Demand and competition remain strong as Book 2 concludes

Cover image courtesy of Keeneland

Proud Emma popular at Keeneland

The third day of selling at Keeneland was highlighted by the million-dollar sale of Group winner Proud Emma (USA) (Include {USA}). In foal to Charlatan (USA), the chestnut was purchased by Jane Lyon of Summer Wind Farm, who also purchased Tuesday's US$1.45 million (AU$2,258,600) session-topper Park Avenue (USA) (Quality Road {USA}).

Proud Emma will visit Lyon's homebred superstar Flightline (USA), whose fee was announced at US$200,000 (AU$311,900) partway through Wednesday's action. Proud Emma marks the third seven-figure transaction of Book 2, which previously had not seen a million-dollar horse since 2017.

“Some of the owners of Flightline, and Life Is Good, are investing in young fillies and broodmares to send to their stallions,” said Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “We are coming off an exciting Breeders' Cup. It is a deep bench that is retiring this year. A lot of breeders are looking to improve their broodmare band and freshen up their portfolio, both on a domestic and international stage. It has been very, very healthy.”

During the two Book 2 sessions, 424 horses sold for US$77,092,000 (AU$120,081,000). The average of US$181,821 (AU$283,200) increased 13.5 per cent from a year ago and the median of US$150,000 (AU$233,600) was up 15.4 per cent. Three horses sold for seven figures and there were 16 who sold for US$500,000 (AU$778,800) or more. In 2021, six horses hit that mark and the section's top price was US$725,000 (AU$1,129,300).

The 2021 Book 2 section of the November sale saw 489 horses gross US$78,321,000 (AU$121,995,400) for an average of US$160,166 (AU$249,500) and a median of US$130,000 (AU$202,500).

“I think people are willing to keep going on horses that they feel have the quality they are looking for,” Lacy said. “When they find the mares and weanlings that fit the profile that they want, they keep going. Jane Lyon was pretty bullish today (Wednesday) on that one. That was great.”

Proud Emma's covering sire Charlatan has made a name for himself in the sales ring this week. He was the session's leading covering sire with 11 mares carrying his first foals grossing US$4.005 million (AU$6,238,300) and averaging US$364,091 (AU$567,100).

Weanlings were also in high demand on Wednesday, topped by a US$500,000 (AU$778,800) Gun Runner (USA) colt (Hip 976), who is destined for resale next year after being purchased by Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo's AAA Thoroughbreds.

Fifteen weanlings sold for US$300,000 (AU$467,300) or over during the 2022 Book 2 section of the November sale, led by a US$550,000 (AU$856,700) son of Gun Runner who sold on Wednesday. During the two sessions, 165 weanlings sold for US$23,056,000 (AU$35,912,800), for an average of US$139,733 (AU$217,700) up 7.3 per cent from a year ago–and a median of US$120,000 (AU$186,900), which was up 20 per cent from 2021.

In 2021, 12 Book 2 weanlings sold for US$300,000 (AU$467,300) or over. A total of 183 foals sold during the section for a gross of US$23,838,000 (AU$37,130,900). The average was US$130,262 (AU$202,900) and the median was US$100,000 (AU$155,800).

Another Emma for Summer Wind

Summer Wind Farm, already the home of Littleprincessemma (USA) (Yankee Gentleman {USA}), dam of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (USA), added another Emma to its broodmare band when Jane Lyon bid an even million dollars to acquire Graded stakes-winner Proud Emma (Hip 876) from the Bedouin Bloodstock consignment on Wednesday at Keeneland.

“We saw an awfully pretty mare that we think Flightline will like,” Lyon said of the mare's appeal. “We were trying to find mares that we thought, both physically and pedigree-wise, would fit him.”

The 6-year-old Proud Emma is out of the unraced Debutante Dreamer (USA) (Proud Citizen {USA}), a sister to Graded-placed Cousin Stephen (USA). She won the 2020 G3 Bayakoa S. and was second in the 2021 G3 Rancho Bernardo H.

SF Bloodstock purchased Proud Emma for US$275,000 (AU$428,300) at last year's Fasig-Tipton November and put her in foal to first-season sire Charlatan.

“She was a very striking mare,” SF Bloodstock's Tom Ryan said. “She is a beautiful physical and she obviously had tons of ability. We felt that she was a durable, sound mare.”

