By Brian DiDonato & Jessica Martini
Momentum from a strong pair of Book 1 sessions at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale seemed to carry into Thursday's Book 2 opener, as 11 offerings reached the $400,000 threshold compared to four in last year's corresponding session.
A total of 222 head changed hands Thursday for gross receipts of $31,634,000–good for an average of $142,495 (+5.99%) and median of $102,500 (+2.5%). The buy-back rate for the session was 33.13%–higher than last year's 27.3%.
Cumulatively, 475 horses have brought $134,553,000 this week. The average has risen 3.03% year-over-year to $283,269, and the median has increased by 6.25% to $170,000. The overall RNA rate remains slightly higher than at this point last term–30.86% compared to 27.43%.
“Today was pretty consistent with last year's first session of Book 2,” pointed out Keeneland's Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell. “There was a little tick up in average and median. The not-sold rate did go up a little bit, which was a little disappointing, but that's the marketplace.”
The day's top price was the $650,000 paid for Claiborne Farm-consigned Easy Feeling (Elusive Quality) (hip 792), who was sold in foal to War Front on behalf of Joe Allen and picked up on behalf of David Nagle's Barronstown Stud.
The 4-year-old is a half-sister to French MSW/GSP War Officer (Grand Slam) and SW Doo Lang (Pulpit). Her Grade II-winning second dam produced overseas GSW/MG1SP War Command (War Front) and GSW Naval Officer (Tale of the Cat).
“Being the only mare in foal to War Front in Book 2, I'm sure everyone fell on her thinking maybe she would fall through the cracks, but quality sells and no such luck,” offered Claiborne's Walker Hancock. “She stuck out and that was evident.”
Stonestreet Stables got the priciest weanling (hip 526), a Speightstown half-sister out of GSW Nikkis Smartypants (Smarty Jones) from the family of MGISW Diamondrella (GB), for $390,000. Bedouin Bloodstock, Agent VII consigned the youngster.
Claiborne Farm-consigned offerings from the powerful Phipps Stable proved popular, with nine well-pedigreed individuals bringing a combined $2,592,000.
“The Phipps horses sold well from start to finish and we appreciate their support,” Russell said. “We wanted to put all of the Phipps mares in a group and we didn't feel like they all belonged in Book 1 and they didn't want to have two or three in one and the rest in another. They wanted to have a consignment to generate the interest and the momentum, which obviously it did. It was very well marketed and it worked very well. With the change in the Phipps Stable–they were here buying in September to get new blood–they are managing their stable very well and we look forward to them continuing to buy more horses and maybe selling a couple with us every year.”
Book 2 of the marathon auction concludes with Friday's session beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Phipps Reduction A Highlight Thursday
The Phipps Stable, through the Claiborne Farm consignment, offered nine mares during Thursday's third session of the Keeneland November sale and the market reacted to the rare opportunity. The group sold for a total of $2,592,000 and an average of $288,000.
“We're very pleased with the results of the reduction and want to thank the Phippses for the opportunity to sell such quality mares,” said Claiborne's Walker Hancock. “They don't sell out of their families that often, so when they do, people have to pay a premium and we saw that today.”
The 2005 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home (Seeking the Gold) (hip 543) brought the reduction's top price when selling for $530,000 to Charles Fipke, while Shimokobe Farm went to $500,000 to acquire Gasparilla Inn (Street Cry {Ire}) (hip 818).
“Some of the prices were about what we thought and there were others that brought quite a bit more,” Hancock commented. “Across the board, the prices were probably higher than I anticipated, but quality sells. When buyers have a rare opportunity to get in a family that are so well-known throughout the industry, they have to pay for them.”
New Home for Pleasant Home
GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home (Seeking the Gold) got the 11-horse Phipps Stable reduction off to a strong start when selling to Canadian owner/breeder Charles Fipke for $530,000. Fipke bred graded stakes winner Tale of S'avall (Tale of Ekati) out of the 15-year-old mare's first foal, the unraced S'Avall (Awesome Again). Fipke purchased S'Avall for $550,000 at the 2010 Keeneland November sale. Tale of S'avall was third in this year's GIII Dwyer S.
