Pioneer' Colt Tops Strong Session

By Lucas Marquardt 
The last weanling to sell in 2014 by the red-hot Pioneerof the Nile topped yesterday's single-session Book 5 at Keeneland November, which saw healthy increases from last year's comparable session. In all, 242 horses sold Wednesday for $4,165,200, an average of $17,212 that was up 16.7% from last year's average of $14,753. The median, $12,000, was up 14.3% from $10,500. The RNA rate was once again much higher than last year–21.4% vs. 10.3%–but still came in at an acceptable percentage. 

Cumulatively, 2,092 horses have sold at November for $201,912,600. The average of $96,517 is up 9.7%; the median of $45,000 is up 12.5%. The cumulative RNA rate is 21.9%. Last year it was 14.9%. 

Topping yesterday's session was a Pioneerof the Nile colt who went to C.J.E. Stable for $85,000. The colt is the second foal from the Churchill maiden special winner Aqualane Shores (Friends Lake). Meg Levy's Bluewater Sales consigned the Feb. 7-foaled bay as Hip 2964 on behalf of breeder David Clark's Iron Horse Racing. (Click for ThoroStride video.) 
“From the first time I saw him at the farm, I thought he was the bomb,” said Levy. “We put him in this spot because we thought he might top the day. David Clark has been a client for a very long time, and we're thrilled for him. He usually breeds to race, but he got a magnificent individual here and decided to sell. The colt was very much like the Pioneerof the Niles, and the mare was absolutely stunning, so it was a great mating of breeding like to like. The colt was tall, leggy and correct with a great frame and a beautiful head.” 

C.J.E. Stable also purchased the colt's dam Aqualane Shores for $12,000. The 7-year-old, who sold from Bluewater as Hip 2965, is in foal to Colonel John. 

Today's penultimate session of the November Sale begins at 10 a.m. For more, visit www.keeneland.com.

All Hansen All The Time At KEENOV… 

Dr. Kendall Hansen, whose homebred Hansen (Tapit) earned champion juvenile honors in 2011 off his win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, figured heavily into yesterday's proceedings at November. Dr. Hansen sold the session's top two mares, and purchased the day's third-highest-priced weanling, a colt from Hansen's first crop. All three horses realized the same price: $75,000. 

Early in the session, Dr. Hansen sold the unraced 4-year-old broodmare Team Hansen (Unbridled's Song–Zadiel, by Saint Ballado), in foal to Point of Entry, to Beau Lane Bloodstock. The mare, Hip 2910, is a half-sister to the Grade I performer She's Cheeky (Black Minnaloushe) and had been purchased by Dr. Hansen for $32,000 at the 2013 Keeneland January Sale. 

A little while later, the 6-year-old Drumette (Henny Hughes–Endless Parade, by Williamstown), in foal to Tapizar, went to Highfield Ranch. The winning Drumette, Hip 3043, is a half to GSW Drum Major (Dynaformer) from the family of champion Heavenly Cause. Pope McLean's Crestwood Farm consigned both mares. 

Dr. Hansen then put on his buyer's hat when going to $75,000 for a Hansen son of the SP 12-year-old mare Airizon (Boston Harbor), who sold from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment as Hip 2952. 

“He had a huge overstep and a lot of presence,” Dr. Hansen said of the colt. Dr. Hansen purchased two other Hansens at November, going to $45,000 for a filly from the SP Que Bonita (Meadowlake) and to $20,000 for a half-brother to SW & GSP Frenchglen (Forestry) and GSP Dr. Nick (Authenticate). 

“They all had great heart scores and were great physicals,” said Dr. Hansen. “It wasn't like I'm trying to push up his weanling prices; I really wanted those horses.” 

Dr. Hansen and the folks at Crestwood have been plenty busy at November. When Hansen was retired to Ashford Stud for the 2013 breeding season, Dr. Hansen pulled out all the stops to support him. He bred about 40 foals from Hansen's first crop and, poring over sale catalogues and consulting with advisors, had acquired some 60 mares to breed to the son of Tapit in his second year. “It was a lot of work matching up pedigrees and physicals, but it was also a lot of fun,” he said. 

Then last fall, Ashford received a substantial offer for Hansen from South Korean interests, and it was announced that he would be expatriated. That left Dr. Hansen with a few dozen mares and no stallion to send them to. 
Thus far at Keeneland November, Dr. Hansen has offered 19 of those mares and sold 12 for an average of $37,875. He has another 10 mares to go through the ring during Friday's finale. Crestwood consigns them all. 

“The younger ones who look athletic have done really well,” said Dr. Hansen. “I've been happy with the way they've sold.” 

Dr. Hansen said he plans to keep about 25 of the broodmares he purchased for Hansen and will continue to breed out of them. 

Dr. Hansen and Crestwood also brought a bevy of weanlings from Hansen's first crop, and the results have been encouraging. Four of the seven they offered have sold for an average of $76,250, led by a half-sister to SW Miss Frost (Curlin) who sold to Valparaiso Enterprises for $90,000. Walnut Hill purchased a colt for $85,000, Amy Boulton landed a colt for $65,000, and James Delahooke, agent for Bobby Flay, purchased a filly for $65,000. Dr. Hansen and Crestwood also sold a Hansen colt at Fasig-Tipton November to Wild Card Bloodstock for $75,000. 

“I'm really excited about how the Hansens have done, and I'm exciting about who's buying them,” Dr. Hansen said. “Peter O'Callaghan bought one, and he's a great judge of a horse. It was cool that Bobby Flay got one. And the manager of Ashford bought the one I sold at Fasig-Tipton. That horse and the one who brought $85,000 were actually best buddies in the field growing up–the did everything together.” 

Dr. Hansen said the Hansens he's seen share some characteristics. “They all have really big hips; big engines on them,” he said. “It's interesting, too. Most people don't know that Hansen had a big white blaze. He was so white that you couldn't see it. But most of the Hansens have that blaze, and so it sort of looks like Shackleford or something snuck in on a few of those mares [laughs].” 

He added, “I've also been working with Patti Miller at EQB, and with Jay Kilgore [at DataTrack], as well, doing heart scans on the Hansen babies. And almost all of them are in the top third–and many are in top 10%–of heart scores. A few were top 5%, and I actually adjusted my RNA prices because of it.” 

One that Dr. Hansen chose to take home was R Lady Hansen, a filly who RNA'd at $140,000. “She was just a beautiful filly and had a great heart score,” he said. 

Dr. Hansen said he'll offer another big group of Hansens as yearlings next year, and will likely keep eight or 10 to race himself. 

“I just want to give people a taste of the Hansens now, to let them know that they do look nice and so forth,” he said. “But I still have several of my better ones still tucked away, and most of them will sell as yearlings.” 

And Dr. Hansen is still hopeful that we haven't seen the last of his namesake in America. “If they run like they look, I hope Ashford will be real quick to bring him back.”