Ryan continued, “The plan at the time was to bring her back to the marketplace. We had options (for the covering sire), but when we got home and sat down to work through it, we felt Charlatan was a perfect physical for the mare.”

Of Proud Emma's seven-figure pricetag, Ryan said, “Summer Wind is a very calculating outfit and they can see the same thing that we see. This is the kind of mare that could produce a commercial animal that we could see in Saratoga in a couple of years. And then she may not look that expensive.”

Mares in foal to Charlatan were in demand in the Keeneland sales ring, with Proud Emma leading the way. Through three sessions of the November sale, 22 mares have sold in foal to Charlatan for an average of US$338,636 (AU$527,500).

“He is a son of Speightstown and he was a brilliant horse,” Ryan said of Charlatan's appeal. “I think his race record and his physical make-up is exactly what people are looking for in the commercial market that we live in today.”

Mills purchases Lady Lilly

Sheamus Mills of Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA) got involved in the action at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale on Wednesday, purchasing dual-winning Nyquist (USA) mare Lady Lilly (USA) for US$250,000 (AU$389,600).

The daughter of Nyquist won two races as a juvenile and finished third in the G1 Spinaway S. She is out of the stakes-placed Pulpit (USA) mare Miss Inclined (USA), making her a half-sister to Listed winner Hollis (USA) (Street Sense {USA}).

Further afield, the is the same family as Grade 2 winner Itsakncockout (USA) (Lemon Drop Kid {USA}) and stakes winner Storm Power (USA) (Tiz Wonderful {USA}).

Newgate and SF team up again

Having purchased Irish Constitution (USA) (Constitution {USA}) for US$310,000 (AU$477,000) during Tuesday’s session, Newgate Farm and SF Bloodstock went again on Wednesday, purchasing the dual winner Global Brand (USA) (War Front {USA}) for US$150,000 (AU$233,700).

Offered by Hill ‘n’ Dale, the mare is by War Front (USA) and is out of the dual-winning Grade 1 mare Marketing Mix (USA) (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), making her a sister to the stakes-placed Global Brand (USA).

The mare was offered in foal to the now Japanese-based sire, Caravaggio (USA).

Whimsical Dance a sentimental purchase for Anderson

As the third session of the Keeneland November sale neared its conclusion on Wednesday, Canadian breeder Dave Anderson struck to add a filly from the country's historic Sam-Son Farms to his broodmare band, going to US$725,000 (AU$1,129,700) to acquire the 3-year-old Whimsical Dance (USA) (Distorted Humor {USA}) (Hip 989).

“I've admired the Sam-Son operation my entire life growing up in Canada,” Anderson said. “I've just strived to be even remotely close to being as good a breeder as they've been. And this is a filly from their absolute best family. I took one look at her and it's just Distorted Humor over Giant's Causeway and it's all broodmare sires down to Dance Smartly. It's all something I really wanted to have in my program and this was the last stop for the Sam-Son train. I'm really thrilled to have her.”

A daughter of the unraced Danceforthecause (USA) (Giant's Causeway {USA}), Whimsical Dance is a half-sister to multiple Graded winner Say the Word (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}) and Graded winner Rideforthecause (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}). Her third dam is the great Canadian champion Dance Smartly (Can), who produced champion Dancethruthedawn (Can).

Whimsical Dance has now won two of three starts at Woodbine. Anderson said the filly may continue her racing career.

“I am going to take a look at that,” he said. “I would obviously love to get some black type on her somewhere. But at the end of the day, I bought her for her ovaries and she'll be a long-term mare in our program.”

Founded by the late Ernie Samuel some 50 years ago, Sam-Son Farm has dispersed nearly all of its stock in the last two years. The operation sold five mares on Wednesday. In addition to Whimsical Dance, the Sam-Son-bred Ladywearsthering (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}) (Hip 810) sold for US$450,000 (AU$700,900) to Thomas Bachman's Fairview.

Anderson admitted on Wednesday's purchase of one of the final mares from the Sam-Son operation was a special one.

“My father died 12 years ago yesterday (Tuesday) and he and Mr. Samuel were great friends and did a lot of business together over the years. It really is an emotional purchase for me for sure.”