“My Tale of Ekati stallion is really the only one who goes with this mare,” Fipke, sitting alongside advisor R.J. Bennett, said. “Tale of S'avall is only three and I think he will be a Grade I winner and that will kind of make the page. And of course, I'm interested in the foals out of her by Tale of Ekati who will be 3×3 to Maplejinsky, so it will be great breeding stock. I plan to breed to stallions like Super Saver, too. I am really delighted.”
Fipke has had luck buying older mares and breeding Breeders' Cup winners. He purchased Lady Shirl (That's a Nice) as an 18-year-old in foal to Theatrical (Ire) at the 2005 Keeneland November sale for $485,000. The resulting foal was multiple graded stakes winner Lady Shakespeare and the mare's second foal for Fipke was GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf winner Perfect Shirl (Perfect Soul {Ire}).
“Pleasant Home is a Breeders' Cup Distaff winner and I think, if she's properly mated, even though she is 15, I'll do all right with her. I bought a mare who was 17 or 18 called Lady Shirl and we got a Breeders' Cup winner out of her. I will give it a try on this one, too.”
Pleasant Home (hip 543), who captured the 2005 Distaff, is a full-sister to graded stakes winner Country Hideaway (Seeking the Gold), the dam of graded stakes winners Boca Grande (A.P. Indy) and Vacation (Dynaformer). She is also a full to the dam of Grade I winners Point of Entry (Dynaformer)) and Pine Island (Arch). She sold Thursday in foal to GI Kentucky Derby winner Orb.
“If you look at her compared to other mares, she is just absolutely gorgeous with a great personality,” Fipke concluded. @JessMartiniTDN
Timber Town, Winegardner Team Up for Two
Wayne and Cathy Sweezey's Timber Town Stable and Lexington-based realtor Jane Winegardner partnered on a pair of Thursday's top broodmares, led by GSW Bryan's Jewel (Rockport Harbor) (hip 722), who cost $580,000. Offered by Bedouin Bloodstock, Agent VII, the 8-year-old sold in foal to Speightstown.
“We're absolutely–as you can tell [by the reactions] of the team–thrilled to have her,” said agent Patrick Lawley-Wakelin after celebrating with the Sweezys and Winegardner. “She's one who we've been looking forward to trying to buy all day long, and she's just a superb individual. She ran a 0 on Thoro-Graph and she's in foal to a wonderful horse.”
Bryan's Jewel, out of a half-sister to champion Left Bank (French Deputy), was a $67,000 KEESEP yearling acquisition by Barry and Joni Butzow. Turned over to conditioner Robertson McLean, she scored a career high when annexing the 2013 GIII Obeah S. at Delaware Park. SF Bloodstock bought Bryan's Jewel for $300,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, and bred her to Bodemeister. The resulting filly (hip 723) followed her dam into the ring, and realized a winning bid of $140,000 from Villa Roja Bloodstock. Lawley-Wakelin said the presence of that foal influenced the decision to step up for Bryan's Jewel Thursday.
“It affected us quite a bit,” the Englishman said. “When you see an outstanding weanling, as the Bodemeister was, it gave us confidence to go to the figure where we ended up… I thought with a number of other people around that perhaps we might have to go a little higher. We were prepared to go higher, so we're equally ecstatic that we didn't have to do that.”
The same group stepped up earlier in the day for the $470,000 Queenie's Song (Unbridled's Song). The stakes-placed 5-year-old was consigned by Lane's End as hip 558 and is carrying her first foal, by Lemon Drop Kid.
“Last year, we bought a lovely mare, but unfortunately she died and we've got the foal on the ground, so we decided to come back in,” Lawley-Wakelin said. “The market has been exceedingly tough in the last couple of days, so we're really happy to get this mare this afternoon.”
The mare the group purchased last year was GISP Indian Way (Indian Charlie), who cost $400,0000 and foaled a Scat Daddy colt before she died.
