Cover image courtesy of Keeneland
At A Glance
Session 2 of the 2023 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale saw 223 hips (213 in the ring/ 10 post-sale) of 408 catalogued (55 per cent). Those sold recorded a gross of US$35,198,000 (AU$$55,300,600), which fell short of the figure achieved in 2022 - US$36,613,000 (AU$57,500,700) for which 212 hips of 377 catalogued (56 per cent).
Session 2 recorded an average of US$157,839 (AU$247,900) and median of US$120,000 (AU$188,500) which was below the 2022 average and median figure of US$172,703 (AU$271,300) of US$130,000 (AU$204,200).
The top price was achieved by Hip 601, Cancel This (Malibu Moon), who made US$825,000 (AU$1,300,200) to Larkin Armstrong on behalf of Helen Alexander when consigned by Four Star Sales. The result was below the US$1,450,000 (AU$2,400,600) Session 2 top price hip in 2022.
Quality rises to the top
The 2023 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continued on Friday with Session 2. As has been a trend for sales internationally the demand for perceived quality remained strong, but fell off for the less desired offerings.
“It's been a realistic, selective market today,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “I think it was pretty evident throughout the day, people knew what they wanted and they were very specific about what they were willing to invest in. Speaking to a lot of sellers, they were very pragmatic about the market. They saw, if a mare was young and was well-bred, you were in pretty good shape.
“I think any mares that were a little older probably have been exposed a little bit and were a tougher sell. And from the consignors we spoke to, there was an acknowledgment that that's where the market is at the moment. So, a little bit of softening, but again, that's to be expected in certain areas.”
“I think any mares that were a little older probably have been exposed a little bit and were a tougher sell.” - Tony Lacy
The top price of the session went to Hip 601 - Cancel This (USA) a daughter of the late Malibu Moon (USA), offered by Four Star Sales was knocked down for who made US$825,000 (AU$1,300,200) to Larkin Armstrong on behalf of Helen Alexander.
Hip 601 - Cancel This (USA) was purchased by Larkin Armstrong, on behalf of Helen Alexander, for US$825,000 (AU$1,300,200) at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale | Image courtesy of Keeneland
The 4-year-old was offered as a racing and breeding prospect. Cancel This was placed in the Listed Presque Isle Downs Satin & Lace S. and is from the Listed-winning mare Catch My Fancy (USA) (Yes It’s True {USA}) and a half-brother to the Listed winner and Group 3-placed Dubini (USA) (Gio Ponti {USA}). Cancel This is from the family of the late Midnight Bourbon (USA) (Tiznow {USA}) a victor of the G3 Lecomte S. and a multiple Group 1 placegetter in races such as the G1 Travers S. and the G1 Preakness S. while the talented G1 Haskell Invitational S. winner Girvin (USA) is also related to the Cancel This.
Australians make a splash
The Australian presence was felt at Keeneland, with Craig Rounsefell of Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA) alongside Murray Thoroughbreds, and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) teaming up with Milburn Creek, both walking away with purchases.
Boomer Bloodstock paid US$350,000 (AU$549,900) for Hip 660, Eloquent Speaker (USA). A 6-year-old daughter of Flatter (USA) from the unraced Broken Vow (USA) mare Spoken Not Broken (USA).
Consigned by Blue Water Sales LLC, Eloquent Speaker was offered in foal to the outstanding sire Quality Road (USA), who stands at Lane’s End.
Hip 660 - Eloquent Speaker (USA) was purchased by Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA) for US$350,000 (AU$549,900) at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale | Image courtesy of Keeneland
Her dam Spoken Not Broken is a half-sister to Bernardini (USA)-sired pair Bridgehampton (USA) and Stormy Novel (USA). Bridgehampton is a Listed winner and Group 3-placed, while Stormy Novel saluted in the Listed Miss Woodford S.
Eloquent Speaker won four races and was placed in the Listed La Verdad S. at Aqueduct.
Rounsefell told The Thoroughbred Report, “I think we got really lucky today (Friday) purchasing Hip 660, Eloquent Speaker, for US$350,000 for Murray Thoroughbreds.
