Curlin colt on top as Keeneland powers into Book 3

Written by Jessica Martini of TDN America

Cover image courtesy of Keeneland

Curlin colt stars

The Keeneland September Yearling Sale might have taken a day off on Friday, but the auction lost none of its momentum when bidding returned for the first of two Book 3 sessions Saturday in Lexington. A colt by Curlin (USA) paced another competitive session when selling for US$900,000 (AU$1,329,600) to the BSW/Crow Colts partnership.

For the session, 287 yearlings grossed US$50,747,500 (AU$74,970,000). The session average was US$176,821 (AU$261,200), up 5.69 per cent from last year's corresponding session, and the median rose 3.7 per cent to US$140,000 (AU$206,800).

Through five days, 956 heads have sold for US$287,737,500 (AU$425,081,200). The average is US$300,981 (AU$444,600), up 9.03 per cent from the same point of last year's auction, and the median is up 12.5 per cent to US$225,000 (AU$332,400). The buy-back rate is 24.67 per cent. It was 28.82 per cent at this point in 2021.

Saturday's session began on a familiar note when Jacob West, bidding on behalf of the omnipresent Repole Stables, signed for the very horse through the ring and, by the end of the session, Mike Repole's name was on the tickets of 67 yearlings for the entire sale for a gross of US$25,420,000 (AU$37,553,500).

St. Elias Stables, a partner on many of the Repole purchases this week, is named on the tickets of 44 heads for a gross of US$18,210,000 (AU$26,902,000). Bloodstock agent Michael Wallace was in action for four yearlings purchased solely for Vinnie Viola's operation Saturday, led by a US$725,000 (AU$1,071,000) son of Omaha Beach (USA).

“Obviously, we've been a big part of the market, but it's been incredibly strong across the board and we haven't had things all our own way either,” Wallace said Saturday. “Everybody still has a lot of horses to try to buy and people still have plenty of money in their pockets. I think what we've seen here is a push-down in the market and we will see into today and tomorrow and probably into the next week. Probably, if you had asked me three weeks ago, would it be this strong, I would have said no. But after seeing Book 1 and knowing people were getting pushed back to the next day, it was always going to end up like this.”

Peter O'Callaghan's Woods Edge Farm continued to enjoy strong results in the sales ring at Keeneland. The operation sold 10 horses Saturday for US$2,787,500 (AU$4,118,000), led by a US$700,000 (AU$1,034,100) colt by Arrogate (USA).

“The market is excellent, but you've got to be good,” O'Callaghan said. “It's so hard for breeders and pinhookers to breed or purchase a very nice foal. So when we do have one, it's just so gratifying to get rewarded like that. Because believe me, we go through enough of the ones that don't qualify. When it all falls into place, it's extremely gratifying, but also there is a lot of relief involved.”

O'Callaghan continued to see a polarisation in the marketplace, with leading buyers all landing on the same horses.

“Everybody is very selective in what they want,” he said. “They really know what they want. Most of these guys are almost all on most of the same horses. They can't all buy the same ones. They win one, they lose one, they just have to keep going. They want to buy in the top 10 per cent of each session. And so those horses are so highly sought-after and they sell very well, but the next ones down don't quite hit the headlines.”

The Keeneland September sale continues through Saturday with sessions beginning daily at 10am (local).

BSW/Crow Partnership stretches for Curlin colt

The BSW/Crow Colts Group/Spendthrift/Gandharvi made its biggest purchase of the Keeneland sale so far when going to US$900,000 (AU$1,329,600) to acquire a colt by Curlin (Hip 1232). The yearling was consigned by Elm Tree Farm as agent for his breeder, Barbara Banke's Stonestreet.

“It's been very hard to buy this sort of horse,” admitted Brad Weisbord after signing the ticket on the yearling. “Obviously, we stretched a little bit.”

The high-profile colt-buying partnerships of Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola and SF/Starlight/Madaket have dominated the marketplace at Keeneland this week. That domination forced Weisbord and team to modify its approach Saturday.

“We try to buy them a little cheaper, but Liz (Crow) and (Spendthrift's) Ned (Toffey) said to keep going, so that's what we did,” Weisbord said. “We try to stay in the US$500,000 (AU$738,700) - US$600,000 (AU$886,400) range, but he was, for us, the top colt today, so we stretched a little bit. I believe the breeder is going to stay in for a piece, so we love to have them. We think they are one of the top breeders in the game. For us, all of the stars lined up. And hopefully, we will see him next year in the big races.”

