Zee Drop tops Day 2 of Keeneland November at US$1 million

Cover image courtesy of Keeneland

At A Glance

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During Wednesday's session, 210 horses sold for US$39,535,000 (AU$56.3 million).

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The session average was US$188,262 (AU$268,000), down 6.59% from last year's figure of US$201,540 (AU$287,000). The median dipped 6.25%, from US$160,000 (AU$228,000) in 2025 to US$150,000 (AU$214,000).

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With 103 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 32.91%. It was 22.19% during last year's Book 2 opener.

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During Wednesday's session, 94 foals sold through the ring for an average of US$154,149 (AU$219,000), down from $180,400 (AU$257,000) in 2025. The weanling median of US$132,500 (AU$189,000) was down from US$157,500 (AU$225,000).

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Bertie Butler made Wednesday's highest bid when going to US$1 million (AU$1.43 million) to acquire the broodmare Zee Drop (Lemon Drop Kid), in foal to Flightline, on behalf of Al Ruwais Stable

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It was the combination of JLM Estates Pty Ltd, Milburn Creek and Twin Palms Stud that purchased Hip 491 - Liberation (USA) (Omaha Beach {USA}) for U$200,000 (AU$285,000).

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale ticked along through its first of two Book 2 sessions, producing its 24th million-dollar result, even as action preceded at a more measured pace Wednesday in Lexington.

“It was a little more reserved than yesterday,” said Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “Yesterday was a fantastic sale. Today was a little more normal. The RNA rate was a little higher, the average and median were down a tick. We had 25 fewer horses that sold through the ring. So it was a little more measured today. Back to regular programming, so to speak. But in saying that, quality horses sold well.”

The mare market remained steady in year-to-year comparisons and Lacy attributed the declines largely to Wednesday's weanling market.

“In terms of the session average and median from last year, it wasn't down far–it was down 6 or 7%, but the weanling sector accounted for that,” said Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Operations Cormach Breathnach.

“The mare market was steady with last year. The pinhookers are here, they are active and there are a lot (of weanlings) to come. So they are maybe not pitting themselves against each other so much to this point in the sale. A lot of end-users are still buying the weanlings. So there are still a lot of buyers who have a lot of volume orders that haven't struck at their regular rate yet. There is a long way to go. With these long sales, we are not going to judge it too much on one day, but we want to see the RNA rate come down and the median stay as healthy as possible.”

Comparing the weanling market from 2025 to the Book 2 opener this year, Lacy said, “Last year was extremely strong. There was a lot of competition. I think we have to back up and realize that, yes, it's down a little bit, but it was up quite a bit last year. When we make these jumps year over year, this might be slight realism kicking in. But I do think the pinhookers are just being a little bit more measured in their activity this year.”

Zee Drop tops Wednesday's Keeneland November action

In the waning moments of Wednesday's Keeneland November sale Book 2 opener, agent Bertie Butler, bidding from the back ring, outlasted St. Elias's Monique Delk to snag Zee Drop (Lemon Drop Kid) (Hip 717), who sold in foal to Flightline.

Butler was bidding on behalf of Saleh Al Otaibi's Al Ruwais Stables, who also purchased The Puma (Essential Quality)'s dam Eve of War (Declaration of War) for US$2.4 million (AU$3.4 million) in Book 1.

“I think she's a really, really nice mare, good quality mare,” said Bertie Butler. “She has a great cover and I just loved her. I loved her. I sent (Otaibi) a video and he loved her and he was very happy to have a go and we're just trying to get good mares for him. He wants to get up this game and he's a great man and that's basically all I can say. We're very happy with the mare.”

In regard to the covering sire, Butler added, “To me, the bonus was Flightline. He was a magical horse and I think he's going to be a very good sire.”

Out of Ash Zee (Exchange Rate), the 10-year-old mare was consigned by Lane's End. She was bred by R.S. Evans. Graded stakes placed Zee Drop is already responsible for Grade III-placed Kokomotion (Quality Road). A half-sister to graded placed The Reds (Tonalist), the Kentucky-bred mare is from the family of Grade I scorer Wickedly Perfect (Congrats).

