Keeneland November Marches On

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continued into Book 3 Saturday in Lexington with figures ticking up slightly with the first session of last year's Book 3 statistics, but with an increased buy-back rate. In all, 226 head sold Saturday for $13,975,700. The average was $61,839–up 3.5% from a year ago–and the median was up 4.44% to $47,000. With 122 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 35%. It was 27% a year ago, when 236 horses grossed $14,099,000 for an average of $59,742 and a median of $45,000.

Five Star Momma (Five Star Day) was the day's highest-priced offering, selling for $550,000 to Evelyn Benoit's Star Guitar, Inc. The 7-year-old mare's colt by Violence was the day's highest-priced weanling (hip 1634), bringing a final bid of $275,000 from New York owner/breeder Mary Sullivan.

Carrie Brogden, whose Select Sales consigned both the day's top-priced mare and top-priced weanling on behalf of SF Bloodstock and whose Machmer Hall purchased the day's second-highest offering, summarized Saturday's action in one word.

“Polarized,” Brogden said. “It's the best and then it's the rest.”

Brogden admitted that her top lots were bringing more than expected, but buyers were unwilling to pay for even marginally lesser offerings.

“They are going to give you top dollar plus 25% for the 10s, but the 8s and the 7s are devalued by 50-70%,” Brogden explained. “And I'm not sure how long that is sustainable. People either like first-year sires or super hot proven sires–they are not giving some of the second-crop sires as much of a chance. To me, Tapiture has done enough and yet people are walking away from his babies. He could be just like Curlin and kick on when he has 3-year-olds. If you are shopping this sale and are willing to get that second tier, just under top tier, you could be rewarded. To me, this has been happening for years at the 2-year-old sales and now it's transferring to everything where everyone is looking for what is perceived quality. All these mares are one graded stakes win away from the top.”

The Keeneland November sale continues Sunday with the second and final Book 3 session beginning at 10 a.m.

Momma and Baby Star at Keeneland

Five Star Momma (Five Star Day) caused the biggest fireworks of Saturday's fifth session of the Keeneland November sale, selling for $550,000 to James Keogh, bidding on behalf of Evelyn Benoit's Star Guitar, Inc. The 7-year-old mare's first foal, a colt by Violence, became the day's top-priced weanling one hip later when selling for $275,000 to Crestwood Farm's Phil Hager, bidding on behalf of owner/breeder Mary Sullivan.

“She's a beautiful filly,” Keogh said after signing the ticket on the mare, who is in foal to Tiznow. “She's my only horse today. I loved her.”

Five Star Momma (hip 1633) won a pair of stakes during her racing career and was four times graded stakes placed. She is out of Momma in Law (Nureyev), a full-sister to graded stakes winner England's Rose.

“It's just a class pedigree,” Keogh said. “She's a beautiful, beautiful physical.”

Also on behalf of Benoit, who stands Louisiana stallion Star Guitar, Keogh purchased Moment of Majesty (Saint Liam) (hip 917) for $850,000 earlier in the week at Keeneland.

Right after his session-topping dam, hip 1634, a colt from the second crop of Grade I winner Violence, strode through the Keeneland sales ring.

“We loved the physical and the mare could really run,” Hager said of the weanling's appeal.

Hager is a bloodstock advisor at Crestwood Farm, which stands Sullivan's multiple Grade I winner Get Stormy.

“[Sullivan] was looking for a New York-bred colt,” Hager explained. “We missed on some yearlings, so she wanted to get a weanling.”

Both mare and foal were consigned by Select Sales on behalf of SF Bloodstock.

“When the baby came to be prepped at my farm about 60 days ago, I called [SF Bloodstock's] Tom Ryan and said, 'Wow, wow, wow, wow,'” Select Sales' Carrie Brogden recalled. “Mares just don't have first foals like this. Quality is what everyone wants and quality is what he is. She is just as beautiful as her baby.”

Brogden had nothing but praise for the weanling.

“He just exuded class,” she continued. “He was so special. I must have been asked for his vet report 40 times in the back ring. Everyone was falling all over themselves. He is what everyone wants to breed. And on top of that, he is a registered New York-bred.”

Machmer Hall Stretches for a Run

Carrie Brogden, standing alongside her mother Sandy Willwerth, admitted she had left her “comfort zone” when going to $360,000 to add Addison Run (Unbridled's Song) to the Machmer Hall broodmare band.

“That's my 23rd Unbridled's Song mare,” Brogden said. Asked how the mare compared to her 22 predecessors, Brogden laughed, “She is a lot more expensive.”

The 6-year-old Addison Run (hip 1509), stakes-placed on the racetrack, sold in foal to Constitution through the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. Out of multiple graded stakes winner Fleet Lady (Avenue of Flags), the gray mare is a full-sister to champion Midshipman and a half to Fast Cookie (Deputy Minister), the dam of Grade I winner Frosted (Tapit).

Addison Run was followed into the Keeneland sales ring by her weanling colt by Street Sense who sold for $110,000 to Ben Glass.

“I thought her Street Sense colt was gorgeous,” Brogden said, confirming the weanling was a major selling point on the mare.

Brogden's success with Unbridled's Song mares continued Saturday in Keeneland. Machmer Hall purchased Provocative (Unbridled's Song) for $30,000 at the 2014 Keeneland January sale. The mare's weanling filly by Into Mischief sold for $170,000 early in the session.

“We had a huge year and our broodmare band is getting to be something special,” Brogden said. “So you have to go back to what you believe in as you build your program. Unbridled's Song mares have been very good to me.”