Strong Showing for Indian Creek

Shack Parrish's Indian Creek consignment had a great day at Keeneland on Wednesday, starting with the US$700,000 (AU$1,090,300) sale of Zoikes (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) (Hip 618), who is set to return to Europe after being purchased by Jim Ryan. She is carrying a foal by Medaglia D'Oro (USA).

“She was very well-received,” said Indian Creek's Sarah Sutherland. “It's a great cover for her, the Medaglia cross with Dubawi. She was sold for Bob Edwards or E Five Racing. We're in the process of selling a few, buying a few and keeping our numbers in check. We were happy to bring her here and think she realised a good price.”

Edwards purchased Zoikes at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 450,000gns (AU$701,200) and she won one of three starts on American soil. Out of stakes winner Glorious Sight (Ire) (Singspiel {USA}), she is a half-sister to Glycon (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}).

As Sutherland predicted after that sale, Indian Creek sparked fireworks again late in the session, selling a US$500,000 (AU$779,100) Gun Runner colt (Hip 976) to Dean DeRenzo. DeRenzo and his partner Randy Hartley, who sign as AAA Thoroughbreds, also purchased an Authentic (USA) filly (Hip 885) from the Indian Creek consignment for US$260,000 (AU$405,100).

Hartley and DeRenzo have been busy snapping up as many nice weanlings as they can get their hands on this week with plans to resell them as yearlings. They have been particularly keen on Gun Runners, snapping up a US$675,000 (AU$1,051,800) filly and US$550,000 (AU$857,000) colt by the red-hot sire at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale on Sunday.

“I thought he was the best horse in the sale,” DeRenzo said. “I just love him. We bought our first Gun Runner, which was Taiba. He's done fantastic and he's not finished. Gun Runner's a horse I have never seen in my career and I think we've seen only the beginning of him. He's going to be bred to some amazing mares, and this was a really great mare. We're really excited. We'll send him home and let him grow up and see how things go and we'll go from there.”

Lake Garda set for a date with Flightline

Shortly after superstar Flightline's fee was announced at US$200,000 Hunter Rankin purchased Lake Garda (American Pharoah {USA}) (Hip 812) for US$600,000 (AU$934,900) on behalf of an undisclosed client with the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic hero in mind. Consigned by Elite, the unraced 4-year-old is in foal to Uncle Mo (USA).

“She is a beautiful mare, obviously regally bred,” Rankin said. “I'm really excited for the owner. She is going to go to Flightline. He is really excited about her.”

He continued, “I thought it was a fair price. We thought she would do well in the market. She had all the pieces and parts and she is in foal to a great stallion and from a great family.”

Lake Garda is a daughter of Graded-placed blue hen Refugee (USA) (Unaccounted For {USA}). She is a half-sister to hard-knocking multiple Grade 1 winner and young sire Hoppertunity (USA), multiple Grade 1 scorer Exectiveprivlege (USA) (First Samurai {USA}) and stakes winners Leader of Men (USA) (War Front {USA}) and Cowboy's Hero (USA) (Cowboy Cal {USA}).

“Lake Garda was just a beautiful mare,” said Elite's Liz Crow. “She came in prepped perfectly. She has a nice pedigree and a nice update, and she's in foal to Uncle Mo on a good cover. She was one of our most popular mares over the last three days. We feel like we had some nice physicals with nice pedigree pages here today (Wednesday). It all starts with the people who send us these horses. We have a great group of clients who entrust us to sell their horses.”

Finding Fame to Gage Hill/Determined stud partnership

Terry Finley continued shopping for mares for recently retired Flightline on Wednesday at Keeneland, going to US$575,000 (AU$895,900) for the 5-year-old mare Finding Fame (USA) (Empire Maker {USA}) (Hip 749). Another sold in foal to Constitution, the bay is a sister to stakes winner and multiple Graded-placed Mei Ling (USA).

“Shug McGaughey trained the mare and she had a lot of talent,” Finley said after signing the ticket in the name of Gage Hill and Matt Dorman's Determined Stud. “She's a lovely, big mare.”

Finding Fame won twice in 10 starts for Gainesway Stable and Andrew Rosen. She was consigned Wednesday by Gainesway.

Of the mare's final price, Finley added, “We are obviously getting to the end of the ones that we are thinking about buying to send to Flightline. I think we knew that there were several significant players that were interested in her.”