by Jessica Martini, Brian DiDonato & Christie DeBernardis
LEXINGTON, Kentucky–The Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which started off slowly Monday, had been building up steam during each subsequent session and the auction's Book 1 section ended with a strong day of selling Wednesday in Lexington. Six horses sold for seven-figures during the session, with Coolmore's M.V. Magnier going to a sale-topping $3 million to bring home a Scat Daddy half-brother to champion Beholder (Henny Hughes) (hip 454) from the consignment of the Mitchell family's Clarkland Farm.
“We talked about stable the first day,” Keeneland's Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said. “I think you can probably throw that out the window. This was a dynamite day.”
During Wednesday's session, 119 yearlings sold for $47,735,000. The average, which was around $319,000 during the first two sessions, jumped to $401,134 Wednesday, a 29.55% increase from the final session of last year's Book 1. The median for the day was up 20% to $300,000.
For the three sessions of Book 1, 346 yearlings sold for $120,225,000. The cumulative average of $347,471 was up 14.56% and the median rose 20% to $300,000.
With a buy-back rate of 24.68% Wednesday, the final Book 1 RNA rate was 30.66%, right in line with last year's figure of 30.89%.
“There was a sense of urgency today,” Keeneland's Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell commented. “I think people realized this was the end of Book 1. The top physicals and the top pedigrees met and if you wanted to play, you needed to play and so they got busy.”
The 2016 September sale had produced only two seven-figure transactions prior to Wednesday's session. The $3-million topper was the highest-priced yearling to sell at the sale since 2010. Magnier teamed up with John Malone's Bridlewood Farm to take home the day's second highest-priced lot, going to $2 million for a Tapit half-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno) (hip 561). A total of 11 horses crossed the $1-million threshold in 2015.
“The first day always starts out with everyone watching everyone else,” commented Bridlewood's George Isaacs. “I personally found that the best horses were in today's session, so it wasn't any surprise to me that this would be the strongest session. The first day of a select sale is always the most temperate day and it's just gathered momentum.”
Three Chimneys Farm bred or co-bred three of the million-dollar yearlings to sell Wednesday and the farm's Goncalo Torrealba noticed a difference in the market during the Book 1 finale.
“The first two days were a lot softer,” Torrealba said. “Today is a whole different day. Today they are bringing what I thought they should. We are bringing our horses here to sell and we are also here to buy. I haven't been able to buy much and they bought everything from us.”
After a dark day Thursday, selling resumes at Keeneland Friday with the first of two sessions of Book 2. Bidding begins at 10 a.m. For the remaining books and for complete results, visit www.keeneland.com.
Coolmore Beats Out Spendthrift for Beholder's Brother
Bidding started a bit slow when Hip 454, a Scat Daddy half-brother to three-time champion Beholder (Henny Hughes) and Grade I-winning sire Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday), first entered the Keeneland ring Wednesday, but it didn't take long for it to pick up steam. When the dust settled on a prolonged bidding war between Spendthrift's B. Wayne Hughes, who owns Beholder and Into Mischief, and Coolmore's M.V. Magnier, whose Ashford Stud stood the late Scat Daddy, it was Magnier that came out on top, securing the handsome bay for a session and sale-topping $3 million.
“He's by Scat Daddy and he is a [half] brother to an exceptional race filly [in Beholder],” remarked Magnier, who added that the colt would go to Europe. “You won't see much better than [Beholder]. [He's] also a [half] brother to another good colt [in Into Mischief]. He is a very good mover, very good looking, very good family.”
He continued, “We've had a lot of luck with Scat Daddy in the past and hopefully it will continue. [G1SW] Caravaggio (Scat Daddy)looks like he could be an exceptional horse. He's so fast. [He's the sire of G1SW] Lady Aurelia, too. The two of them look like they could be the best two 2-year-olds in Europe. Anything with Scat Daddy, you have to pay a lot of attention to. [G1SW] No Nay Never (Scat Daddy) was an exceptionally good 2-year-old. This horse is a half-brother to two horses that were exceptionally good 2-year-olds [Beholder and Into Mischief]. Hopefully he will do the same.”