“She is a beautiful mare with great depth and quality, and in foal to the champion sire Quality Road on her first cover. Eloquent Speaker won four races on the dirt in New York and was stakes-placed.
“She (Eloquent Speaker) is a beautiful mare with great depth and quality, and in foal to the champion sire Quality Road on her first cover.” - Craig Rounsefell
“Eloquent Speaker is by proven broodmare sire Flatter. The mating makes for an exciting cross with two excellent speed sires. She will go back to Stone Farm, which is one of the best farms in Lexington for breeding and raising young horses, so we are very excited for the future with her.”
Craig Rounsefell | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA), working alongside Milburn Creek, secured Hip 585, Bipartisanship (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) for US$220,000 (AU$345,600).
Runnymede Farm offered the 5-year-old mare and is from the Oasis Dream (GB) mare Dream Wild (GB). Bipartisanship’s second dam, Wince (GB) (Selkirk {USA}), won the G1 1000 Guineas and the G3 Fred Darling S.
Wince is the dam of Quiff (GB) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}), who won the G1 Yorkshire Oaks and was placed in the G1 St Leger. Furthermore, this is the family of Half Glance (GB) (Danehill {USA}), a close relative of Tycoon (GB), the Champion 3-Year-Old Stayer in Ireland.
Hip 585 - Bipartisanship (GB) was purchased by Milburn Creek and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) for US$220,000 (AU$345,600) at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale | Image courtesy of Keeneland
Bipartisanship won four races, including the Listed Gulfstream Park Tropical Park Oaks, the Listed Del Mar Kathyrn Crosby S. and the Listed Parx Racing PTHA President’s Cup. She was also placed in the G3 Gallorette S. and the G3 Brownstown S.
“Bipartisanship was bought in partnership with Milburn Creek,” Hedge informed The Thoroughbred Report.
“She is a really beautiful, strong and athletic mare that is also very correct. Bipartisanship has all the qualities we look for when buying mares. She’s got a lot of presence, and we really admired her racing record; Bipartisanship has been a really high-quality filly; she’s won three Listed races and placed on multiple occasions at a Group 3 level.
“She (Hip 585) is a really beautiful, strong and athletic mare that is also very correct. Bipartisanship has all the qualities we look for when buying mares.” - Suman Hedge
“From a pedigree perspective, we felt she would really suit several stallions back home in Australia. She’s very open, and her dam is by Oasis Dream, who’s been a Champion Broodmare Sire in Europe and her granddam was a 1000 Guineas winner.
“Bipartisanship just really had all the qualities we were striving to purchase, and we felt at that figure (US$220,000) to get a mare of a similar figure in Australia, we’d have to pay significantly more. We’re delighted with her, and she’ll stay in America for the time being and will most likely be taken to Australia to breed for the next Southern Hemisphere season.”
Kia Ora Stud who have been active all week in Kentucky, signed for Lot 599, named California Angel (USA), for US$360,000 ($566,376). Rifa Mustang (Europe) also made a splash going to US$600,000 ($943,603) for a mare, Lot 665, in foal to Flightline (USA).
Other notable purchases
Unbeaten G1 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Flightline (USA) took Terry Finley and his West Point Thoroughbred partners on the ride of a lifetime last year and Finley was keen to acquire Exotic West (USA) (Hard Spun {USA}) (Hip 667), in foal to the champion, Thursday at Keeneland. Finley purchased the 5-year-old mare, the second to last horse through the ring during the second session of the November auction, for US$650,000 (AU$1,000,200).
“David (Ingordo) really liked the mare. She was a beautiful mare,” Finley said. “The Flightlines have been selling really well, but we thought with her placement in the sale, we might get a little lucky. And I think we were–either people were tired, or they went to dinner. Obviously, the appetite for Flightline is really over the top–better than we expected and we had high expectations. Anytime you can get one in a belly with a young mare like that, you're going to take a shot.”
Consigned by Grovendale Sales, Exotic West won the 2022 Top Flight Invitational and was second in the G2 Allaire DuPont Distaff S. after being claimed by Louis Lazzinnaro for US$40,000 (AU$62,800) at Saratoga in 2021.
