Cover image courtesy of Keeneland
At A Glance
Pollara was one of five to sell for US$500,000 (AU$684,220) or more during Tuesday’s session, down from six in the first Book 2 session in 2019.
In all, 197 head sold Tuesday for US$27,690,000 (AU$37.89 million) down from the 227 horses sold for US$35,443,000 (AU$48.5 million) last year.
The session average of US$140,558 (AU$192,346) dipped 10 per cent from last year’s figure.
The median fell 20 per cent to $100,000 (AU$136,840).
The clearance rate was 70 per cent.
A weanling by Justify (USA) was the top-priced foal at US$475,000 (AU$650,000).
Internet bidders continued to be active on Tuesday, making 92 bids and 12 purchases for gross sales over US$2.5 million (AU$3.28 million).
Market performs to expectations
“It’s the same old story,” said Walker Hancock from Claiborne Farm, who sold the top lot. “The good ones bring a lot of money, the middle is spotty and there is no one really there for the lower end. Hopefully if these people keep getting outbid, it will trickle down to the middle and lower market. The foal market seems healthy, at least for us.”
Bloodstock agent Lincoln Collins , who signed for the fourth-highest offering Tuesday, said of the market, “It’s been tough enough. We got blown out on a couple yesterday. We bought one at Fasig-Tipton, so it’s a better market than any of us thought it would be. I think it will probably get tougher from here on out. But the horse business is alive and well.”
The Spanish-based Yeguada Centurian was the session’s leading buyer, with 17 head purchased for US$3,127,000 (AU$4.279 million), while trainer Phil Schoenthal, buying for Matt Dorman’s Maryland-based Determined Stud, was the second leading buyer with six purchased for US$2.2 million (AU$3.01 million).
“This is where the world comes to buy,” said Keeneland’s Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell. “If you look at the leaders at the end of the day, you had European, American, and Japanese buyers, there was a great mix of people today. We hope that continues on.”
“If you look at the leaders at the end of the day, you had European, American, and Japanese buyers, there was a great mix of people today. We hope that continues on.” - Geoffrey Russell
The 2020 November catalogue is a slimmed down version of its 2019 counterpart. There were 413 horses catalogued in last year’s Book 2 opener, compared to 374 this year. The decrease in numbers is likely related to the number of market uncertainties heading into the November sale, according to Russell.
“At the yearling market, you are selling your crop, so you really have to show up,” Russell said. “In November, you’re selling the factory or the foal. They don’t have to sell the factory this year, they can wait and see if the market will be better next year and they can keep the foal for a yearling sale. Those business decisions are being made.”
Pollara proves popular
As a well-pedigreed daughter of Camelot (GB) in foal to War Front (USA), Pollara (Hip 391) had plenty of international appeal and that served her well Tuesday at Keeneland, where she summoned US$975,000 (AU$1.33 million) from a partnership headed by France’s Ecurie des Monceaux after a spirited round of bidding.
“She is going to go back to Monceaux and we are going to breed from her,” Ecurie de Monceaux’s Henri Bozo said. “She is a very exciting mare with a great family and is in foal to a very proven stallion. We try to produce Classic winners and she suits that program.”
As for the near seven-figure price tag, Bozo said, “She was standing out in Book 2. I don’t think whether she is in Book 1 or 2 changes much. Quality gets paid for. We were beaten four times yesterday, so it has been tough to buy. It is a very strong market which is good news.”
Hip 391 - Pollara (Ire) | Image courtesy of Keeneland
Out of the Storm Cat (USA) mare Brooklyn’s Storm (USA), Group winner Pollara is a half-sister to the stakes winner Stormina (USA) (Gulch {USA}), who is the dam of Grade 1 winner Silasol (USA) (Monsun {Ger}).
“She is such a nice mare, a Group winner in France and in foal to the right horse,” said Walker Hancock, whose family’s Claiborne Farm consigned the mare. “I was just looking through the family and every single mare in the family is in foal to a world-leading sire. There will be tons of upside with the family. When you have a page like this, a race record like that and are in foal to the right sire, the sky’s the limit. Congratulations to them. I wish them the best.”
Coolmore supports Justify
The Coolmore contingent was out in full force Tuesday at Keeneland, and struck early in the session to land a colt from the first crop of Coolmore Ashford resident Justify for US$475,000 (AU$650,000). Consigned by John Mayer’s Nursery Place as Hip 298, the January 27 foal was bred by Nursery Place, Manfuso and Wilhite.
“He’s a beautiful-looking horse, and Justify is making very good foals,” said Coolmore’s David Wachman. “We’re just excited to be able to buy a very nice horse by him. Across the board, they’re very good, and he’s a very smart horse, that horse. We’re happy to have him.”
Demand for foals by the 2018 Triple Crown winner has, unsurprisingly, been strong thus far. His sellers at Fasig-Tipton November included a US$400,000 (AU$547,380) filly, and Donato Lanni bought a US$600,000 (AU$821,070) colt Monday at Keeneland. Two seven-figure mares sold in foal to Justify at Fasig, including US$4.2-million (AU$5.75 million) Bast (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}).
