Million-dollar Nyquist colts pace 'Vibrant' Book 2 finale at Keeneland

Cover image courtesy of Keeneland

Mulberry Racing and Brad Widdup Racing make an impression

Australian trainer Brad Widdup has been active in the first few days of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, purchasing several yearlings for his client Mulberry Racing. “Basically, they are for a client who wants to race some horses in America,” said Widdup. “All the horses will be trained at Churchill Downs with Brendan Walsh.”

Widdup has several Mulberry Racing-owned horses in his stable in Australia, and it was this existing relationship that led to him heading to Keeneland to buy for Mulberry Racing. “He’s expanding and I’m one of a party that’s come over here. We’ve put a fair bit of homework into the yearlings and inspected them all. A few may find their way here (Australia) at the end of their 3-year-old career, but the main plan is to race them in America. It’s not an exercise for Australia. It’s more about exploring different avenues for my client.

“Brendan Walsh has a similar background to me. He spent some time at Godolphin, then started with six horses at Churchill Down, and now has over a hundred. Maybe if there’s a filly who is up to stakes grade, she might come here later, then stay as a broodmare, but any colts will stay in America. At the end of the day, it’s about racing in America.”

In the first 1100 lots across Books 1 and 2 Mulberry Racing have purchased six yearlings. Hip 405, a colt by Practical Magic (USA) was purchased for US$200,000 (AU$297,000) from Machmer Hall Sales. He is a half-brother to two tough winners in nine-time winner Two Guns (USA) (Cairo Prince {USA}) and six-time winning 4-year-old mare Anestesiologa (USA) (Mastery {USA}). His dam, Factfull (USA) (The Factor {USA}) is a half-sister to four stakes winners.

A colt by first-season sire and dual Grade 1 winner Maxfield (USA), Hip 666, cost Mulberry Racing US$40,000 (AU$59,500) and is out of stakes-placed 2-year-old winner Two Shakes (USA) (Exchange Rate {USA}) who is a full sister to G1 Del Mar Debutante S. winner Sunset Glow (USA) and Listed winner Defiantly (USA).

Gallery: Some of Brad Widdup's purchases at Keeneland, images courtesy of Keeneland

Hip 746, filly by proven sire Munnings (USA), was purchased by Mulberry Racing for US$300,000 (AU$446,000). She is a half-sister to Listed winner Pulsate (USA) (Speightstown {USA}) and stakes-placed winning 3-year-old Tough Little Nut (USA) (Palace Malice {USA}). Her stakes-placed winning dam is Celestial Kitten (USA) (Kitten’s Joy {USA}).

When asked about the differences between Australia and America, Widdup said, “It’s a bit of a myth really. Look at the best horses here, like Street Cry who raced on dirt. A quality horse is quality anywhere, you just have to have look at each one and work it out from there. Some are predominantly dirt type of breeds, and there’s a lot do crossover onto turf. They just had a big meeting at Kentucky Downs, all on grass, and there’s more and more racing on turf now. At the end of the day they are all Thoroughbreds and if someone asked me if I could pick the difference between a dirt and grass horse, I’d say I don’t think so.

“We’ve looked at a lot and everyone has been really hospitable. We are seeing Flightline today. It’s good to see (the stock of) established stallions and some first season ones. We’ve tried to do the best we could and have bought some nice horses.”

Royal Crescent (USA) (Quality Road {USA}), catalogued as Hip 938, was purchased by Mulberry Racing for US$350,000 (AU$520,000), and the colt is a half-brother to Listed winner Oscar Eclipse (USA) (Oscar Performance {USA}) and Grade 2-placed juvenile winner Malibu Curl (USA) (Curlin {USA}).

Hip 989 is another Quality Road (USA) colt, this time costing Mulberry Racing US$300,000 (AU$446,000). He is the first foal of stakes-placed winner Spritz (USA) (Awesome Again {Can}) who is a half-sister to dual Grade 1 winner Judy The Beauty (USA) (Ghostzapper {USA}).

Mulberry Racing struck early on Thursday buying Hip 1099 for US$225,000 (AU$335,200), a colt by Maxfield out of winning mare Blind Pool (USA) (Awesome Again {Can}) who is a half-sister to Listed winner Let My People Go (USA) (Pioneerof the Nile {USA}).

Vibrant Book 2 closes with pair of Nyquist colts

With a pair of seven-figure colts by Nyquist (USA) leading the way, trade remained strong straight through the conclusion of Book 2 during the fourth session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale on Thursday in Lexington.

“It was a great day,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy at the close of business Thursday evening. “We are very pleased. The median is up 25 per cent for the session over last year, which is a metric that we always use. That shows that it was really difficult to buy a nice horse. Everyone was fighting over the ones they wanted. There was a real vibrant trade on the ones they wanted.”

For the session, 216 horses sold for US$63,046,000 (AU$93.6 million). The average of US$291,880 (AU$434,000) rose 13.25 per cent from last year's corresponding session and the median was up 25 per cent to US$250,000 (AU$372,000).

Through the two Book 2 sessions, Keeneland sold 436 yearlings through the ring for a gross of US$132,963,000 (AU$197.7 million). The average was up 8.1 per cent to US$304,961 (AU$452,000) and the median rose 15.6 per cent to US$260,000 (AU$387,000).

During last year's two-session Book 2, 416 yearlings sold through the ring for a total of US$117,375,000 (AU$174 million) for an average of US$282,151 (AU$419,000) and a median of US$225,000 (AU$334,000).

