Find another Ms Bad Behavior at Fasig-Tipton's November Sale

Cover image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton

“She is probably the best mare on the farm - I would say she might even be the best mare in the country,” is how Arrowfield Stud’s Bloodstock Manager Jon Freyer recently described Fasig-Tipton November Sale purchase Ms Bad Behavior (Can) (Blame {USA}), and there are few descriptors more apt for the mare whose first four yearlings through the ring have achieved an average of AU$1.69 million.

And that is just the beginning of their achievements for Arrowfield Stud and Cloros Bloodstock, for whom Freyer sourced the Grade III winner at Fasig-Tipton’s premiere bloodstock sale in 2019. For US$600,000 (AU$850,000), they took home a mare who was eight times stakes-performed and fourth in the G1 Del Mar Oaks - a mare who has rarely spent long out of the headlines since her first seven-figure colt walked through the ring.

The first peak

On pedigree, physique, and performance, it was clear from ringside in 2019 that Ms Bad Behavior was a more than worthy candidate of joining Australia’s breeding ranks and excelling once she was there.

Offered as Hip 156 and consigned by South Point Sales Agency, Ms Bad Behavior was one of three stakes winners produced by dual Listed winner Cumulonimble (USA) (Stormy Atlantic {USA}), from the family of G2 WL McKnight Handicap winner Devil’s Preacher (USA) (Pulpit {USA}) and 11-time winning, G1 Derby Italiano runner-up Coral Reef (USA).

Cumulonimble also turned out multiple stakes winner and sire One Bad Boy (USA), as well as Blessed Truly (Can) (Souper Speedy {USA}) who won the Listed Muskoka Stakes at two.

Freyer had identified Blame (USA) as a broodmare sire with enormous potential, and that has been borne out in the years since. His daughters currently strike at a rate of 68.1% winners to runners, and just over one in eight of their runners gains black-type.

Amongst their 38 stakes winners are the likes of G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile victor and four-time Grade I winner Forte (USA), 2026’s G1 Jaipur Stakes winner Reef Runner (USA) (The Big Beast {USA}) and G1 Santa Anita Derby winner So Happy (USA) (Runhappy {USA}), and - of course - Ms Bad Behavior’s first foal Switzerland.

A US$1.5 million yearling purchase at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for Tom Magnier, Switzerland carried the Coolmore navy to victory in five of his 10 starts, including the G2 Todman Stakes as a juvenile, the time-honoured G2 Roman Consul Stakes as a 3-year-old, and then the stallion-making G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes to top off his spring and secure his spot at stud.

Although he didn’t place in the autumn, he never finished further than three lengths back in three starts in Group 1 weight-for-age company. In his final start, he was beaten only one and three-quarter-lengths in the G1 TJ Smith Stakes amongst a field of established Group 1 talent.

Hailed as the best son of multiple Champion Sire Snitzel to retire to stud in recent times, the Champion 3YO Colt quite rightfully secured a hero’s welcome at stud, covering 195 mares in his first book.

Continuing the climb

One stakes winner can catapult a broodmare’s value through the roof, and Ms Bad Behavior has not been content to produce a single high.

Her second foal, Decorum (Snitzel), was a AU$550,000 yearling at the same venue, in a year where the sale averaged AU$426,447. While slower to bloom than his older brother, Decorum was second on debut last spring, before winning his next three starts in the care of Michael Freedman.

On resumption this season, he added two more victories before heading to the Listed Silver Eagle on Saturday, where he ran fourth by just over three quarters of a length behind Group 1 winner Apocalyptic (Extreme Choice), multiple Group winner Skyhook (Written Tycoon), and multiple Group 1-winning colt Beiwacht (Bivouac). The victory tips him over $340,000 in prize money in just eight starts.

St Gotthard (Snitzel), Ms Bad Behavior’s current 3-year-old, looms as potentially another peak on his dam’s resume. Unbeaten as a 2-year-old where he won the G3 Ken Russell Classic by nearly four lengths, he has opened his spring by running second to Warwoven (Sword Of State) - now a dual Group 1 winner - in the G2 Run To The Rose and the G1 Golden Rose Stakes.

Now, he follows in his elder brother Switzerland’s footsteps to the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes on October 31.

St Gotthard set Magnier back $2.7 million at the Inglis Easter sale in 2025, and Magnier was again on the buyers’ sheet at the sale this year for the now 2-year-old full brother, paying $2 million in partnership with Tony Fung, the original buyer of Decorum, and James Harron Bloodstock.

Only time will tell if Magnier will be the lucky purchaser next Easter of Ms Bad Behavior’s fifth and final colt by the late Snitzel, who claimed his fifth Champion Sire title in the 2025/26 season.

Considering her strike rate so far, it certainly appears to be a safe bet.

Following the pattern

The wins for those invested in Ms Bad Behavior’s family reach far beyond the paddocks of Arrowfield Stud. Blessed Truly was sold for AU$700,000 to Kia Ora Stud last year, and recently produced a filly by leading young sire Farnan before being covered by Too Darn Hot (GB). This year, Grenville Stud purchased another winning half-sister in Magical Elegance (Can) (Good Magic {USA}) for AU$340,000, in foal to Anamoe.

It also served as a reminder of what can be found in the pages of Fasig-Tipton’s catalogue. Ms Bad Behavior is not an isolated case, both in her home country and overseas.

The Fasig-Tipon November Sale has in the past offered the likes of Grade I winner Havre De Grace (USA) (Saint Liam {USA}), subsequently the dam of G3 Molly Pitcher Stakes winner Graceful Princess (USA) (Tapit {USA}, world record broodmare Better Than Honour (USA) (Deputy Minister {Can}), dam of four stakes winners including G1 Kentucky Oaks winner Rags To Riches (USA) (AP Indy {USA}), and Forte’s dam Queen Caroline (USA) (Blame {USA}).

In 2017, six-time Group/Grade 1 winner Tepin (USA) (Bernstein {USA}) was sold to MV Magnier for US$8 million (AU$11.4 million) through Fasig-Tipton’s ring, and she would produce the Coolmore operation two Group 1 winners, Grateful (Galileo {Ire}) and Delacroix (Ire), from her only three foals.

Broodmare Of The Year Puca (USA) (Big Brown {USA}) was last year’s US$5 million (AU$7.1 million) sale topper - and her exceptional strike rate of three Grade I winners and a stakes performer from four runners could not be walked past.

Kia Ora Stud have had their own exceptional success with Fasig-Tipton’s November Sale, where they purchased the likes of Dream Play (USA) (Hennessy {USA}), dam of two million dollar yearlings including G2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Zululand plus two further stakes performers, and Decelerator (USA) (Dehere {USA}), dam of dual Group 2 winner, Group 1 performer Nafaayes (Exceed And Excel) and G3 HKJC National Day Cup victor Stoltz (More Than Ready {USA}).

Also purchased by Kia Ora at Fasig-Tipton, More Than Real (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}) is leaving a long shadow across Australian breeding via her daughter Miss Debutante (Fastnet Rock), dam of three Group winners to date including G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon).

Freyer has been back in the years since the purchase of Ms Bad Behavior, and the results have already been fruitful. In 2024, he purchased two mares, including stakes winner Downtown Mischief (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) in foal to Gun Runner (USA) for US$800,000) (AU$1.14 million). The resultant filly made US$1.1 million (AU$1.57 million) to Legion Bloodstock at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale.

He has not been the only Australian buyer to shop at the ‘night of the stars’ in recent years, and given the sale’s record, it may pay you back in spades to join them.