Dorman remains ‘Determined’ in Book 2
Maryland-based Matt Dorman of upstart operation Determined Stud made a splash at Fasig-Tipton Sunday that continued during Monday’s Book 1 session of the Keeneland November sale, and he and trainer and advisor Phil Schoenthal were back at it on Tuesday shopping the top end of Book 2.
Their priciest buy was US$800,000 (AU$1.094 million) Style And Grace (USA) (Curlin {USA}), who was consigned by Lane’s End as Lot 465 and offered in foal to Lane’s End’s promising young resident City Of Light (USA).
Style And Grace was a US$270,000 (AU$369,400) KEESEP yearling by Lane’s End-affiliated Woodford Racing and Team D. She was two-for-nine on the track, scoring in an Aqueduct maiden special weight and Ellis allowance. She is the half-sister to G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Furthest Land (USA) (Smart Strike {USA}) and Luck Money (USA) (Lookin At Lucky {USA}), who annexed Belmont’s Zagora S. on October 31.
“It’s a great page, great history, and a fairly young horse so there is a lot of future there,” said Dorman from the back ring while waiting to bid on another one. “To me, it seemed like a no-brainer.”
“It’s a great page, great history, and a fairly young horse so there is a lot of future there." - Matt Dorman
Dorman confirmed that the fact Style And Grace was in foal to City Of Light added to the appeal, and was pleased to be finding a softer market in Book 2: “We’ve been trying to buy some (mares in foal to City Of Light). We’re pretty happy the market dropped off today from my side of it but I think it’s been fair. There are a couple of active folks going after quality horses, so I think the market works."
Lane’s End’s Allaire Ryan said of the Sale:" It exceeded our expectations–we’re very pleased with the Sale for obvious reasons. With that being said, when they’re as popular as she was–she was shown 95 times yesterday; that’s more than some of our foals were. She was a young, pretty, well-bred filly and she’s had a couple family updates since the catalogue. One sister’s a stakes winner now, and a horse out of a half-sister just broke her maiden at Churchill two days ago. Everything just lined up well, and it just shows you how competitive the market is for the quality that’s here.”
Buyers continue to see the ‘Light’
Mares in foal to four-time Grade 1 winner City Of Light proved extremely popular last fall, following his smashing win in the lucrative G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. and first year standing at Lane’s End.
He was second to only Triple Crown winner Justify among covering freshman sires by average last year (US$223,275) (AU$305,540), and his first foals have been similarly well received.
City Of Light (USA) | Standing at Lane's End Farm
“He’s an exciting young stallion for us–no doubt,” said Lane’s End’s Allaire Ryan after the aforementioned Hip 465 sold in foal to the US$710,000 (AU$971,600) KEESEP yearling and speedy former Mike McCarthy trainee.
“Just to have a son of Quality Road who looks as good as he does and was as talented as he was on the track, and that’s throwing the physicals that he is, all signs point to a successful future for him. I can’t say anything more positive about what we’ve seen from him thus far. That certainly gives you even more momentum to ride with a mare like (Style And Grace).”
City Of Light has had 11 in-foal mares at KEENOV gross US$2,860,000 (AU$3.91 million) at an average of US$260,000 (AU$355,800), putting him fourth on the covering sires' list by average with two or more sold behind only established stallions War Front, Uncle Mo (USA) and Constitution (USA).
New group strikes For Dothraki Sea
West Point Thoroughbreds’ Terry Finley and bloodstock agent David Ingordo are a familiar duo at yearling and 2-year-old sales, but, with Finley’s group focusing on racing not breeding, it was unusual to see the pair signing a ticket on a broodmare Tuesday.
Finley and Ingordo went to US$560,000 (AU$766,330) to acquire Dothraki Sea (USA) (Union Rags {USA}), who was purchased on behalf of a new partnership buying as “Band of Brothers, LLC.” Consigned by Claiborne Farm, Lot 600 is in foal to red-hot sire Constitution.
“It is a group from Dallas that wanted to get into the broodmare business and they reached out to me,” Finley explained. “They wanted top-end mares and I thought she was beautiful.”
Finley continued, “We tried a couple at the beginning of the Sale and didn’t get lucky. We will look at a few more. Everybody is game and wants good horses.”
Hot Cash for Woodford
Graded stakes-placed Hot Cash (USA) (Ghostzapper {USA}) (Hip 293) will be joining the broodmare band at Woodford Farm after bloodstock agent Lincoln Collins went to US$575,000 (AU$786,860) to acquire the 5-year-old mare from the Hidden Brook consignment.
“She is by Ghostzapper, she’s Graded stakes-placed and she’s in foal to Curlin,” Collins said of the mare’s qualities. “And she’s very good looking. She’s just a nice mare, we liked her and she’ll be a good addition to the broodmare band for Woodford.”
Bred by Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs and campaigned by his Stronach Stables, Hot Cash was third in the 2018 Woodbine Oaks and second in last year’s G3 Trillium S.
Of the mare’s final price, Collins said, “We knew she was going to be expensive. You never know quite what that means, but we are happy to have her.”