Through four sessions, the buy-back rate is 29.59 per cent. It was 28.67 per cent at the same point a year ago, but there have been plenty of post-sale transactions. As of Thursday evening, there were 40 horses listed as post-sales through the two books for a gross of US$8,925,000 (AU$13.2 million).

“The RNA rate was a little higher than last year, but there is a vibrant RNA-to-sale trade,” Lacy said. “We have over US$9 million worth of horses registered already as sales that are going to be published. It's very much on track with last year. Even the second to last horse (Thursday) RNA'd and came in and was done straight afterwards.”

Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach added, “Over the week, the RNA rate is about the same, it's maybe 1 per cent higher than it was through week one last year, which means that some people are not getting their horses sold through the ring.

“That's something we will always be monitoring, talking to people and getting feedback to make sure that the buyers are here at every level for week one as well. Last year, we did a lot of RNA-to-sales and this year we are well on track to match or even exceed that, which is important for the sellers and breeders.”

Elliott Walden, bidding on behalf of Maverick Racing, CHC, Inc., and Siena Farm, made the highest bid of Thursday's session, going to US$1.3 million (AU$1.9 million) to acquire a colt by Nyquist from the Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services consignment. Late in the day, John Stewart of Resolute Bloodstock bid US$1.2 million (AU$1.78 million) to acquire a son of the Kentucky Derby winner from the Indian Creek consignment.

Thirty-six seven-figure yearlings so far

The two seven-figure yearlings brought the total to reach that threshold over the first four days of the auction to 36.

“For us, the sale has been wonderful,” said Indian Creek's Sarah Sutherland. “I think if you are in the right spot, things line up well and you are rewarded handsomely. The market is strong for those top horses. I think it will continue to trickle down. There are going to be quality horses all the way through. You just have to stick around and keep working and shaking the bushes.”

The domestic buying bench remained dominant during Book 2, but there also continued to be broad international participation.

“We have a lot of the players, especially the trainers, that were active in the first three days and were still here today and they are still looking,” said Lacy. “That is really encouraging for the next group of horses. There are a lot of people who haven't gotten their hand up and some people are just starting to get traction now.

“The domestic buyers were strong, but we also saw Michael Costa from Jebel Ali Stable from Dubai buying four, the Japanese are very much in play still, and there are a lot of Irish that are here looking to buy for pinhooking. Coolmore bought today. It's a very vibrant and broad marketplace still. And it gives you the feel that a lot of these people are not going anywhere. They are going to be around next week.”

Following a dark day Friday, the Keeneland September sale resumes Saturday and continues through to September 21. Sessions begin daily at 10am (local).

'A man among boys': US$1.3m Nyquist tops Book 2 finale

Midway through Thursday's second Book 2 session, a colt by Kentucky Derby hero Nyquist (Hip 984) lit up the tote board with a US$1.3 million (AU$1.9 million) final bid from WinStar's Elliott Walden, who was bidding on behalf of China Horse Club, Maverick Racing and Siena Farm.

“Everybody seems to want a Nyquist, Gun Runner, Justify or Constitution… there are a lot of them in here,” said Walden. “You have to sort through them. This was the one we landed on.”

Out of Spa Treatment (USA) (Bernardini {USA}), the bay was consigned by agent Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services.

“He was always was a beautiful colt and we felt like Book 2 would suit him better; he would stand out,” said Ron Blake. “He had such presence in the way he carries himself in everything he does. He is first class and the buyers could see that. It's always hard to get those kinds of numbers. We knew we had a lot of people on him, but we just didn't know if it would go that far. He deserved it.”

Selling on behalf of an undisclosed client, the February 10 foal previously brought US$385,000 (AU$572,000) at Keeneland last November.

“He was a US$385,000 (AU$573,600) pinhook, but I don't think it's ever reasonable that you are going to get seven figures,” Hanzly Albina admitted. “There is a lot that has to go right. There was definitely a point (Wednesday) that I felt pretty confident that we were going to get pretty close. (Thursday), I felt super confident that we were going to get there. But you still have to do it. ”

The colt was bred by Hunter Valley Farm and Springhouse Farm. The latter purchased Spa Treatment, a daughter of stakes-winning and Grade 1 stakes-placed Silver Knockers (USA) (Silver Deputy {Can}), for US$140,000 (AU$208,000) at the Fasig-Tipton Mixed sale in 2019.

“I went to the farm in the spring to look at some of the horses we were looking at selling and this is definitely one of the yearlings that caught everyone's eye,” recalled Albina. “He's just a beautiful horse all around. He really stood out… a man among boys. He was always a very nice individual, but he developed properly.”

The yearling represents the same cross as four Grade 1 winners, including recent G1 Spinaway S. winner Immersive (USA) (Nyquist {USA}). Trained by Brad Cox for Godolphin, that daughter of Bernardini's (USA) Gap Year (USA) also won her career debut at the Spa on July 21.

“Obviously, Nyquist over Bernardini is a great cross,” explained Walden. “(Hip 984) was one of our favorite horses in the sale, very strong.”

“That cross works very well, it's a high-statistical cross and he's a beautiful horse, one of our favorites of the sale. Book 1, Book 2–it didn't matter. We were very bullish on him.”

Asked about some of the changes that have been made throughout the Keeneland pavilion of late, Walden opined, “I love the tables that they set up and the fact that Keeneland, Tony Lacy and Shannon Arvin are changing the culture here. It's a lot more consumer friendly and they're trying to do some different things. You see a building going up around the grandstand and it's exciting to see what's next for the next generation.”