runner, but that's what I look for, two-turn horses. I was crazy fortunate and we always took good care of her. I loved her from the day we took her home to break her on the farm. It's just been unreal.”

Sims concluded with a laugh, “For her to earn $1.4 million on the track and now sell for $1.2 million, it's just crazy.” -@SteveSherackTDN

Medaglia d'Oro Weanling Joins Team Darley

A colt by Medaglia d'Oro led the list of weanlings during Monday's first session of the Keeneland November sale, bringing a final bid of $475,000 from Darley Stud Management.

Hip 51 is the first foal out of 2012 GI Prioress S. winner Emma's Encore (Congrats), who was campaigned by Brenda Mercer and Peter Berglar and trained by the late Allen Jerkens. Mercer purchased the mare for $2,000 at the 2010 Keeneland September sale. The weanling was consigned by Lane's End and was co-bred by Berglar's father, Stonereath Stud owner Dr. Christoph Berglar and Darley.

Darley's Dan Pride acknowledged the weanling's sire, who stands at the farm, was a major selling point for the team.

“Obviously, Medaglia d'Oro is a special horse to us,” Pride said. “And this is the first foal out of a very good race mare–a Grade I winner. He fit our program. He'll go to our farm and he'll hopefully show up in the big races in a few years.”

Of the bay's final price tag, Pride added, “It was about what we appraised him at. He was a special horse in this group. And I think he sold about where we thought he would and we're happy to have him.”

Pride agreed the Keeneland November catalogue features a strong group of weanlings.

“It's a very good group of weanlings,” he said. “We've been around and looked at most of them and this horse stood up to the group, but I think it's a deep group of weanlings to be sold here in the next couple of days.” @JessMartiniTDN