Competitive bidding continues into Book 3 at Keeneland

Cover image courtesy of Keeneland

The momentum continues

For the session, 248 head grossed US$20,988,500 (AU$31,779,800). The average of US$84,631 (AU$128,100) was up 6.7 per cent from the opening session of the 2021 Book 3 section, while the median remained constant at US$65,000 (AU$98,400). The session's buy-back rate was 26.63 per cent. It was 23.64 per cent a year ago.

Jody Huckabay, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client, made the session's highest bid when going to US$450,000 (AU$681,400) to acquire the broodmare Brockovich (USA) (Honor Code {USA}) from the Lane's End consignment.

“It's been good on both ends,” said Huckabay, who was also busy selling from his Elm Tree Farm consignment. “If you bring quality up here, it takes care of itself on both ends, selling and buying. But when you are buying, you have to get ready. Everybody has money for the good ones, it seems like.”

A colt by Twirling Candy (USA) was the session's top-priced weanling when selling for US$380,000 (AU$575,400) to Bay Shore Stable. The foal was consigned by Nursery Place, another operation active on both sides of the ledger this week.

“We've been trying to buy mares all week and it's been impossible,” said Nursery Place's Griffin Mayer. “It's so strong right now. It's always a fun business to be in when it's like this.”

The competitive market has been fueled by a number of high-profile buyers who have been steadily acquiring mares for recently retired stallion prospects like Flightline (USA) and Life Is Good (USA).

“The market is strong for what people perceive to be the good ones,” said Doug Cauthen. “The mares have been extraordinarily strong. I think we have had the perfect storm of a lot of people looking to buy nice mares for their stallion prospects. There is a high percentage of quality horses at stud and new ones going to stud.”

Still some consignors were recognising a familiar polarisation in the marketplace.

“I think it is the same as always,” said John Mulholland. “If you have what they want, you are going to get paid really well. If you have everything they want, you will get paid more than you should, but if you missed it slightly, there is no safety net.”

Freyer secures two

Arrowfield Stud’s Bloodstock Manager, Jon Freyer signed for his first purchases of the week at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, buying two lots for an aggregate of US$530,000 (AU$802,500).

Early in the day, he went to US$180,000 (AU$272,600) for Kitten Tales (USA) (Kitten’s Joy {USA}).

Consigned as Hip 1203, the mare is out of three-time winner Perfect Story (USA) (Tale Of The Cat {USA}), making a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Street Story (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}) and Listed winner and Grade 1-placed Paige (USA) (Sky Mesa {USA}).

Later on in the session, Fryer struck again, this time paying Bluewater Sales US$350,000 (AU$530,000) for Sleek Lynx (GB) (War Front {USA}).

A winner as a 2-year-old, Sleek Lynx is out of French Group 2 winner Sarah Lynx (Ire) and she is herself a daughter of Group 3 scorer Steel Princess (Ire) (Danehill {USA}).

Sarah Lynx is a half-sister to G3 Geelong Cup winner Steel Prince (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and fellow Group 3 winner Sugar Boy (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}).

Johnson strikes for I Get It

Will Johnson of William Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA) also secured his first lot of the week when he went to US$170,000 (AU$257,400) for I Get It (USA) (Get Stormy {USA}) for an undisclosed client.

The filly won three times as a 2-year-old and was also placed-third at Grade 3 level and she is out of the unraced mare Twisted Beauty (USA) (General Quarters {USA}), while further back this is the same family as Grade 1 winner Summer Bird (USA) (Birdstone {USA}).

Johnson told the TDN AusNZ the 4-year-old would now head back to Australia and would be covered next spring.

“She was very good-looking and she had great form as a 2-year-old. She was Grade-placed and has a physical that should suit Australian conditions,” he said. “She has got plenty of time to head to Australia, acclimatise and cycle for a cover early next September. The mating is yet to be decided.”

Of the week in Kentucky, Johnson said, “It’s been a fantastic week in Lexington which was kicked off by the Breeders’ Cup meet and to see Flightline win so emphatically was definitely spine-tingling and the highlight of the week thus far. That energy has been transferred across to both Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland, where we have seen some incredible prices for both mares and foals.

“We also have to mention Flightline, when his 2.5 per cent share sold for such a figure really shows the strength and depth of the market here and what people are willing to pay for access to the top end, whether that be the stallions, mares or the foals.”

