Steady Book 3 Concludes at KEENOV

Keeneland concluded the two-day Book 3 section of its November Breeding Stock Sale Saturday in Lexington with figures largely in line with last year’s statistics. Through the two Book 3 sessions, 474 horses sold for $25,852,000 with an

average of $54,540. During last year’s Book 3, 532 head sold for $29,525,000. The average was $55,498 and the median was $45,000. Last year’s top Book 3 price of $230,000 was bettered five times, including by Saturday’s top offering, the mare Lovely Regina (Deputy Minister), who sold for $370,000 to Chris Baccari. The 14-year-old mare, who was in foal to Flashback, was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency as hip 1940. Nine offerings sold for $200,000 or over in both 2014 and 2015.

“Both days of Book 3 were very comparable to last year,” confirmed Keeneland’s Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell. “There is still a very strong trade in the foal market. There was great interest in the freshman sires–they seem to be doing very well, especially today.”

The top four weanlings during Saturday’s session were all from the first crop of their sires, led by a colt by GI Haskell Invitational winner Paynter (hip 1847), who sold for $145,000 to Orchard Lane Farm. Both GI Donn H. winner Graydar and GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. winner Justin Phillip had weanling colts bring $110,000 and GI Preakness S. winner Oxbow rounded out the foursome with a filly selling for $105,000.

Through six sessions of the November sale, 1,206 horses have sold for $190,531,000, compared to 1,321 grossing $180,429,500 in 2014. The average of $157,986 is up 15.67% from 2014, while the median is up 6.67% to $80,000. The cumulative buy-back rate is 27.65%, compared to 21.93% a year ago.

The Keeneland November sale continues through Friday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

Lovely Purchase for Baccari

Chris Baccari purchased a Tapit weanling out of Lovely Regina (Deputy Minister) for $520,000 at last year’s Keeneland November sale and resold the youngster for $700,000 at this year’s Keeneland September sale. The colt impressed him enough that he was committed to securing Lovely Regina herself when she went through the November sales ring Saturday as hip 1940, acquiring the 14-year-old mare, in foal to Flashback (Tapit), for $370,000.

“I really thought he was a million-dollar yearling, if not more than $1 million,” Baccari admitted of the Tapit colt. “There were a lot of Tapits and the stockmarket was a little off, so I thought he could have brought a little more than that. And the people who have him are very happy with him and all the reports that I have about him are excellent. So I felt like this was a way for me to get in that family and I wouldn’t have to compete with everybody bidding on the babies.”

Out of Cara Rafaela, Lovely Regina is a half-sister to champion Bernardini, as well as to the dam of multiple Grade I winner Love and Pride (A.P. Indy), who sold for $4.9 million at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, Lovely Regina is the dam of multiple graded stakes winner Thiskyhasnolimit (Sky Mesa).

Lovely Regina was the third mare purchased by Baccari at the November sale. He also acquired Aguilera (Unbridled’s Song) (hip 1294) for $240,000.

“I cut it down a few years ago,” Baccari said of his broodmare band. “But I am just starting to replace mares now.”

 

Minor Takes Control of Honey Chile Ryder

Joe Minor went to $210,000 to acquire Honey Chile Ryder (Medaglia d’Oro), a 3-year-old filly his JSM Equine co-owned with John Greathouse’s Greathouse Horse Properties, during Saturday’s session of the Keeneland November sale. The dark bay has made four trips to the post and is coming off her best finish, a runner-up effort over the Kentucky Downs turf in September.

“I felt like she has a lot of running left in her, but I also think she is a beautiful broodmare prospect,” Minor said. “She’s a gorgeous filly and I think she’ll be a lot better at four. I hope she’ll have some success. She’ll probably go back to Mr. [Todd] Pletcher and we’ll look for some races for her.”

 

Honey Chile Ryder was a $250,000 Keeneland September yearling in 2013 and RNA’d for $300,000 at last year’s Keeneland April sale. She is a daughter of Grade I winner Honey

Ryder (Lasting Approval), who raced for the Greathouse family’s Glencrest Farm.

“She comes from a family that speaks for itself,” Minor added. “John’s had a lot of luck with her mother.”

Through Four Star Sales, JSM Equine and Greathouse Horse Properties have sold seven head this week. Don’tforgetaboutme (Malibu Moon) was the duo’s top-priced offering when selling for $675,000 to Claiborne Farm. Minor bid $300,000 to acquire the partnership’s Thepartyneverends (Smart Strike).

Minor and Greathouse campaign multiple graded stakes winner Blofeld (Quality Road) in partnership and were also co-owners of the ill-fated multiple graded stakes winner Onlyforyou (Malibu Moon).

“John and I have decided that we are going to have not as many together,” Minor said. “But anytime you can be partners with someone with his knowledge, it’s a good education. There are no hard feelings, but we are trying to trim our herd a little.”

Minor, who has a broodmare band of some 15 head, was also busy shopping for weanlings this week at Keeneland.

“We’ve bought some babies,” he confirmed. “The plan for the babies is to sell them as yearlings–but that was what the plan was last year, but not all of them went according to plan and some of them are now going to the 2-year-old sales.”