Keeneland forges on as Aussie buyers continue investment

Cover image courtesy of Keeneland Sales

Australian contingent's last hurrah

Both William Johnson and Julian Blaxland departed Kentucky on Sunday night but not before both secured another mare each at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Johnson, who made the last-minute decision to head to the United States when international borders opened, made the most of his time in Kentucky, spending US$990,000 (AU$1.35 million) either in his own name or in partnership across the first five days.

His final purchase was Hip 1463, the 4-year-old Single Verse (USA) (Mineshaft {USA}). She is a three-time winner who was stakes-placed twice as a 2-year-old. Her Listed-winning dam Shared Dreams (GB) (Seeking The Gold {USA}) had produced the stakes winner Brother O'Connell (USA) (Giant's Causeway {USA}). She cost US$165,000 (AU$224,000).

Blaxland has also been very busy and rounded off his time at the Sale by paying US$100,000 (AU$136,000) for Hip 1487, Stay Smart (USA) (Stay Thirsty {USA}) to take his total spend to US$675,000 (AU$918,000).

Stay Smart has won five of her 23 starts for Kelly Breen, including the black type Smart 'N' Classy H., a race named after her Grade 3-winning dam, at Monmouth Park last year. She was placed in the same race again this year. From a pedigree perspective, she is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Valedictorian (USA) (Temple City {USA}) and stakes winner He'spuregold (USA) (Vancouver).

Mee at home on the road

Dave Mee of Pinhook Bloodstock was travelling to Melbourne on a plane when he and River Oak Farm won the bidding on Hip 1811, the Artie Schiller (USA) mare Originator (USA), paying US$160,000 (AU$218,000).

"It was for a new client, a chap called Greg Hale. He's a successful businessman and we have been trying hard on the last few digital auctions. We were the legitimate underbidder on a few nice mares," Mee told TDN AusNZ. "He's got family in America and so we had a look through the catalogue over there."

Originator was a four-time winner and twice placed in stakes company under the guidance of Thomas Amoss, and carries a pregnancy to legendary Vinery Stud stallion More Than Ready (USA).

She is out of Costume Designer (USA) (Capote {USA}), a stakes winner who is also the dam of another stakes-placegetter, Runway Giant (USA) (Giant's Causeway {USA}) and the grandam of Grade 3 winner and G1 Del Mar Oaks-placegetter Fluffy Socks (USA) (Slumber {GB}).

"She was a really handy race mare, and was competing at the high-level tracks like Saratoga, Churchill Downs and Gulfstream and she had pedigree there and there a few updates to come through that page," Mee said.

"She's a really good physical and is very easy to mate. She's in foal to More Than Ready, who is one of those sires who age has not affected him."

Mee, who utilised Nathan McAuley of River Oak Farm to do his bidding and his work on the ground, said Originator will be left in the United States to foal down, with a decision on whether she stays there or comes to Australia to be made in time.

Cauthen calls an Audible

Katie Cauthen, bidding on behalf of Susan Casner, purchased Sunday's top-priced hip when going to US$360,000 (AU$490,000) to secure a filly by first-crop sire Audible (USA). The session topper capped a big day for young stallions.

The day's second-highest priced weanling was a son of first-crop sire Mitole (USA) who sold for US$285,000 (AU$388,000) to Corinne and Bill Heiligbrodt and Spendthrift Farm and the day's top-priced mare, Super Simple (USA) (Super Saver {USA}), sold for US$300,000 (AU$408,000) to Woodford Thoroughbreds while carrying a foal from the first crop of Grade 1 winner Volatile (USA).

“Selling weanlings, a lot of people are going in on these first-year sires, so a lot of people are trying to buy these mares in foal to first-year sires,” said Hunter Simms of Warrendale Sales, which consigned Super Simple. “Just like Authentic and some of these other first mares in foals have been very well received.”

As the Keeneland November Sale concluded its fifth session Sunday, Simms continued to see plenty of demand for horses.

“We sold three mares earlier in the day that were very strong and were probably double what we expected,” Simms said. “I didn't think (Super Simple) would be at US$300,000 (AU$408,000), but the market is strong. If you bring something up here, you will get paid for it.”

Gallery: Some of the highest-priced weanlings

John Mulholland, whose Mulholland Springs consigned the day's highest-priced colt by Mitole (USA), agreed the November results continued to exceed all expectations.

“When they stand out, they stand out,” Mulholland said. “If they love it, people are going to dig deep and go for it. That's what the market wants. It wants the highest of the high quality and that's what everybody is going to zero in on and you're going to end up getting more than you expect.”

The Keeneland November Sale continues through Friday with sessions beginning daily at 10am (local time).