Johnson said America was a great source of some different bloodlines than the ones available in Australia.

“It is fantastic to have purchased here, it is a great source of outcrosses for Australia,” said Johnson. “It can be a different style of horse, but there are also definite similarities for what we are looking for back home and here.

“It was good to see a lot of the Australian contingent on the board this week and I’m sure we will see many stakes winners from the mares purchased in Kentucky in the future.”

Mitchell takes home Ready A.P.

James Mitchell of Mitchell Bloodstock (FBAA) made his first foray onto the Keeneland buyers’ sheet at Keeneland on Thursday, parting with US$70,000 (AU$106,000) for Ready A.P. (USA), a 3-year-old daughter of the late former Vinery shuttler More Than Ready (USA).

Catalogued as Lot 1295, the one-time winner, stakes-placed filly was offered by Lane’s End and she is out of the winning A.P. Indy (USA) mare Girlabouttown (USA) and she is herself a daughter of Carmandia (USA) (Wild Rush {USA}).

Further back the filly is from the family of Grade 1 winner and sire Closing Argument (USA).

Mitchell told TDN AusNZ that the mare would head straight back to Australia to begin her career as a broodmare.

“She is a beautiful filly, by More Than Ready, who as we know has been a top-class broodmare sire in both hemispheres and he has sadly passed away now, so there are very few opportunities to buy stakes-credentialled females by him.

“She is a lovely type of filly and she has all the quality and class you can expect from More Than Ready. She was stakes-placed at Saratoga and won her first start at Belmont by 6l. We have bought her for a client who we look forward to having a long association with.”

Brockovich on the case

Jody Huckabay, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client, purchased the unraced 3-year-old Brockovich for US$450,000 (AU$681,400) from the Lane's End consignment early in Thursday's fourth session of the Keeneland November sale.

“We bought her for a new client and a good friend of ours that I grew up with,” Huckabay said. “It's pretty special. They've stepped up and bought two very special mares at this sale. They are getting into it in a big way. He is buying some very, very nice mares.”

Brockovich is out of Miss Squeal (USA) (Smart Strike {USA}) and is a half-sister to G2 Los Alamitos Futurity winner Spielberg (USA) (Union Rags {USA}) and from the family of Clear Mandate (USA).

“Obviously, she's a half-sister to a nice horse, but also it's broodmare sires all the way down the page,” Huckabay said. “And that's what attracts me to them.”

Huckabay agreed the mare's covering sire, first-year stallion Charlatan (USA), who has been popular all week, was another attraction.

“We've been trying to buy mares all week in foal to Charlatan and we could have, but we were kind of waiting around on this mare,” he said.

Of his clients, Huckabay, who will board the mares at his Elm Tree Farm, said, “We are planning to sell (the foals), but then we may race also. When you are into this deal, you have to be prepared to race.”

Twirling Candy colt proves popular

A colt by Twirling Candy (USA) (Hip 1270) provided a tribute to his late breeder Mary K. Grum when selling for US$380,000 (AU$575,400) on Thursday at Keeneland. He was consigned by Nursery Place and John Moynihan signed the ticket as Boy Shore Stable on behalf of Richard Rigney.

​​The weanling is out of Ours to Run (USA) (Half Ours {USA}), who was bred by Grum's husband Clifford. Racing for Colonel Thoroughbreds and trainer Larry Jones, the mare was a seven-time stakes winner and Graded-placed, while earning US$524,488 (AU$794,200) on the track between 2016 and 2019. The Mayer family's Nursery Place purchased the mare back on behalf of Grum for US$140,000 (AU$212,000) at the 2020 Keeneland January sale.

“This foal belongs to Mary K. Grum, who passed away in July,” said Nursery Place's Griffin Mayer. “She bred Ours to Run, the mare, and we bought Ours to Run here at the sale for her. So it was fantastic that we could do that for her family.”

Of the foal, Mayer said, “We breed three or four mares a year to Twirling Candy and he's one of my favourite Twirling Candys that we've had. Twirling Candy is a great sire.”

The weanling was proceeded into the ring by his 8-year-old dam, who sold for US$145,000 (AU$219,600) to the bid of Rockridge Stud. She was offered in foal to Upstart (USA).