Bred and consigned by Clarkland Farm, the colt is out of stakes-winning blue hen Leslie's Lady (Tricky Creek). Her most famous progeny is, of course, multimillionaire Beholder, an Eclipse Award winner at two, three and 5-years-old, whose 10 Grade I victories include two Breeders' Cup races and a decisive score against males in the GI Pacific Classic last year. Leslie's Lady, who is currently in foal to Medaglia d'Oro, is also responsible for 2007 GI CashCall Futurity S. hero Into Mischief.
With only two horses breaking the seven-figure barrier during the previous two sessions, the $3 million price tag instantly shot Hip 454 to the head of the class for Book 1.
“It's a lot of money, but like I said, he is related to two very good horses and by Scat Daddy,” Magnier commented. “It's a lot of money, but he deserved to make it.”
Dual Grade I winner Scat Daddy, a $250,000 graduate of this sale in 2005, passed away suddenly last December at just 11 years of age after a stellar year at stud. Coolmore owns one of his current leading sons in undefeated 2-year-old G1SW Caravaggio and stands another of his Group 1-winning colts No Nay Never at their Ireland base. Scat Daddy was represented by four other Grade/Group 1 winners this year in Lady Aurelia, Dacita (Chi), Celestine and Harmonize.
“[He has] massive [stallion potential],” Magnier said of Hip 454. “The way No Nay Never is making his foals, he could be another Scat Daddy. With Caravaggio on the way now as well, he could be another one.”
Magnier signed the ticket on two other Scat Daddy yearlings during Tuesday's session, going to $750,000 for a colt catalogued as Hip 347 and paying $375,000 for a filly catalogued as Hip 276. The leading sire was represented by a total of 24 yearlings in Book 1, who sold for a gross of $9.86 million, and this $3-million colt is his most expensive offspring ever sold at public auction. –CDeBernardisTDN
Hughes Humble in Defeat on Beholder Brother
B. Wayne Hughes, whose Spendthrift Farm owns both of $3 million sale-topper Hip 454's star half-siblings, Beholder (Henny Hughes) and Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday), was clearly disappointed to have lost out to Coolmore on the colt.
“I didn't feel too good about it as the underbidder,” the 82-year-old said out back shortly after the yearling left the ring. “For us, he was the perfect horse. He was a very, very nice horse. You can see what he went for. He's what we are all hoping for, a yearling looking like that. He has Beholder's head. He is a nice horse.”
Hughes also offered an update on Beholder, who was last seen finishing a valiant second behind 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) in the GI Pacific Classic last month.
When asked about what's next for his champion, Hughes said, “It's up to Richard [Mandella]. I think he is going to work her and make up his mind up. He hasn't done it yet. Our plan is to go [to the GI Zenyatta S.] though if everything is right.”
It is also still uncertain whether Beholder will go on to the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, which she won in 2013, or the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, a race which she was scratched from last year after bleeding during a work out.
“No decision has been made, but I don't want to run against California Chrome,” Hughed offered. “Either way it will be a championship race because we will have Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro), which will make it a Classic race with both of them in there. I'm sure the owner [Rick Porter] is hoping we get that race together. He's a guy who likes the competition, so he would be happy and I'd be happy, but after the race one of us will not be happy.” –CDeBernardisTDN
Leslie's Lady Produces Another Star for Clarkland
Fred Mitchell's Clarkland Farm purchased stakes winner Leslie's Lady (Tricky Creek) for just $100,000 in foal to Orientate at the 2006 Keeneland November sale. Having already produced three-time champion Beholder (Henny Hughes) for Mitchell, the now 20-year-old mare continued to pay back the Kentucky breeder's investment Wednesday when her yearling colt by Scat Daddy (Hip 454) topped the Keeneland September sale courtesy of a $3 million bid from Coolmore's M.V. Magnier.
“I just had butterflies,” an emotional Mitchell said while standing with his daughters outside of the pavillion. “I was very surprised [by price]. I thought he might be the highest-priced of the sale, but I thought $2 million might catch him at the most. I was hoping to get $1.5 million for him, so double that is unbelievable.”
He continued, “I've never had anything of this caliber and this much money. It's just unbelievable. You get to my age, later in life, and it comes along and it is just so enjoyable to be able to live the way you want to live and possibly leave the farm to the girls so they enjoy it too.”
Mitchell felt the colt was a physical standout from the start and acted very professionally throughout the sale.