An US$82,000 (AU$117,000) Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Horse of Racing Age Sale purchase by Tom McCrocklin in 2019, Zee Drop, in foal to Medaglia d'Oro, brought US$400,000 (AU$570,000) from Gage Hill and Lane's End at Keeneland November in 2021.

On Wednesday, Al Ruwais purchased five head for a gross of US$2.455 million (AU$3.5 million). The operation's purchases also included Hip 444, Heavenly Scat (Scat Daddy), in foal to Munnings, that was bought for US$600,000 (AU$856,000) from the Taylor Made consignment.

Additionally, it landed Spun Special (Hard Spun) (Hip 640) for US$425,000 (AU$606,000); America's Tale (Gio Ponti) (Hip 313) for US$250,000 (AU$356,000) and I'll Take the Cake (Nobiz Like Shobiz) (Hip 454) for US$180,000 (AU$257,000).

Repole kicks off Book 2 with $650,000 purchase Shandy

Landing its most expensive purchase through the first two days selling at Keeneland, Repole Stable paid US$650,000 (AU$927,000) for unraced Shandy (Arrogate). Agent Alex Solis II handled the signing duties. The 7-year-old was the second co-highest priced mare of the session. Offered as Hip 601, Shandy, in foal to Army Mule, was consigned by Claiborne Farm.

“Mike (Repole) is a big Arrogate fan,” said Repole Stable's Danielle Bricker. “We're trying to build our broodmare band and just keep expanding it.”

Shandy, already the dam of Listed winner Tatters (Girvin), produced a Gunite filly last season and followed up with a Tiz the Law colt (Hip 600), who sold moments before his dam for US$250,000 (AU$357,000).

“We just think she'll really fit our program,” she added. “She comes from a really good family. The weanling colt was really nice that just sold prior to her. So, we think we got her for a very good price.”

The chestnut mare is out of Sangrita (Mr. Greeley), a daughter of Alvear (Seattle Slew), herself a half-sister to Grade II winner and sire Dynaformer.

Campaigned by Dorothy Matz and trained by husband Michael Matz, Sangrita won the GII Chilukki Stakes. As a broodmare, she produced Tequilita (Union Rags), also trained by Matz, who won a trio of graded stakes and placed in the GI Test Stakes.

“We just want to keep expanding our broodmare band and get more into the breeding and commercial breeding as well,” Bricker explained. “Along with our racing program, which is strong, we're trying to get our broodmare and breeding program just as strong.”

Repole purchased a Curlin filly out of Georgie's Angel (Bellamy Road)–a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Cave Rock (Arrogate)–for US$450,000 (AU$642,000) in Book 1.

In the Book 2 opener, the operation also secured Crown Queen (Hip 381) for US$95,000 (AU$135,000) and Dancing Queen (GB) (Kingman) (Hip 565) for US$75,000 (AU$107,000). Both fillies were consigned by Hidden Brook, agent.

The former, in foal to the Repole-campaigned Fierceness, is a 15-year-old half-sister to champion Royal Delta (Empire Maker). The latter, hailing from that same illustrious family, is a 4-year-old daughter of Grade I winner Crown Queen (Smart Strike).

“(The goal is) to produce anything with a focus on quality: speed, classic (distance), turf or sprinting. We'll keep fillies that we like to continue breeding, but we always want colts to try to get to the Kentucky Derby. That is the ultimate goal for the stable.”

Green Lantern strikes for Gun Runner mare

Patrick Masson added Runrate (Gun Runner) (hip 583), a 4-year-old broodmare carrying her first foal by Nyquist, to the broodmare band at his family's Green Lantern Stables when signing the ticket at US$650,000 (AU$927,000) on Wednesday at Keeneland.

