Eaton Sales

Perhaps it is called the Hopeful Stakes because that's the most anyone can ever be with a Thoroughbred. But if nearly any purchaser at Keeneland over the next couple of weeks would like to be contesting that race, a year from now, then one consignor might give them not just hope but something closer to confidence. Okay, so a trifecta for Eaton Sales graduates in the Saratoga Grade I last year featured only the winner, Forte (Violence), from the 2021 Keeneland September Sale. Runner-up Gulfport (Uncle Mo) and third Blazing...

One of the largest consignors in the Thoroughbred industry, Eaton Sales plans to reduce the number of horses it will offer for sale by approximately half in 2023, Reiley McDonald told the TDN Thursday, citing a renewed focus on quality versus quantity. "We have been concerned with the growing number of horses we've been selling the past few years, even though I think our staff has done it as well or better as any other large consignor," said McDonald, "but I believe we can offer our clients, buyers and the...

Jay Goodwin, formerly of Eaton Sales and previously a partner in Select Sales Agency, has been hired by Gary Broad's Walmac Farm and will join the operation's stallion sales department. "Moving into stallions wasn't something I was even thinking about, but when I spoke with Gary and heard his excitement and the plans that he has for the future of Walmac, it was something that I definitely wanted to be a part of," said Goodwin. "Although I am thoroughly excited about this exciting new opportunity, I will miss my role...

During Tuesday's session of the Keeneland November Sale, a pair of horses secured final bids of $130,000 to top the ninth day of selling. After a pair of weanlings by Vekoma led sessions earlier in the week, a colt by the Spendthrift stallion once again headed the leaderboard Tuesday. Christina R. Jelm, agent, purchased Hip 3178, who was consigned by Eaton Sales, agent. The grey is out of Gypsy Grey (Giant's Causeway), and from the family of Grade I/Group 1 winners Chief Honcho and Poet's Voice and Grade III-winner Gemswick...

MGISW Bellafina (Quality Road)'s first foal by Uncle Mo went for $1.35 million earlier in the session at Fasig-Tipton November and, as expected, the $1.6-million earner was plenty popular herself in the ring, ultimately garnering a winning bid of $4 million from Coolmore's M.V. Magnier. The 6-year-old was offered in foal to young MGISW Tiz the Law and consigned to the sale by Eaton Sales as hip 264. The Coolmore partners had co-campaigned Bellafina with original owner Kaleem Shah towards the end of her career. She was an $800,000 FTFMAR...

Separated by just one year in age, Bellafina (Quality Road -Akron Moon, by Malibu Moon) and Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo - Coin Broker {Ire}, by Montjeu {Ire}) were both $800,000 2-year-old purchases for owner-breeder Kaleem Shah. Both were brilliant juveniles on the racetrack, with one becoming a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut and the other winning a pair of Grade I contests at two, and they each went on to achieve further graded stakes success throughout their careers. Retired from racing after their 2020 campaigns, they now both have one...

KHK Racing's 2-year-old twice-raced colt Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}--Shortmile Lady {Ire}, by Arcano {Ire}), a promising debut second at Windsor in August, attained 'TDN Rising Stardom' with a wide-margin demolition at Haydock on the first of this month and repeated the dose with another imperious performance in Saturday's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef S. at Newbury. The 4-5 favourite was alert from the stalls and found a smooth rhythm in a handy third through the early fractions of this black-type bow. Tanking forward to loom large on the bridle...

KHK Racing's once-raced 2-year-old colt Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}--Shortmile Lady {Ire}, by Arcano {Ire}), who shaped with a deal of promise when posting a debut second going six furlongs at Windsor last month, was a class above his rivals in Thursday's Auction Finance EBF Novice S. over the same trip at Haydock and attained 'TDN Rising Star' status with a mightily impressive display of raw power. Swiftly into stride for an early advantage, the 1-2 favourite was untroubled from halfway and extended clear in hand to easily rout Acai (Ire)...

by Christie DeBernardis & Jessica Martini LEXINGTON, KY--Keeneland saved the best for last during Wednesday's second Book 1 session of their January Horses of All Ages Sale with the 3-year-old colt Belgrade (Hard Spun), a debut winner at Fair Grounds, topping the day's action at $700,000. A total of 263 head changed hands Wednesday for $18,859,500 with an average of $71,709 and a median of $40,000. Sixty-four horses left the ring unsold for an RNA rate of 19.57%. During the equivalent 2021 session, which was boosted by the Paul Pompa...

The offspring of Quality Road continued to be much sought-after at the Keeneland September Sale, and the stallion's colt out of the tremendous producer Catch The Moon (Malibu Moon) became the sale's most-coveted offering, selling for $1.6 million. Lane's End's Bill Farish signed the winning ticket seated alongside West Point Thoroughbreds' Terry Finley. Consigned by Eaton Sales for Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Bred & Raised as hip 300, the handsome dark bay is out of an unraced mare who has the distinction of accounting for four full graded stakes winners from...

Generally well-represented at most sales venues throughout the yearling season, Spendthrift Farm offers a sextet of homebred youngsters, dominated by the offspring of a trio of the nursery's fledgling stallions, at the Fasig-Tipton July sale, set to take place July 13. And while the operation has reached great heights with its marquee stallions--the late Malibu Moon and Into Mischief--the basis of Spendthrift's program has been largely built upon the continuous replenishment of young stallions offered at affordable fees. "We want breeding to work for everybody involved," explained Spendthrift General Manager...

TIMONIUM, MD - The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale got underway with an abbreviated session Monday afternoon which opened with an offering of 154 catalogued New York-breds and featured the session's two six-figure transactions. Just minutes into the action, Vicki and Mike McGowan's Xtreme Racing Stables purchased the day's top-priced offering when going to $160,000 to acquire a colt from the first crop of Grade I winner Cupid (hip 4). The yearling was consigned by Eaton Sales. "We put him here because we thought he would be a bigger fish...