Audible filly makes noise late

Bred by Fred Hertrich, III and consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the chestnut Audible (USA) filly received a timely update when her half-sister Juju's Map (USA) (Liam's Map {USA}) won the G1 Darley Alcibiades S. and was second in last weekend's G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

“She was a lovely filly,” Cauthen said after signing the ticket on the weanling. “We liked the physical and we really liked the update. Bill Casner really loved her walking video. He's trusted us for a long time and we are glad to have her.”

Bill Casner acquired the mare Summer Vacation (USA) (Eskendereya {USA}) (Hip 680) for US$460,000 (AU$626,000) and Susan Casner acquired a weanling colt by Dialed In (USA) (Hip 850) for US$65,000 (AU$88,000) earlier in the November Sale.

“Bill just wants to get back in the game,” Cauthen said. “He's been sitting on the sidelines for a while. He's really excited to be back.”

Of the filly's session-topping price, Cauthen admitted. “We wanted her for around US$300,000 (AU$408,000), but it seems like you have to pay a lot more than you expect to.”

Norevale makes it look simple

Sarah and Leo Dooley's Norevale Farm, still just in its first full year in operation, picked up Super Simple (USA) for US$27,000 (AU$37,000) at last year's Keeneland November Sale and hit a home run when returning the 5-year-old mare to the Keeneland sales ring Sunday to sell for US$300,000 (AU$408,000) to Woodford Thoroughbreds.

Sarah Dooley, a graduate of the Irish National Stud and Godolphin Flying Start programs, said the mare's purchase in 2020 followed lessons she'd learned from her father, Tony Holmes of Marula Park Stud.

“She had a lot of upside,” she said. “My dad has operated that way his whole career, just buying mares with plenty of upside. There were Gun Runners, a Pharoah filly, all Winchell (in the pedigree), so we thought if she could be bought right, she's a pretty mare and had enough of a page that we could hope something would pop there.”

Super Simple sold Sunday in foal to first-season sire Volatile (USA). Leo Dooley, a native of Ireland who worked for trainer Jim Bolger, as well as serving stints at Ballylinch Stud, Tattersalls and Goffs, said the stallion made sense for Super Simple.

“When we went out to look at Volatile, he was very impressive physically,” he said. “He cost so much as a yearling, he was bound to be, but he was a very good physical and he was a good match for the mare.”

Sarah Dooley added, “The mare (Super Simple) was 100 per cent ours and it's our first year in business. Even a US$30,000 (AU$41,000) or US$40,000 (AU$55,000) (stud fee) was a stretch for us. Volatile was a beautiful first-season horse and everybody was talking about him. We loved him. And at US$15,000 (AU$20,000), the price was right for us.”

Woodford Thoroughbreds has purchased 14 mares so far at the Keeneland November Sale for a total of US$3,515,000 (AU$4.8 million). In addition to Volatile, the operation has purchased two mares in foal with the first crop of foals by Authentic (USA) and McKinzie (USA), and one mare carrying a foal from the first crops of Vekoma (USA) and Improbable (USA), as well as two mares in foal with the second crop of Omaha Beach (USA).

Familiar connections for Mitole colt

Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, who campaigned Mitole (USA), teamed up with Spendthrift Farm, which stands the Champion Sprinter, to acquire a weanling (Hip 1432) from his first crop for US$285,000 (AU$388,000) early in Sunday's session of the Keeneland November Sale.

The bay colt, bred by R B Stables and consigned by Mulholland Springs, is out of the unraced Rode Warrior (USA) (Quality Road {USA}), a half-sister to Graded winner Wacky Patty (USA) (Formal Dinner {USA}).

“I thought he was the best Mitole we've seen so far,” Spendthrift's Mark Toothaker said. “He was just an absolutely gorgeous horse. We were so glad to be able to team up with Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, who obviously campaigned Mitole. So we are very excited to land this horse. We partnered up and hopefully he'll be a runner.”

The speedy Mitole, a four-time Grade 1 winner, capped his career with a win in the 2019 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint and was named that year's champion sprinter. He began his stud career at Spendthrift in 2020 and will stand the 2022 season at US$15,000 (AU$20,400).

“A lot of the ones we've seen have been beautiful-bodied horses,” Toothaker said of Mitole's babies. “This one not only had the beautiful body, he also stood over a lot of ground. So we thought he was one we had to have and we took a shot. (Spendthrift owner) Eric Gustavson and (manager) Ned Toffey signed off and Bill and Corinne were all on board.”

Consignor John Mulholland said he has been impressed by what he has seen of Mitole's first crop of weanlings.

“They have exceeded my expectations,” Mulholland said. “This one is out of a big Quality Road mare. So I think if you breed a big, stretchy kind of mare to him, you're going to get the best of both, from what I've seen.”