“I don't think anybody can have the disposition this colt's got and the conformation that he's got and get a better individual anywhere,” he remarked. “He took 5 1/2 days of showing and never missed a beat. The way he moved, he was like on air all the time. He was out there just striding out unbelievable. Hopefully he will be the colt to take Scat Daddy's place. I hope I can breed to him one of these days.”
His half-sister Beholder, the fourth foal Leslie's Lady produced for Mitchell's operation, was purchased by B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm, who already owned her Grade I-winning half-brother Into Mischief, for $180,000 at the 2011 renewal of this sale. She has gone on to win three Eclipse awards, 10 Grade Is and earn just under $5 million for Hughes.
When asked if this colt reminded him of Beholder, Mitchell commented, “So much! If you go back and look at her pictures as a yearling when we had her out here, the conformation is so much [alike]. The head and the eye are almost identical. His [head] might be just a little bit shorter head than hers and a little bit wider between the eyes, but the stride, the hindquarters and the back legs were almost identical. It looks like the Storm Cat cross with the old mare [Leslie's Lady] worked out with Into Mischief, Beholder and this colt.”
Leslie's Lady 2013 filly Leslie's Harmony (Curlin) brought $1.1 million at this sale in 2014, the same year in which she produced an Eskendereya filly, who died of colic at just a few months old. Leslie's Lady was carrying a Scat Daddy foal at the time of her filly's death, but lost it due to the stress and had to be bred back on a late cover, which produced this May 17 foal. “We went to Scat Daddy, to get the same Storm Cat cross with the mare [that produced Beholder and Into Mischief] and it worked out,” Mitchell said. “We had to breed her twice that year. She had an Eskendereya filly, which was the Storm Cat cross also, and she looked almost identical to Beholder. She colicked at 2-months old and we had to have surgery and it didn't work on her, so we had to go back and forth to the hospital. The old mare was pregnant with a February foal to Scat Daddy, but when we took her to the hospital she absorbed that foal, so we had to breed her back that year, which is the reason we got a May foal again.”
He continued, “We didn't breed her back when she had the May foal, but she is [currently] in foal to Medaglia now and she looks like she is about 12 or 14 years old. Hopefully she has a filly so we can keep her and race her. After this, I think we can afford to keep her!” –CdeBernardisTDN
Bridlewood/Coolmore Team for Tapit Colt
Powerhouse buyers Bridlewood Farm and Coolmore teamed up to secure a colt by Tapit for $2 million during an action-packed finish to Wednesday's final book 1 session of the September sale. Out of Ponche de Leona (Ponche), the yearling is a half-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno). He was consigned to the sale by Eaton Sales on behalf of breeder Betty Moran's Brushwood Stable.
“In my opinion, he was the nicest Tapit in the sale,” Bridlewood manager George Isaacs said after signing the ticket out back. “And he has a stallion pedigree. Coolmore had asked us to consider partnering with them on a nice colt to try to potentially be a stallion. It's the old adage, if you can't lick them, join them. We're happy to be part of that.”
The partnership marked the second time John Malone's Bridlewood had teamed up with Coolmore. The two groups purchased a filly by Malibu Moon (hip 179) for $650,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale.
“They are open-minded to try to do like-minded business with the right people and I think we are the right people and they are, too, so we are excited about it,” Isaacs added.
Explaining how the partnership came about, Isaacs said, “They had asked about teaming up on colts, but I flipped it around at Saratoga and asked if they would start off with a nice filly. To me, it's all about relationships in this business, so that's what we are trying to create.”
Isaacs admitted the yearling's final price was just about the end of his budget.
“My appraisal was at the $1.5 to $1.7 million range, but obviously somebody was right below us trying to get the horse,” he said. “At that level, another bid is usually what it takes. We were right at the outside edge.”
The $2-million yearling was bred by Betty Moran's Brushwood Stable, which purchased Ponche de Leona for a sales-topping $775,000 while in foal to Distorted Humor at the 2014 Keeneland January sale.
“I think he is the nicest horse that I've had my hands on in a few years,” said Reiley McDonald of Eaton Sales. “He did everything perfectly. His mind was great for 215 shows. He has a huge walk and overstride and he walks through his shoulder beautifully. And he did it every time he came out for everybody. You rarely get a chance to present a horse like that.”
The 17-year-old Ponche de Leona was among the first book of mares bred to American Pharoah this spring. @JessMartiniTDN
Seven-Figure War Front Colts to Shadwell
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Shadwell Estate Company, which has been active at the Keeneland September sale all week, made its biggest splash of the auction when going to seven figures to take home a pair of colts by War Front Wednesday.