Addison Run was purchased by Bloodstock Investments III in foal to Street Sense for $180,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale. She produced a colt by Street Sense this term.

Mystery Trip Joins LNJ Foxwoods Band

Bloodstock agent Jason Litt, bidding on behalf of LNJ Foxwoods, made a final bid of $230,000 to acquire the 15-year-old mare Mystery Trip (Belong to Me) and top early returns during Saturday's fifth session of the Keeneland November sale.

The unraced mare (hip 1343) is out of Weekend Surprise (Secretariat), making her a half-sister to A.P. Indy and Summer Squall. She is the dam of group placed Jakonda (Kingmambo) and stakes placed Gallant Fields (Smarty Jones) and Mystery Strike (Smart Strike).

“She's a half-sister to A.P. Indy and Summer Squall–this family is as good as you get,” Litt explained. “We have the daughter Mystery Strike, she's in foal to Medaglia d'Oro and she is believed to be carrying a filly. So it made a lot sense for us to go after her.”

Mystery Strike was purchased by LNJ Foxwoods for $500,000 at the 2013 Keeneland September sale. Mystery Trip's Curlin colt sold for $280,000 at this year's September sale. Consigned to Saturday's sale by Lane's End, she was sold in foal to Lemon Drop Kid.

Noble Mission Colt Popular at Keeneland

A colt from the first crop of multiple Group 1 winner Noble Mission (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), a full-brother to European superstar Frankel (GB)), attracted a final bid of $210,000 from bloodstock agent David Ingordo. Ingordo, who signed the ticket as Parker Place Stable, is bloodstock advisor at Lane's End where Noble Mission stands for $25,000.

“We brought Noble Mission over from England and it's no secret what Frankel has been doing, so we've been supporting him a lot,” Ingordo said after signing the ticket on hip 1399. “[Lane's End's] Mr. Farish has thought this could be one of the best stallion deals we've done in a long time.”

Ingordo, who said plans on whether to race or resell the colt are still to be made, has been impressed by the Noble Mission weanlings he has seen this week.

“I bought a really good colt (hip 1120) by him Friday for $100,000 and I got outbid on a few others,” Ingordo said. “This colt is very representative of what the Noble Missions look like. It's a great family and we're big believers in Noble Mission.”

The weanling is out of the unraced Seal of Approval (Vindication) and is a half-brother to stakes placed Paid Admission (Candy Ride {Arg}). He was bred by Marilyn and Darren Pollitt's Bugle Hill Farm, which purchased Seal of Approval for $50,000 at the 2011 Keeneland November sale, and was consigned by Lane's End. Seal of Approval, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Gulch Approval and to the dam of Grade I winner Wicked Strong (Hard Spun), followed her foal into the sales ring Saturday, bringing a final bid of $110,000 from Sallusto & Albina, agents for Fascinating Rock Mares. She was in foal to Liam's Map.

A three-time Group 1 winner, Noble Mission captured the 2014 G1 Champion S. in his career finale. Lane's End's Director of Stallion Seasons Chance Timm acknowledged the strong sale will help Noble Mission going into the 2017 breeding season.

“With a first-year horse like that, we like to see that the market is receptive to him and they like what they see,” Timm explained. “And clearly this horse met the mark and everybody seems excited about him. A horse has to do it himself to some extent, they have to produce the goods. But it certainly helps us going into next year–people like to see that a horse is well-received in the market and it will help us get him another full book next year.”

Of similarities that he sees in Noble Mission's weanlings, Timm added, “They are surprisingly leggy, strong and forward kind of horses. He's not an over-big horse, but his foals have plenty of size and substance and this foal had all of those characteristics.”

Clasica Score for Vacek

Sue Vacek, farm manager for John Penn's Ocala-based Pennston Farm, admitted she was shocked she was able to acquire Potra Clasica (Arg) (Potrillon {Arg}) for just $27,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale. Then 14, the mare who was group placed in Argentina and in the U.S., was in foal to leading freshman sire Uncle Mo. The mare's Uncle Mo colt (hip 1369) was sent through the sales ring at Keeneland Saturday, bringing a final bid of $180,000 from Chestnut Valley.

“We look to find mares in foal to fashionable sires that we can afford,” Vacek, who partnered with Penn on the mare, explained. “I thought she would bring a lot more than that. I was shocked we could get her.”

The plan when the duo purchased the mare was to sell the foal as a weanling or a yearling. The progressive foal made the decision easy.

“He was really nice,” Vacek confirmed of the weanling. “He was big, scopey and with a great walk. He exceeded my expectations.”

Rushing off to catch a flight home, Vacek admitted she was “tickled to death” by the result.

Potra Clasica was bred to Wicked Strong this year.

Al's Gal to Motion

Grade I stakes winner Al's Gal (English Channel), purchased by SF Bloodstock for $800,000 at Monday's Fasig-Tipton November sale, will resume her racing career with trainer Graham Motion.

“We had Dr. [Michael] Hore X-ray her post-sale and, surprisingly after 27 starts, she's remains completely sound and ready for more,” said SF Bloodstock's Tom Ryan. “She's on her way to Fair Hill to join the Graham Motion barn. She's a beautiful mare with a nice turn of foot and is very brave.”

Al's Gal, a narrowly beaten second in the GI Beverly D. S. at Arlington in August, captured the Oct. 16 GI E. P. Taylor S. She most recently ran ninth in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf in her final start for Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trainer Mike Maker.

The 5-year-old, a $35,000 claim by the Ramseys last year, has hit the board in 19 of 27 starts to date with eight wins and earnings of $750,120.