“Essentially, we are trying to buy good, dirt pedigrees to add to our broodmare band,” Masson said. “We have a lot of young mares at home now. When we come to a sale like this, the plan is to add a couple of mares into that top end, the top 10-15% of our band. She fits into that group.”

The mare is out of Time to Tap (Tapit), a full-sister to champion Untapable. She is a full-sister to stakes winner and graded-placed Dimatic and Grade I-placed Dreamlike.

“Being in foal to Nyquist obviously helped the price out a bit,” Masson said. “She checked a lot of boxes for us. We hope she is going to be able to produce horses similar to her female family.”

Green Lantern, which was represented in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint by GII Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes winner Evanescence (Munnings), now has 27 mares in its broodmare band.

“We like to race the fillies and sell the colts,” Masson said. “The colts we can't sell, we race ourselves.”

Among those colts to join the Green Lantern racing stable is Endrush (Curlin), a son of Ender's Sister (A.P. Indy). The 2-year-old, who RNA'd for US$325,000 (AU$463,000) at last year's Keeneland September sale, was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star’ with his debut victory at Churchill in September.

Also on Wednesday, Green Lantern purchased De Regreso (Audible) (hip 388) for US$325,000 (AU$463,000) and Sweet Aunt Rosie (Uncle Mo) (hip 687) for US$160,000 (AU$228,000).

Runrate was consigned by Lane's End, as agent for John Ferguson's Natalma, which purchased her last year for US$200,000 (AU$285,000).

St. Elias on the sheets at Keeneland

“It's been a big week,” St. Elias Stable's Monique Delk said with a big smile. Vinnie Viola's operation was represented over championship weekend by GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Deterministic (Liam's Map), but Delk was back at Keeneland buying mares on Wednesday.

She went to US$650,000 (AU$927,000) to acquire Shop Lifting (Into Mischief) (hip 611) from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. The 5-year-old mare, a daughter of Grade I winner Miss Shop (Deputy Minister) and a half-sister to multiple graded winner Tin Type Gal (Tapit), is in foal to Not This Time.

“She is a lovely physical and by Into Mischief,” Delk said of Shop Lifting. “We have a lot of stallions and we are looking for some quality mares to kind of fill those orders. So she fit the bill.”

Also Wednesday, St. Elias purchased Conch Fried Rice (American Pharoah) (hip 379) for US$250,000 (AU$357,000) from the Dixiana Farms consignment.

Delk added a weanling to her November haul when purchasing a son of St. Elias's champion Up To The Mark (hip 718) for US$350,000 (AU$499,000). Delk was underbidder on the colt's US$1 million (AU$1.43 million) session-topping dam Zee Drop (Lemon Drop Kid), who proceeded the weanling into the ring on Wednesday.

Milburn Creek and Twin Palms combine for Liberation

It was the combination of JLM Estates Pty Ltd, Milburn Creek and Twin Palms Stud that purchased Hip 491 - Liberation (USA) (Omaha Beach {USA}) for U$200,000 (AU$285,000).

Liberation was a three-time winner as a 2-year-old, including in the Listed Los Alamitos RC Soviet Problem Stakes as well as placing at Listed level another three times.

Liberation is out of the three-time winning Lonhro mare Ponytail (USA) who has also left the dual Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed Rashmi (USA) (Oscar Performance {USA})

Liberation’s grandam and great-grandam are both stakes winners and the three-time Chilean Group 1 winner Cariblanco (Chi) (Awesome Patriot {USA}) also features.

Scott Holcombe, Stud Manager at Milburn Creek was very pleased with the purchase his team made in partnership.

“Liberation was purchased in partnership with Bruce and Kate Johnson, Kate is over in America with John and Trish inspecting the mares.

“We already have two War Front mares from last year, so we are happy to get one by a son of War Front. Bullet from last year is coming home in foal to Not This Time.

“We were attracted to Liberation as she has that War Front sideline, good early form, she is correct, attractive and has a good brain.

“We liked that she is out of a Lonhro mare and she has the shape like a Lonhro.”