Hip 667 - Exotic West (USA) was purchased by Gage Hill and Runnels Racing for US$650,000 (AU$1,000,200) at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale | Image courtesy of Keeneland
Seven mares have sold in foal to Flightline for US$6,625,000 (AU$10,400,500) through two sessions of the Keeneland November sale. Leading the way were the US$1.65 million (AU$2,600,300) Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {GB}) and US$1.45 million (AU$2,300,100) Champagne Lady (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}).
“Our outlook is we can't get enough of them,” Finley said. “We are really happy with (Flightline's) first book of mares and the second one is shaping up really well already. If you can't get excited about owning a piece of Flightline and having a shot to have his babies and the expectation of having them hit the track in a couple of years, you probably don't need to be in the game.”
Early in Thursday's Book 2 opener at Keeneland, Lady Scarlet (USA) (Union Rags {USA}) (Hip 338) brought US$625,000 (AU$981,900) from Thirty Year Farm. The Saratoga-based farm's Kristen Esler handled the signing duties on the G3 Miss Preakness S. winner.
Hip 338 - Lady Scarlet (USA) was purchased by Thirty Year Farm for US$625,000 (AU$981,900) at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale | Image courtesy of Keeneland
“We loved her,” said Esler, who operates Thirty Year Farm with her husband, Matt. “She was our first pick. She was in my heart from the moment I saw her. She's beautiful and she's everything we looked for in conformation. She was an A+. She carried herself really well. I like to look them in the eye and spend some time. She is one that we wanted to bring to our farm.”
Consigned by Lane's End, the 4-year-old is a daughter of Exclude (GB) (Include {USA}), a daughter of SW Soldera (USA) (Polish Numbers {USA}). Furthermore, Lady Scarlet is from the extended family of multiple Group 1 winner Duais (Shamus Award) and her Group 3 winning half-sister Baccarat Baby (Casino Prince).
Chip Muth and his sons, always on the lookout for young mares to buy, put in foal and return to the market, purchased Lady Scarlet for US$200,000 (AU$314,200) at the Keeneland January sale earlier this year. Covered by champion Flightline, the mare returned to the Keeneland sales ring Thursday and sold for US$625,000 (AU$981,900) to Thirty Year Farm.
“We needed a couple of mares, and we went through looking at young stakes mares,” Muth said. “That mare kind of caught our eye. And we got lucky and got her for the right kind of money.”
“We needed a couple of mares, and we went through looking at young stakes mares... And we got lucky and got her (Lady Scarlet) for the right kind of money.” - Chip Muth
The 4-year-old Lady Scarlet won last year's G3 Miss Preakness S. and Cicada S.
Muth admitted he thought the mare might have brought more money.
“To be honest, we all felt like the mare would bring more,” he said. “We sold two mares out here last year almost back-to-back for US$750,000 and one for US$700,000.”
Constitution colt tops weanlings
South Carolina horseman Peter Pugh purchased Thursday's top-priced weanling when going to US$525,000 (AU$824,800) to acquire a colt by Constitution (USA) (Hip 286) from the Nursery Place consignment.
“He was super well-balanced and a real good mover,” said Pugh, who purchased the weanling in the name of Cherry Knoll Farm. “Every time we saw him, he was the same.”
Asked if the plan was to pinhook the dark bay colt, Pugh said, “For now. Obviously, you want to hit the home run, but I have a partner on him also, we discuss all of this stuff as time goes on.”
Hip 286 - Constitution (USA) x Gone to Town (USA) (colt) was the top-priced weanling at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale on Thursday | Image courtesy of Keeneland
The weanling is out of Gone to Town (USA) (Munnings {USA}) and was bred by Nursery Place and Dicken Equine.
“We try to bring a handful of weanlings every year to Keeneland–a very select few,” said Nursery Place's Griffin Mayer. “They have to be really, really nice with pedigrees and by the right sires. He checked all the boxes and honestly, he's probably one of the better colts that we've raised in the last 10 years. He's very special. He's a homebred for my dad and one of his partners, John Dicken of Dicken Equine.”