McElroy strikes for Bolt D'Oro colt

Bloodstock agent Ben McElroy, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client, acquired a colt by Bolt D'Oro (Hip 1320) for US$775,000 (AU$1,144,900) midway through Saturday's session of the Keeneland September Sale. The yearling, consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency on behalf of breeder George Krikorian, is out of the unraced Beautified (USA) (Congrats {USA}) and is a half-brother to 2021 G1 Del Mar Debutante runner-up Dance To The Music (USA) (Maclean's Music {USA}).

“He is by Bolt D'Oro, who is off to a very good start to stud,” McElroy said of the yearling's appeal. “He's already had a Graded stakes winner and a lot of winners, whether in Europe or Saratoga. He's just winning at all the top tracks and it looks like, as they go further distances, they are going to get better.”

McElroy said he has seen an increased focus on sire power in the sales ring in recent years.

“I think, on the ones who are by the right sires and vet, it's extremely strong,” he said of the market. “There are obviously spots where people have trouble with vetting and maybe do not have the right sire. There is a huge emphasis on sire power. I think in the last two years if you have the right sire, you are getting double, if not triple, what you probably should.”

Of Saturday's result, Krikorian said, “We thought he would be well-received. I didn't know that he would be that well-received. I am grateful for that. Typically in Book 3, they don't go for that much. So this was a nice surprise to have him bring that much.”

Omaha Beach colt for St. Elias

Vinnie Viola's St. Elias Stables, which has accounted for a huge portion of the market this week at Keeneland in its partnership with Mike Repole, as well as with other various partners and on its own, added a colt by Omaha Beach to its roster when bloodstock agent Michael Wallace, seated with St. Elias advisor Rory Babich, made a final bid of US$725,000 (AU$1,071,000) to acquire Hip 1370.

"We've been looking for an Omaha Beach and looking at them pretty hard and he was the one that got the attention of the whole team,” Wallace said. “We were determined to try to get him if we could. Obviously, we didn't think we would have to be pushed as far as we were by WinStar, but that's the nature of this week, it seems.”

Yearlings from the first crop of Omaha Beach have been in demand all week at Keeneland, with Repole and St. Elias purchasing a colt (Hip 336) by the multiple Grade 1 winner for US$900,000 (AU$1,329,600) from the Clarkland Farm consignment and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm purchasing another son of the stallion (Hip 123) for US$775,000 (AU$1,144,900).

“They all seem to have good brains,” Wallace said of Omaha Beach's yearlings. “Walking around the grounds, they are handling things well. They have good strength across the back. I am liking the look of them. I think they are good, athletic horses and bigger than you'd think with the War Front line.”

Bred and consigned by the Cleary family's Clearsky Farms, Hip 1370 is out of Color Me Flying (USA) (Distorted Humor {USA}), a half-sister to Graded winner Teresa Z (USA) (Smart Strike {USA}) and from the family of My Flag (USA) and her daughter, champion Storm Flag Flying (USA).

Lynnhaven Racing stays busy at Keeneland

The fledgling Lynnhaven Racing of Baton Rouge businessman Jim Bernhard and his wife Dana was in action early in Saturday's session of the Keeneland sale, purchasing a son of Audible (USA) (Hip 1167) for US$675,000 (AU$997,200), and the operation kept right on buying throughout the day. The couple had quick-fire action later in the session when going to US$700,000 (AU$1,034,100) to acquire a colt by Arrogate (Hip 1436) from Woods Edge Farm and came back just hips later to pay that same price for a Street Sense (USA) colt (Hip 1441) from Gainesway, as agent for Bonne Chance Farm.

Hip 1436 is out of Ghostslayer (USA) (Ghostzapper {USA}) and he is a half-brother to Graded winner Biddy Duke (USA) (Bayern {USA}). The yearling was bred by Peter and Jenny O'Callaghan's Woods Edge Farm, which purchased Ghostslayer, in foal to Street Sense, for US$110,000 (AU$162,500) at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale. The mare's Street Sense filly sold for US$215,000 (AU$317,600) at the 2020 Keeneland September Sale before the O'Briens hit it out of the park with a US$1.05-million (AU$1,551,200) City Of Light (USA) colt out of the mare at last year's September sale.

“He was probably the most vetted horse we've had in a couple of years,” Peter O'Callaghan said. “I have two pages of vettings on him. It was incredible. My wife Jenny and I bred him and he was a fabulous foal from day one. The mare is a beautiful, robust mare with a big hip on her and it was a great mix with Arrogate. It was a great result and we are delighted.”

The Bernhards, who did their bidding sitting alongside Equine Analysis Systems CEO Matt Weinmann, ultimately purchased eight yearlings for US$2,870,000 (AU$4,239,900) to be the leading buyers Saturday.