Early in Wednesday's session, the Shadwell team, bidding from an office outside of the pavilion, paid $1.3 million to secure a colt by War Front out of multiple Grade I winner Love and Pride (A.P. Indy). The dark bay yearling (hip 467) was consigned by Four Star Sales as agent for his breeder Three Chimneys Farm.
“He was just a very nice individual,” commented Shadwell Vice President and General Manager Rick Nichols. “He had a good walk and he was very well bred. He had everything you look for in a potential racehorse and a horse that could potentially go on and be a stallion.”
The yearling's third dam is Grade I winner Cara Rafaela (Quiet American), the dam of champion Bernardini.
Four Star Sales' Kerry Cauthen said the yearling, a May 6 foal, had all the right ingredients for a big result in the sales ring.
“The pedigree speaks for itself,” Cauthen said. “It's a great pedigree and he's was a cool horse. He was a late foal and he had so much upside to him. He was just a great individual and he acted like one.”
Still Cauthen admitted, “This is not a market where you want to be overly confident at any point. The horse was worth that, all of that and more, maybe, but I think that was a very fair price for both sides.”
Not bred in 2015, the 8-year-old Love and Pride was served by Pioneerof the Nile this year.
Later in the session, Shadwell went to $1.9 million to acquire hip 571, a son of War Front out of stakes winner Prize Catch (A.P. Indy). The mare is a half to multiple graded stakes winner Lead Story (Editor's Note) and is from the family of GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Unbridled Elaine. The yearling was consigned by Lane's End and was bred by W.S. Farish and Lazy F Ranch.
“It's a very nice pedigree, and physically he's a very nice War Front–the type who could go to either Europe or stay here and run,” Lane's End's Bill Farish said. “We knew Shadwell liked him, and we knew some other people liked him, so it was just a matter of how far they would go.”
Shadwell, which purchased subsequent graded stakes winner Mohaymen (Tapit) for a joint sales-best $2.2 million at the 2014 Keeneland September sale, has purchased 15 yearlings so far at this year's auction for an average of $716,667. Only two of the group's purchases were fillies.
“It's an added plus if we can get a well-bred horse who could do well on the track and then might end up standing at stud somewhere in the world for us,” Nichols explained.
Late in Wednesday's session, Shadwell paid $900,000 for a well-related daughter of Frankel (GB) out of Rose of Summer (El Prado {Ire}) 602. Its other filly acquisition was an $800,000 daughter of Speightstown (hip 356). Shadwell also purchased a son of War Front out of Grade I winner and former 'TDN Rising Star' Sweet Lulu (Tapit) (hip 78) for $700,000 and two sons of Tapit, hip 368 and hip 456, for $625,000 and $575,000, respectively. @JessMartiniTDN
Pope Takes Home a Pair of Tapit Fillies
After a frustrating Tuesday when her War Front colt out of Horse of the Year Havre de Grace (Saint Liam) RNA'd for $1.9 million due to a reserve error, Mandy Pope was no worse for wear during Wednesday's closing session of Book 1, spending $2.5 million on a pair of Tapit fillies bred by and offered consecutively by Three Chimneys Farm and Besilu Stables. The Whisper Hill Farm owner won a spirited round of bidding to take home Hip 582, a half-sister to MGSW & MGISP Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}); and while she signed that ticket, advisor Todd Quast bid on her behalf to secure Hip 583, a daughter of MGSW Quiet Temper (Quiet American) for $1.1 million.
“Two Tapits, two totally different fillies,” Pope said of the yearlings, who were both consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent. “One had very little resemblance to the other one. The first filly [Hip 582], the half to Gun Runner, is more of your usual Tapit conformation, Tapit size. The other filly is much larger and scopier and leggier than your normal Tapits, but we fell in love with her. She reminded us a great deal of [GISP] Tap To It, so much that we've been calling her Tap To It, Jr., all week.”
Hip 582's dam is Grade II winner Quiet Giant (Giant's Causeway), a half-sister to Horse of the Year Saint Liam (Saint Ballado), GSW Congressionalhonor (Forestry) and SW Dance Quietly (A.P. Indy) was purchased by Besilu for $3 million at the 2011 Keeneland November sale.