Queenie's Song was a $225,000 KEEJAN short yearling, $340,000 KEESEP yearling and $350,000 Keeneland April 2-year-old. She was second in a Delaware stakes race for Baumann Stables and Kellyn Gorder. Out of GSW/GISP Queen of Money (Corporate Report), the grey is a half to MGSP Quiet Cash (Real Quiet) and SW Pocketfullofpesos (In Excess {Ire}).
“We love who she's in foal to–Lemon Drop Kid is such an outstanding stallion, and you couldn't ask for a better broodmare sire right now than Unbridled's Song,” Lawley-Wakelin added. “It's all come together, so we're hopefully just going to carry that on.” @BDiDonatoTDN
Sea Island to WinStar
WinStar Farm's Elliott Walden has fond memories of the last time he bought a mare from the Phipps Stable. It was the $160,000 purchase of Supercharger (A.P. Indy), in foal to Maria's Mon, at the 2006 Keeneland November sale. That foal turned out to be GI Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver. Walden was back in action at Keeneland Thursday, going to $480,000 to secure Grade I placed Sea Island (Pulpit) from the Phipps Stable reduction consigned by Claiborne Farm.
“She was a really nice race mare from a Phipps family and we thought she would be a good addition to our broodmare band,” Walden commented. “We might breed her to Pioneerof the Nile, but we'll evaluate that later.”
Out of MGISP Resort (Pleasant Colony), Sea Island (hip 590) is a full-sister to graded stakes winner Sightseeing. She was second in the 2012 GI Gazelle S. and third in the 2013 GIII Shuvee S.
Sea Island's 2015 colt by Kitten's Joy died as a weanling and she had no foal in 2016. She was sold Thursday in foal to Hard Spun.
Walden admitted he was forced to bid further than he expected to obtain the 7-year-old mare.
“I thought we'd get her a little sooner [in the bidding], but the last mare we bought from Mr. Phipps was Supercharger, so if we have as much luck with her, we'll be in good shape,” Walden said. @JessMartiniTDN
Spendthrift Adds Flavor to Broodmare Band
While Beholder (Henny Hughes)'s dramatic victory in Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff may have had the majority of their attention, the Spendthrift Farm team had time enough to appreciate New Money Honey (Medaglia d'Oro)'s win earlier on the card in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. That filly's half-sister will be joining the Spendthrift broodmare band after the farm's general manager Ned Toffey signed the ticket at $485,000 on Coconut Shrimp (Giant's Causeway).
“The update added a lot of value,” Toffey acknowledged. “[New Money Honey] is really nice.”
The 6-year-old Coconut Shrimp (hip 754) was multiple stakes placed while racing for Repole Stable. She is out of Weekend Whim (Distorted Humor), a full-sister to Grade I stakes winner Any Given Saturday and a half to MGSP Bohemian Lady (Carson City). She sold in foal to Palace Malice.
“It's a deep pedigree and it's a mare that could run,” Toffey said. “Palace Malice should be popular, but this mare will fit nicely with a lot of our stallions. It's nice to see a good, active pedigree.”
The mare was consigned to Thursday's sale by Three Chimneys Farm, which purchased her for $290,000 while in foal to Stay Thirsty at the 2014 Keeneland November sale. Her Stay Thirsty colt sold for $70,000 at this year's Keeneland September sale.
Toffey was still smiling about Beholder's epic victory over Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) in the Distaff.
“That was unlike anything else that I've experienced,” he said. “That was about as exciting as it gets. I was cautiously optimistic about her chances in there–she was really training great. [Trainer] Richard [Mandella] felt like he had her coming into the race really well, but at the same time I think that was as deep and tough a field as she has faced. So we were fairly confident, but also knew we were going to have our work cut out for us. And Songbird, what a filly, she lost nothing in defeat. I think it makes it that much more gratifying when you beat a really, really good horse like that. That's as good as it gets, we'll have to go some to top that.”
Toffey said plans are for Beholder to return to Kentucky after a letdown period with Mandella in California.
