Sandy Stuart

Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services sold four broodmares--along with their foals--and a yearling colt as part of a major reduction of Merriebelle Stable during the Fasig-Tipton Digital April Sale which concluded Wednesday. Crimson Frost (Stormy Atlantic) (hip 12), who sold with her Forte colt, brought the group's top price when selling for $240,000 to Gracie Bloodstock. "A few weeks ago, I learned we needed to address our budget for the next year or two rather aggressively," Bluegrass Thoroughbred's Sandy Stuart said of the Merriebelle reduction. "My first call was to an appraiser...

Two Grade I winners inside an hour last Saturday: both sold as November weanlings at Keeneland, both through the same consignment. But while their shared provenance at least guarantees that you'll want to drop by the Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services draft this time round, as well, it is not as though Forte (Violence) and War Like Goddess (English Channel) can otherwise elucidate the vagaries of our business. Because while one made respectable money, the other was more or less given away. War Like Goddess, swept up in the kind of cull...