Her first foal was the talented sophomore Gun Runner, who won three graded events so far this year, including the GII Louisiana Derby, and was third in the GI Kentucky Derby for these breeders and Winchell Thoroughbreds. Quiet Dance produced another Tapit filly this May and was bred back to Candy Ride (Arg).
Hip 583 is the third foal out Quiet Temper, winner of the 2009 GIII Delta Princess S. and 2010 GII Fair Grounds Oaks. She produced a Speightstown colt this year and was bred back to that sire.
Three Chimney Farm's Goncalo Torrealba was one of the first to congratulate Pope, who quipped, “I heard they were pasture mates before and they will be again tomorrow!”
“You always get more than you deserve,” commented Torrealba a few minutes later while seated beside Gun Runner's trainer Steve Asmussen at the back of the pavilion. “I think they are great fillies and I think she is in for a lot of fun with them. When you send a mare to Tapit, you pick out the absolute best you have. We got lucky with those two. They are now the real deal. I think the market is saying that. I think [Mandy Pope buying them] is the stamp that we are doing something right.”
Pope bought one other horse during Book 1, an $80,000 Kitten's Joy colt catalogued as Hip 288, and was underbidder on several others.
“We had interest in other horses. We bought another little colt, a Kitten's Joy, for $80,000, who looked like just a nice racehorse with no exceptional pedigree,” Pope offered. “There were several horses, colts and fillies, that we were very interested in that we pretty much got blown out of the water
with what they were bringing because we just loved these two.”
Pope continued, “We were kind of saving our money for these two fillies. We were also in on the [$675,000] Malibu Moon filly, Hip 581, who was also a lovely filly and we kind of just again, saved our money and spent it on the two sisters.”
While Pope had a very good result during Monday's session when Hip 166, a War Front filly out of Aloof (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), sold to Godolphin for $900,000, she was clearly upset and shocked Tuesday when her War Front colt out Havre de Grace (Hip 383) failed to sell at $1.9 million, a price she believed to be above the reserve. The Florida-based breeder later discovered there had been an error inputting the reserve and made a statement to the press that herself and consignor Wayne Sweezey were actively seeking a private sale or partnership.
Shortly after purchasing her Tapit fillies, Pope reported that the colt had not yet sold and she would take him back home to Florida with her.
“I'm happy with him,” she said. “I think God wanted me to keep him, so he will be on his way back to Florida. I'm sure if anyone is interested, they know how to get in touch with me or Wayne, but I want to get him back home to his happy environment.”
Pope added, “Everyone has been wonderful to both Wayne and myself. They have been very generous and we are thankful for that. Of course, if you read all the blogs there are some nasty comments, but we have been touched by how nice people have been to us. I am happy with the colt, so it is not like I've got to sell him for any reason. When he wins his first race, I'm sure people will be offering more money, so it's all fine.”
Pope kept another regally bred yearling she had originally intended to sell last month as well when she scratched a War Front filly out of GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Plum Pretty (Medaglia d'Oro), who she purchased for $4.2 million at Keeneland November, from the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. The filly is Plum Pretty's second foal, but would have been the first offered at public auction, just like the colt out of Havre de Grace.
“We decided to keep her. She's a lovely filly,” Pope remarked. “She was originally going to Saratoga, but wasn't quite mature enough for it and I didn't want to rush her, so we will just keep her.” –CdeBernardisTDN
Big Day for Three Chimneys
Six horses sold for seven figures during Wednesday's session of the Keeneland September sale and Three Chimneys Farm was listed as breeder or co-breeder on three of those prized yearlings.
“It was amazing,” admitted Three Chimneys' Goncalo Torrealba. “We're commercial and that's what we are here for.”
Early in Wednesday's session, hip 467, by War Front out of Love and Pride (A.P. Indy), sold for $1.3 million to Shadwell Estate Company.
Three Chimneys purchased Love and Pride, who won the 2012 GI Zenyatta S. and GI Personal Ensign S., for $4.9 million while in foal to Distorted Humor at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale. Her Distorted Humor colt brought $450,000 at last year's September sale.
“When we bought Love and Pride, we were hoping for this kind of result,” said Three Chimneys' Goncalo Torrealba said. “We loved him. He is one of the best, if not the best, colt that we brought to the sale today. We are very happy that Shadwell has him and we wish them luck.”
