Cover image courtesy of Keeneland

At A Glance

>> Ingordo saw off the SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership to secure the day's top lot, who is from the family of Grade 1 winner Twirling Candy (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}) .

>> 185 yearlings sold in the session for US$40,861,000 (AU$55.98 million).

>> The average was US$220,870 (AU$302,591) and the median was US$180,000 (AU$246,600).

>> Through three sessions, 394 head have grossed US$126,076,000 (AU$174 million) for an average of US$319,990 (AU$438,386) and a median of US$250,000 (AU$342,500).

>> There were three yearlings sold by Coolmore's American Pharoah (USA) and six by Darley's Frosted (USA) on the day.

>> Through three days of selling, the clearance rate is 60.71 per cent .

>> Foreign buyers remained active with Wednesday’s bidding featuring 150 bids, and six sales, from internet bidders .

Uncle Mo colt to Ingordo

Bloodstock agent David Ingordo, bidding out back, outlasted the SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership bidding in the show ring to acquire a colt by Uncle Mo (USA) for a session-topping US$950,000 (AU$1.3 million) early in Wednesday’s session.

The yearling was consigned by Gainesway as agent for his breeder, Three Chimneys. He is the first foal out of the unraced Bella Rafaela (USA) (Smart Strike {USA}), a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Twirling Candy.

“I saw this horse at Three Chimneys Farm a few weeks before the Sale,” Ingordo said. “He is one of the best prospects I saw and I probably looked at 1500 on the farms before the Sale. He was my personal top pick. We have Twirling Candy [at Lane’s End] and he looks like the family. This is the horse we wanted to have.”

Ingordo signed the ticket on the colt (Hip 506) in the name of Mayberry Farm and, while he declined to name the client he was buying for, he was bidding alongside owner Lee Searing of C R K Stable.

Several high-priced offerings at Keeneland this week have been purchased by partnerships made up of major buyers, with SF/Starlight and Madaket leading the way.

“We try to buy the best horse. We have our price in mind and we know you have to stretch for the better ones,” Ingordo said.

Chris Baker of Three Chimneys said he was happy with the result in what has been a challenging market for sellers.

“He was a really nice colt and, in what has proven to be a pretty selective market, it’s great to see him jump through all of the hoops and do well,” said Baker. “His price isn’t surprising, but it’s certainly encouraging in this market. And he’s in good hands to do well, so we are excited about that also.”

Baker continued, “For us, the market this week has been kind of moderate at best. This is the first colt that has exceeded expectations on any level. The others, we’ve gotten some traded, had some RNAs. It’s been a challenging, selective market with a lower ceiling.”

Second time a charm for Into Mischief colt

A colt by Into Mischief (USA) (Hip 564), led out unsold at US$230,000 (AU$315,100) as a weanling at last year’s Keeneland November Sale, proved more popular in his second trip through the Keeneland sales ring, selling for US$875,000 (AU$1.199 million) to the bid of bloodstock agent Demi O’Byrne.

The yearling is out of Divine Heart (USA) (Divine Park {USA}), a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Include Me Out (USA) (Include {USA}) and Grade 1 winner Check The Label (USA) (Stormin Fever {USA}). He was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency on behalf of breeder Fred Hertrich.

“It’s really hard to get something to sell well, but we thought that was a really special horse,” said Taylor Made’s Duncan Taylor. “He’s a great mover and looks how an Into Mischief is supposed to look.”

Taylor said bidding was selective at the September sales, but when the right people hooked up on a horse, sellers could be rewarded.

“We’ve sold Into Mischiefs in this sale that were similar for US$400,000 (AU$548,327) or US$450,000 (AU$616,868), but if you can get two of the right people hooked up on a horse, it can make the difference by US$200,000 (AU$274,129) or US$300,000 (AU$411,245).”

Into Mischief has dominated both the Fasig Showcase last week and the early sessions of the Keeneland sale, but that is no surprise to Taylor.

“He’s probably going to have a greater effect on the breed than even Storm Cat did,” Taylor said of Into Mischief. “His conformation is good whereas Storm Cats, they were beautiful horses, but they were pigeon-toed. [Into Mischief’s] sons like Practical Joke are throwing the same thing. Into Mischief is here to stay. He’s going to keep at it.”

Repole & Viola continue spending spree

Prominent New York-based owners Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola, who co-campaigned last year’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic S. winner and new Spendthrift Australia stallion Vino Rosso (USA), have been loading up for the future this week and last in Lexington.

With the help of agent Jacob West, they bought two colts at the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase for a combined US$600,000 (AU$822,000), and have spent US$6.38 million (AU$8.74 million) on 15 head so far at KEESEP. They waited until Book 2 for their largest expenditure yet, an US$875,000 (AU$1.199 million) Into Mischief colt consigned by Gainesway, Agent XVII as Hip 701.

One of Repole/Viola’s Fasig buys was a US$450,000 (AU$616,868) son of Into Mischief, and Viola’s St Elias Stables signed for another US$300,000 (AU$411,000) daughter of the Spendthrift stalwart across town.

