Keeneland November

On this week's TDN Writers' Room, owner/breeder John Stewart discusses his recent shopping spree at the fall breeding stock sales and reveals the name for his new racing and breeding operation. This week's episode is sponsored by Keeneland, the Green Group, WinStar, the PHBA, Lane's End and West Point Thoroughbreds.

LEXINGTON, KY - The two-session Book 3 section of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale concluded Sunday evening with figures well off the corresponding section from the 2022 auction. During sessions at Keeneland Saturday and Sunday, 494 horses grossed $30,888,000 for an average of $62,526 and a median of $50,000. The average is down 22.1% from the 2022 Book 3, while the median declined 16.7%. There were 15 horses to sell for $200,000 or over during the two sessions, down from 25 a year ago. "It is quiet," Sarah Sutherland...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale entered its Book 3 section Saturday in Lexington. Leading the day's trade was the 4-year-old broodmare Chameleon (Candy Ride {Arg}), who sold for $425,000 to the bid of Terri Burch of Stoneway Farm. The mare, in foal to Practical Joke, was bred and consigned by Mt. Brilliant Farm. During the session, 243 horses grossed $15,012,500 for an average of $61,780 and a median of $50,000. The average was down 27% from last year's opening Book 3 session and the median was...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis LEXINGTON, KY - The first of two Book 2 sessions of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale saw marked polarization, as the demand for the perceived quality remained strong, but fell off for the less desired offerings. "It's been a realistic, selective market today," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "I think it was pretty evident throughout the day, people knew what they wanted and they were very specific about what they were willing to invest in. Speaking to a lot of...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale gained momentum throughout its opening session and concluded a day of competitive bidding Wednesday evening with 11 seven-figure mares and a median up 30% from its 2022 counterpart. "It was a good day. It was a really good day," said Keeneland President Shannon Arvin. "We were really pleased with the session overall. The theme of the century seems to be that the quality sells and there was really high demand for the quality. There was...

Puca (Big Brown), the dam of GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic), was originally reported as unsold at $2.8 million, but Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin told members of the press in the post-session debrief that John Stewart, who made a giant splash at Fasig-Tipton Tuesday evening, had acquired the 11-year-old mare for $2.9 million post-RNA. Arvin told the press that the sale would not be included in the Book 1 statistics. Consigned by Case Clay Thoroughbred Management and offered carrying a full-sibling to Mage, former 'TDN Rising...

Supplemented to Book 1 as hip 246 and offered by Becky Thomas's Sequel Bloodstock as agent for clients Chester and Mary Broman was Ack Naughty (Afleet Alex), the dam of the ill-fated Grade I winner Practical Move (Practical Joke), who was hammered down to Juddmonte's Garrett O'Rourke for $1.8 million. Placed three times at the races, Ack Naughty, who hails from the same female family as GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner and young sire Vino Rosso (Curlin), is herself a half-sister to MSWs So Lonesome (Awesome Again) and No Spin...

Cataloged as hip 223 as part of Case Clay Thoroughbred Management draft, Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger}) was hammered down to Pursuit of Success/Bryan Prentice for $1.65 million as the opening session of the Keeneland November Sale began to wind down. In six years at the races, Dalika made 32 trips to the races, good for 10 victories, seven of which came at the stakes level, including a track record-setting performance in the 2022 GI Beverly D. S. where she covered nine furlongs on the turf in 1:46.31. Her other graded...

Bidding through his bloodstock agent Jacob West, Mike Repole went to $1.4 million to acquire the dual graded winner and Grade I-placed Interstatedaydream (Classic Empire). Cataloged as hip 201 and consigned to the Keeneland November Sale by Four Star Sale, the Ontario-bred was offered as a racing or broodmare prospect. Trained by Brad Cox for owner Staton Flurry's Flurry Racing Stables, was third to champion Nest (Curlin) in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. and won the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. and GIII Indiana Oaks as a 3-year-old in 2022...

White Hot (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (hip 170), the dam of 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf heroine Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), was knocked down to the BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe for $2.1 million to take the lead at the Keeneland November Sale Wednesday afternoon. The 10-year-old mare, offered by Stone Farm in foal to the all-conquering Into Mischief, comes with a world of pedigree, as she is a half-sister to 2011 G1 Investec Derby hero Pour Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and MGSW/MG1SP Gagnoa (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), the dam of...

The Lane's End-consigned Tarabi (First Samurai) (hip 142), second to future champion Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) in the GI Spinaway S. and third to that rival in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at two and winner of the Wilton S. at Saratoga last season, fetched a final bid of $1.05 million from Spendthrift Farm as the opening session of the Keeneland November Sale picked up a bit of steam. The chestnut, a full-sister to the talented GSP & G1SP Japanese turf sprinter Shivaji, is out of an unraced daughter...

Andrew Rosen's Skims (GB) (Frankel {GB}) became the first to achieve a seven-figure pricetag as Book 1 of the Keeneland November hit its midpoint Wednesday afternoon in Lexington, hammering to Summer Wind Equine's Jane Lyon for $1.8 million. Consigned to the sale as hip 125 by Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services, agent, the 4-year-old raced as a homebred for Rosen and was conditioned by Shug McGaughey to four wins from her 14 career starts, highlighted by a victory in the GII Sands Point S. as a 3-year-old in 2022. A Belmont allowance...