The colt became the fourth seven-figure yearling of the September sale, but Torrealba said he wasn't concerned about the final price tag.
“We bring them and if we get a fair price, we sell and if we don't, we race them,” he said.
Mandy Pope purchased a pair of Tapit fillies back-to-back late in the session, going to $1.4 million for hip 582 and $1.1 million for hip 583. Both were consigned by Taylor Made and were co-bred by Three Chimneys and Besilu Stables.
“To have a person like Mandy Pope validate our program, means a lot to us,” said Torrealba.
Through the Gainesway consignment, Three Chimneys also sold a filly by Medaglia d'Oro (hip 597) for $775,000. @JessMartiniTDN
Team Albaugh Looking for the Next Brody
When Dennis Albaugh and Jason Loutsch's Albaugh Family Stables came out on top for a horse at Keeneland September this week, there was no doubt about it. Flanked front and center in the sales pavilion by a large team that includes horsemen Barry Berkelhammer and Steve Castagnola, Albaugh seemed to be having more fun than anyone as he added to his operation's formidable line-up.
And if the past year or so was any indication, the fun is just beginning.
Albaugh, Iowa's richest man, made his fortune in agribusiness, and was introduced to horse racing by his son-in-law Loutsch. After enjoying early success as a partner in Donegal Racing's GISW Paddy O'Prado (El Prado {Ire}), Albaugh and Loutsch began investing on their own. Those initial investments quickly paid off when the Kelly Von Hemel trainee Miss Macy Sue (Trippi)–just a $42,000 OBS June grad–went on to take six stakes, including three graded, and finish third in the inaugural Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint in 2007.
Miss Macy Sue has continued to reward Albaugh Family Stables in the breeding shed–she's responsible for brilliant 'TDN Rising Star' and 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile hero Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song), an $800,000 KEESEP yearling of 2012; fellow 'Rising Star', stakes winner and graded-placed Taylor S (Medaglia d'Oro); an A. P. Indy mare who sold for $500,000 in foal to Curlin at last year's Keeneland November Sale: and the promising juvenile colt Not This Time (Giant's Causeway), a 10-length graduate at Ellis Park Aug. 12 who will contest Saturday's GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill for Albaugh Family Stabless and conditioner Dale Romans.
Team Albaugh mostly looks for Classic-type, two-turn colts–like Brody's Cause (Giant's Causeway), winner of last October's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and April's GI Toyota Blue Grass S.–both in Lexington. A $350,000 pick-up at the September sale in 2014, the bay millionaire contested both the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont S. and has just recently rejoined the Romans barn to prepare for a fall campaign.
“Jason got me in the horse business, and we picked up one filly, Miss Macy Sue, and she went on to win a million dollars running.” Albaugh explained after finishing up his Book 1 bidding. “Now she keeps kicking out great babies… Then we had an unbelievable run with Brody's Cause, and that was a lot of fun–he's still got a big future.”
Albaugh Family Stables first became a major force at this auction in 2014, when they took home eight head for a combined $2.1 million, including Brody's Cause, GSP Unbridled Outlaw (Unbridled's Song) and Easy Goer S. runner-up Race Me Home (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}).
“About three years ago, we told [Taylor Made's] Duncan Taylor–he takes care of a lot of our mares–what our plan was and what our goal was, and he threw out some names,” Loutsch said when asked about how the Albaugh team was assembled. “Barry Berkelhammer's got an amazing eye–he bought [Hall of Famer] Ashado–and has his training farm in Ocala, so he's the first person we put on our team. Plus we've got Steve Castagnola here in Kentucky–those are the two guys who are kind of the heads of [the team], plus we've got our trainers Dale Romans and Kelly Von Hemel.”
Albaugh Family Stables spent $2.91 million at September last year on 10 horses, including several currently unraced 2-year-olds in training with Dale Romans who Albaugh and Loutsch have high expectations for.
They have focused a bit more on quality over quantity this time around, spending $2.66 million so far on just six yearlings:
Hip 395, a son of Malibu Moon out of MGISW Hollywood Story (Wild Rush) offered by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency. The dark bay cost $550,000.
Hip 413, a Ghostzapper grandson of champion 3-year-old filly Proud Spell (Proud Citizen). Consigned by Brereton Jones' Airdrie Stud, the Feb. 25 foal was Albaugh's priciest purchase to date at auction at $625,000.