“Into Mischief, having Authentic win the [G1 Kentucky] Derby has taken that stallion to another level,” said West, after doing his bidding in the back ring alongside trainer Todd Pletcher, and fending off the likes of agent Donato Lanni to snag the colt. “I think at some point in time [Into Mischief] probably had a reputation of getting horses that were more the sprinter or miler-type animals, but now he’s shown he can get a Classic-distance horse and it’s put him in the upper echelons in Kentucky.”

Into Mischief’s 34 sellers through Wednesday have grossed a leading US$18.83 million (AU$25.79 million) at an average of US$558,824 (AU$765,588). He has had four reach seven figures and 14 meet or exceed US$500,000 (AU$685,682).

Nicols rides Into Mischief Train to Big Score

Loren Nichols, who operates Trackside Farm in Williston, Florida, was all smiles as he and Gainesway General Manager Brian Graves celebrated the US$875,000 (AU$1.199 million) sale of Hip 701.

Nichols paid just US$47,000 (AU$64,390) for the colt’s unraced dam Mimi’s Tiz (USA) (Tiznow {USA}) while she was carrying her first foal, a colt by Will Take Charge (USA), at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale.

“Oh, I just loved the mare,” Nichols, who has a background in breeding and training Arabians, of Mimi’s Tiz’s appeal. I took one look at her–she was carrying what I thought was going to be a very nice baby by Will Take Charge. That didn’t turn out so good, but she’s a lovely mare. She’s got a beautiful Bolt D’Oro baby at home. This horse was just perfect all the way through.”

Nichols, who keeps a broodmare band of approximately 10, hinted that he may have another reason to celebrate at Keeneland in a couple of months.

“I’ve got a real special [Into Mischief] filly at home who’s going to be in the November sale,” he revealed. “We’re excited about that one–she’s better than this one.”

Owens, Fincher on lookout for ‘The One’

There were a pair of fresh faces slugging it out with the usual suspects Wednesday, and the relative newbies won out as Lori Owens of B-4 Farms LLC and top New Mexico-based trainer Todd Fincher refused to back down and went all the way to US$870,000 (AU$1.192 million) to take home Hip 757.

The Quality Road (USA) colt was consigned to the Sale by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield on behalf of Stonestreet Bred and Raised. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert was overheard saying to Owens and Fincher afterward something to the effect of, “You bought my horse!”

Owens and Fincher did their bidding in the show barn alongside agent Pete Bradley and his daughter Devon, and Fincher said the Bradley Thoroughbreds team provided he and Owens with a list of about a dozen horses before they eventually pared that list down to three. Hip 757 was the third and final to go through the ring.

“This is the top of the line, and that’s where we all strive to get to some day,” said Fincher, a prolific conditioner on his circuit of both Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. “Hopefully, this horse will take us there. He was just perfect-bodied; perfectly balanced. The breeding was there. We just couldn’t fault him in any way.”

Hip 757, whose dam was acquired for US$460,000 (AU$630,200) at KEENOV ’17 in foal to Harlan’s Holiday (USA), is half to Poker Player (USA) (Harlan’s Holiday {USA}) and two more stakes-placed runners. This is the female family of recent G1 Forego S. hero Win Win Win (USA) (Hat Trick {Jpn}).

Shadwell Active in Book 2

Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Estate Company Ltd., typically the first or second-leading buyer at Keeneland September, was a bit quieter in Book 1 than usual, but struck early on Book 2 to land Hip 474–a colt by sire of the moment Into Mischief–for US$700,000 (AU$959,000).

The full brother Class Act (USA) was bred by George Krikorian and consigned by Hill ‘N’ Dale Sales Agency.

"He’s a really nice colt,” said Shadwell General Manager and Vice President Rick Nichols. “I’m surprised; he should have been in the first book. We’re very pleased with that… I got beat out one the other night, and actually I like this one better.”

Nichols admitted that Sheikh Hamdan’s absence at this year’s yearling sales had made an impact on Shadwell’s expenditure.

“Well, he sometimes doesn’t stop when I have to stop,” Nichols chuckled. “It’s definitely had some effect. We got beat out on four Monday night, and I think if he had been here we would’ve owned one. I have to follow instructions–he doesn’t.”

Shadwell later added an US$800,000 (AU$1.096 million) Speightstown (USA) full brother to Dawn The Destroyer (USA) (Hip 559) and two more for US$270,000 (AU$370,000) total.

Stonestreet product continues to prove popular

Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Bred & Raised sold the US$2 million (AU$2.74 million) Tapit (USA) topper during Book 1 of KEESEP Monday, and its crop of high-quality yearlings continued to be well received into Book 2 Wednesday.

Among Stonestreet’s five sellers for US$2.81 million (AU$3.85 million) in gross receipts Wednesday was the aforementioned US$870,000 (AU$1.192 million) Quality Road and Hip 559, the Speightstown (USA) colt picked up by Shadwell for US$800,000 (AU$1.096 million). The dark bay was consigned by Jody and Michelle Huckabay’s Elm Tree Farm.

“He is a very, very nice horse–thanks to Stonestreet, Ms. Banke, for letting us sell him,” Jody Huckabay said. “We saw him back in April, and Michelle and I got back in the car and our mouths dropped open. We loved him. He’s a very, very good horse, and obviously the buyers thought so too. We had a lot of interest. Shadwell has bought a lot of horses from us and thank goodness they believe in the product we bring up here.”