Something More Than a Blue Moon

Coolmore has made a habit of buying high-priced juveniles by Malibu Moon this spring and the Irish team added to the coffers with a sale-topping $1.2-million son of the Spendthrift stallion Monday at Fasig-Tipton. Al Shaqab Racing was underbidder on the colt. 

“He is a lovely horse and he had a lovely breeze,” commented Coolmore’s Demi O’Byrne after signing the ticket on hip 126. 

The bay, who breezed in :10 flat last Friday, is out of Lizzy’s Bluff (Pine Bluff) and is a half to stakes placed Nicklaus Way (Bluegrass Cat) and from the family of multiple Grade I winner Borrego. 

Coolmore purchased three juveniles by Malibu Moon at Barretts March, as well as a $1.3-million colt by the stallion at OBS March. 

The sale of the Malibu Moon colt was a major pinhooking score for Hoby and Layna Kight, who purchased the youngster for $200,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale. 

“I just loved him,” veteran pinhooker Hoby Kight said, while celebrating the score at the barn Monday. “From the time you buy them, it can be nervewracking. You try to buy a good horse and he turns out to be that. He’s just got so much presence.” 

Asked what he liked about the colt as a yearling, Kight said, “He was big and beautiful when I bought him and all I did was break him. He’s done nothing but get bigger and better. He was awesome. He’s trained well all winter. We knew he was special.” 

Kight acknowledged there was tremendous satisfaction in watching the colt develop. 

“Everyone wants a stakes horse and this is a stakes horse,” he said. “This horse, if he gets a shot will be a stakes horse. It’s like your kids. You develop them into that and you hope that a good guy gets them and wins the big races and gives them the opportunity to go and be superstars.” 

Hoby and Layna Kight consigned the sale topper at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton Florida sale at Calder, selling a $2.5-million son of Storm Cat, also purchased by Coolmore.