“The good stuff has been selling for really high prices, and the fair stuff is kind of right on the numbers of prior years,” Albaugh said when asked about the market. “We've changed our strategy and spent a little more money than we wanted to, but we're taking away six horses from this sale and we're very happy about it.”
When asked to pick out a favorite among his team's purchases, Albaugh had some trouble.
“We've got two Malibu Moons we're very happy with, a Medaglia d'Oro colt–and this Ghostzapper we just picked up,” he said. “We've all been trying to come up with our favorite, but I guess we like them all–we did put our hand up on all of them, after all.”
Team Albaugh attempted to take some money off the table Wednesday when they offered Miss Macy Sue's Bodemeister yearling as hip 502 through the Taylor Made consignment, but the bay colt was an RNA at $450,000.
“The mare continues to throw runners with every foal, so we're excited about our mare and excited about this horse,” Loutsch said before the colt went through the ring. “If he brings the right price we'll do it, but if not we'll put him back in the barn.”
Miss Macy Sue was bred back to Tapit this spring. –@BDiDonatoTDN
Decision to Keep POTN Colt Pays Off
Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stables and the Coolmore contingent continued their strategic alliance Wednesday at Keeneland September, teaming up to take home a $925,000 Pioneerof the Nile full-brother to speedy turfer Midnight Storm, who recently completed a three-race win streak that started in Santa Anita's GI Shoemaker Mile S. June 4, continued with the GII Eddie Read S. July 17 and was completed in the Aug. 21 GII Del Mar Mile H. The dark bay colt was consigned to the sale by Warrendale Sales, Agent XVI as hip 529.
Stonestreet purchased another colt by the same sire for $950,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale in August.
“We bought another Pioneerof the Nile at Saratoga,” Stonestreet's John Moynihan noted. “This was a beautiful, beautiful horse. We loved him, and hopefully we'll have some luck with him–now we'll figure out where he goes.”
Hip 529 was bred in Kentucky by Alex Venneri and Marjorie Post Dye. Venneri bought him back for $300,000 as a weanling at last year's Keeneland November sale. California socialite Post Dye had passed away that April.
“Alex Venneri bought out Miss Post's estate,” explained Warrendale's Hunter Simms. “They raced Midnight Storm together in partnership with Little Red Feather. It was a very good buyback, to say the least.”
When asked why he decided to keep the colt last year, Venneri offered, “I just didn't want to get rid of him for the $300,000. He actually had live bids up to $285,000, and I just really liked him, so I decided to take a shot. I thought he'd grow up to be a nice-looking horse, because I know that mare's weanlings are good-looking, but her yearlings become exceptionally good-looking… We knew he'd bring a lot of money–he had all the big guys on him, but you never know what the end result will be. He's certainly a nice horse, and I hope he does fantastic for them.”
Venneri is the founder and president of La Canada, California-based real estate mortgage business Reme, Inc. He also bred and campaigned two-time Grade II winner Bright Thought (Hat Trick {Jpn}) with Post Dye.
“Cliff Sise, Jr. trained for me many, many years ago, and he said to me, 'Hey, do you want to partner with one of my clients? She's really sweet.'” Venneri explained when asked how he first got involved with his former partner. “I said I'd love to, and we ended up partnering on a horse, then we bought a few more and then I told her at one point that I really wanted to start a breeding operation, and she said, 'Ya! I'll do it with you.' I was fortunate enough to have a partner who let me do sort of cock-eyed things, because most partners would've told me I was crazy. I took these mares that really weren't great mares, but I liked their conformation or pedigree and I said, 'Let's go to Kentucky and breed to the most expensive stallion we can afford.' And she said, 'Go for it.'”
Hip 259's dam My Tina (Bertrando), an $82,000 yearling purchase at the 2002 CTBA Del Mar Yearling sale, won just once in maiden-claiming company from eight tries for Venneri, Dye and Sise. Her still-unraced Stay Thirsty 2-year-old colt was a $280,000 KEENOV weanling in 2014. My Tina failed to produce a foal after being bred back to Pioneerof the Nile in 2015, and visited Bodemeister this spring.
“We just wanted to stay with the Empire Maker line,” Venneri, who owns more than 40 horses, including 15 broodmares, noted. “We just really like [Bodemeister] as a stallion. We're considering Medaglia d'Oro for her next year.”
–@BDiDonatoTDN
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