“I think we may have to send the National Guard out to get her out of Richard's barn,” Toffey laughed. “Richard is going to let her down there for a little bit and hopefully sometime in the middle of next month she'll come home.” @JessMartiniTDN
Beholder Breeder Buys Ciao Bella Luna
The Mitchell family's Clarkland Farm, which bred future Hall of Famer and recent GI Breeders' Cup Distaff heroine Beholder (Henny Hughes), added to its broodmare band at Keeneland Thursday, acquiring 2013 GII Beaumont S. winner Ciao Bella Luna (Tribal Rule) (hip 745), in foal to Pioneerof the Nile for $450,000.
The 6-year-old was consigned by Bedouin Bloodstock, just like the aforementioned Bryan's Jewel. Ciao Bella Luna was a $250,000 SF Bloodstock acquisition at the 2014 Barretts Paddock Sale. Her Take Charge Indy colt (hip 746), bred in New York by SF, went to American Equistock for $45,000.
“Who she's in foal to, and she was a runner–she won her stakes race here at Keeneland,” Clarkland's Frank Mitchell said of what appealed to him about Ciao Bella Luna. “It was a little bit more than I wanted to pay for her.”
Clarkland sold Beholder and GISW/sire Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday)'s yearling half-brother by Scat Daddy to M.V. Magnier for a sale-topping $3 million at Keeneland September.
“It's been so much fun over the past years that she's run, and what a pleasure it's been to have a connection to her and to have bred her,” said Mitchell when asked about Beholder, who has been retired by owner Spendthrift Farm and has a date with Uncle Mo. “Then we sold her half-brother here in September–it has been an unreal year. Something that when you've been in this business for as many years as we have, it's unbelievable.” @BDiDonatoTDN
'Rags' Sis Leads to Riches
A half-sister to this year's GI Darley Alcibiades S. winner Dancing Rags (Union Rags) and her Candy Ride (Arg) filly provided a solid return on investment for Keith and Ginger Myers's Coteau Groves Farms late Thursday. Kara's Match Point (Curlin) (hip 872), who is also a half to MGSW/GISP Coup de Grace (Tapit) and a granddaughter of champion Jewel Princess (Key to the Mint), garnered a winning bid of $450,000 from Shimokobe Farm and Polo Green Stable; and her foal (hip 873) followed suit, heading the way of agent Ben McElroy for $230,000.
Kara's Match Point was scooped up for $260,000 here 12 months ago with hip 873 in utero, and had been bred back to Constitution in the interim.
“It was funny, last year, I bought her for a client of mine–Keith Myers,” recalled Andrew Cary of Select Sales, which consigned both horses Thursday. “We'd been outbid on a bunch of stuff in Book 1, and he said, 'Alright, call me if you see anything else.' I had literally just hung up the phone and she came in the back ring and I was just blown away. So I called him right back and said, 'I found her.' So we got her and she had a very nice first foal–the Candy Ride filly–and we were very fortunate to get the update in the Alcibiades. It's very fun when things line up like that. We're very blessed, very grateful.” @BDiDonatoTDN
Strong Day for Will Take Charge
Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song), winner of the 2013 GI Travers S. and GI Clark H., has been represented by his first crop of weanlings to go through the sales ring this week in Lexington and the Three Chimneys stallion has enjoyed a strong showing. Through three sessions of the Keeneland November sale, Will Take Charge, who stands for $30,000, has had 10 weanlings sell for $1,730,000 and an average of $173,000. Dennis O'Neill paid $350,000 for the stallion's most expensive offering to date, a colt out of Summer Soiree (War Front).
“[Three Chimneys Director of Stallion Nominations and Sales] Grant Williamson has been going around to a lot of the farms and seeing a lot of his weanlings, so we knew it was going to be pretty strong,” Three Chimneys' Case Clay said of expectations for Will Take Charge's first sales weanlings. “Thankfully, the market is thinking the same thing and they are selling well.”
Clay added that he sees similarities between many of the weanlings and their sire, who was named champion 3-year-old of 2013.
“A lot of them look like him,” Clay said. “They are solid, strong and athletic-looking horses. You can see a lot of Will Take Charge in them.” @JessMartiniTDN
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