Mulhollands get in on the action

After being shut out earlier in the week, Mulholland Springs secured one of their top picks early in Thursday's session, going to US$375,000 (AU$567,800) for Bicameral (USA) (Constitution {USA}) (Hip 1042). The racing or broodmare prospect was consigned by Mill Ridge Sales.

Third to Grace Adler (USA) (Curlin {USA}) as a maiden in last year's G1 Del Mar Debutante, she graduated by 10.5l going a mile at Santa Anita this past April and added a turf allowance at Del Mar on September 4.

“I think she is absolutely beautiful and you can never take away the fact that she was third in a Grade 1,” John Mulholland said. “We have been shut out left and right. We have probably been shut out on 20 mares. Every time we come up here, there are 30 people following us to bid on the same horse. We decided to stretch a little bit and will put a few partners on her. I think she is lovely and one of the best I've seen in the sale so far physically.”

As for the future plans for the mare, Mulholland said, “We will figure out someone nice for her or maybe we will send her back to the track. We will think about it. We are happy to get something of so much quality.”

Mulholland Springs has had a banner year on the racetrack with horses they either bred, raised or sold. Cave Rock (USA) (Arrogate {USA}), a graduate of their sales program, won a pair of Grade 1s in California and was second as the favourite in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Mulholland-sold And Tell Me Nolies (USA) (Arrogate {USA}) won a Grade 1 and Grade 2 on the West Coast, but was off the board in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Mulholland-bred Manny Wah (USA) (Will Take Charge {USA}) captured the G2 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. this fall and was fourth in the G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint. The Mulholland-sold Awake At Midnyte (USA) (Nyquist {USA}) placed in several Graded events this year and ran in the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff.

“I can't think of a better year as far as our horses on the track,” Mulholland said. “We had four runners in the Breeders' Cup that we either bred, sold or raised. I doubt we will ever see anything like that again, but we enjoyed it a lot. Hopefully they will all be back again next year.”

Speightstown colt sparks late fireworks

A son of WinStar stalwart Speightstown (USA) (Hip 1370) sparked fireworks late in Thursday's session, bringing US$360,000 (AU$545,000) from Mike Golden of Sycamore Hall Farm.

“He was very correct, very proportional,” said Golden. “I didn't really find any holes in him. He is by a great stallion and is the first foal out of a good racemare. He fit everything that we wanted in a weanling.”

When asked whether the weanling was a pinhook or would be retained to race, Golden said, “We are not sure at this point. We will see how he develops and go from there.”

Consigned by Taylor Made, the bay colt was bred by Mark Stanley. The breeder raced the colt's Grade 2-placed dam Tempers Rising (USA) (Bayern {USA}), who is a half-sister to stakes winner Mac The Man (USA) (El Corredor {USA}). This colt is her first foal.

Volatile colt proves popular at Keeneland

A weanling colt (Hip 1223) from the first crop of Grade 1 winner Volatile (USA) was in demand on Thursday at Lexington, summoning US$325,000 (AU$492,100) from XXY Stud.

Consigned by Taylor Made, the chestnut was bred by Three Chimneys Farm, which stands his young sire. The colt is out of the unraced Light Of The Nile (USA) (Eskendereya {USA}), who is a half-sister to late stallion Pioneerof The Nile (USA), sire of Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (USA). Her 2021 Uncle Mo (USA) filly brought US$400,000 (AU$605,700) at this venue's September Yearling Sale just two months ago.

“He's just an athlete,” Three Chimneys Farm's Doug Cauthen said. “He has a great pedigree. It has Pioneerof The Nile right there. The mare threw a US$400,000 (AU$605,700) Uncle Mo filly who was very athletic. Being a May foal, you can see there is a lot of potential.”

An US$850,000 Keeneland September buy, Volatile won five of his six starts, topped by the 2020 G1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt S. at Saratoga. He has had 10 members of his first crop sell this week at Keeneland for US$1.38 million (AU$2,089,500) with an average of US$138,000 (AU$209,000).

“The Volatiles have been very athletic and a lot of people are coming up and saying how excited they are about them,” Cauthen said. “They look like racehorses. He was a heck of a racehorse himself. We have nine or 10 of them at Three Chimneys and every single one of them looks like a racehorse. The farm is excited about his potential. We think he will have another full book this year and that is always good in the third year for any stallion.”