Breeders' Cup Flashback: Lady's Secret

­­­­I am in full-on Breeders’ Cup mode. In about a month, I will be amidst the greatest Thoroughbred athletes in the world, watching them gallop before the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California at Santa Anita Park. Our last memory of the Breeders’ Cup is Drosselmeyer dancing home to a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI), earning Mike Smith redemption for his loss aboard Zenyatta in the same race a year prior, a race in which the great mare had recorded her greatest triumph. That triumph came at a track none other than Santa Anita.

This fall, for the first time, I will attend the Great Race Place. My eyes will take in the majestic racehorses that grace a track with arguably the greatest backdrop of any course nationwide – the San Gabriel Mountains. I cannot even begin to express my excitement.

Of course, since Zenyatta is my favorite racehorse of all-time, I will feel her presence greater than any other as I stand along the rail of the Arcadia, California track. But the presence of many other all-time greats will be felt as well, such as John Henry and Seabiscuit.

But there was another all-time great that graced Santa Anita, even winning a Breeders’ Cup race before the San Gabriel Mountains. Of course, multiple horses can fit into that description. But this was a silver Thoroughbred with a blaze and flowing black mane, sired by arguably the greatest horse to ever look through a bridle. This was Lady’s Secret.

Impeccably bred, the Oklahoma-bred Lady’s Secret was a daughter of Secretariat, the great red horse who owns the record for each of the Triple Crown races. Born seven years before the Triple Crown winner succumbed to laminitis, Lady’s Secret was the first foal out of the multiple stakes-winning track record setter Great Lady M, who was a daughter of Icecapade – a graded stakes-winning half-brother to the late great Ruffian.

Lady’s Secret began her career as a two-year-old at Belmont Park, but then was shipped to California and remained there for over seven months. As a juvenile, the gray filly captured two stakes at Hollywood Park and finished third in the Anoakia Stakes (GIII) in her initial start at Santa Anita – the first of eight career starts at the Great Race Place.

After beginning her sophomore season with a stakes win and other successful stakes outings in California, Lady’s Secret made her move back east, stopping at Oaklawn Park to take a stakes race before staying on the eastern seaboard for nearly the rest of the year, winning three grade ones, two grade twos, and three ungraded stakes races. Lady’s Secret’s first Breeders’ Cup start came in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI) at Aqueduct, in which she finished second behind champion Life’s Magic.

Her next four starts came at Santa Anita, three of which were graded stakes victories, including two grade ones. Yet again, Lady’s Secret then made her way back east yet again, capturing six graded stakes – five of which were grade ones. Her return to Santa Anita came that fall in the race that defined her career: the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Sticking out like a sore thumb, the silver filly bounded to the lead shortly after breaking from the gate at the top of the Santa Anita stretch. Pat Day maneuvered her to an easy lead over Lady’s Secret’s seven rivals and the daughter of Secretariat looked incredibly comfortable as the field raced past the stands for the first time. The winner of the previous year’s Kentucky Oaks (GI), Fran’s Valentine, pressured her from the outside as the Thoroughbreds approached the first curve, but as Lady’s Secret led the field around the clubhouse turn, she lengthened her advantage on the others.

Several lengths distanced Lady’s Secret and the others as she galloped into the backstretch, with Pat Day sitting like a statue in the saddle. The gray filly recorded a brisk half-mile in 46 1/5 seconds, continuing to hold her dominant lead. As the crowd of over 69,000 people focused their eyes on the daughter of Secretariat, the striking gray proceeded to hold a lengthy lead on her opponents as the backstretch neared its conclusion.

With a three-quarters mark in 1:10, Lady’s Secret still held the lead as the field entered the far turn, though the others had begun to close the gap. Nonetheless, “The Iron Lady” maintained her lead around the final turn, keeping several lengths between her and her rivals. Pat Day remained stationary aboard his silver steed, leading the star-studded field by about five lengths.

At the top of the stretch, Pat Day began to move his hands along Lady’s Secret's neck as the others attempted to rally. But The Iron Lady was easily the best, drawing away as Day gave her reminders with his whip. Fran’s Valentine closed, but there was no way any of her rivals could catch Lady’s Secret. The striking filly crossed the wire 2 ½ lengths in front, stamping herself as clearly best.

The Distaff only put the icing on the cake for Lady’s Secret's 1986. Not only had the gray filly captured eight grade ones that year, but she had defeated males in the Whitney Handicap (GI) and had crushed rivals in the Ruffian Handicap (GI) despite carrying 129 pounds. With these accomplishments, The Iron Lady was not only honored as 1986 Champion Older Female, but also Horse of the Year. Six years later, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Lady’s Secret will forever be remembered by racing fans and holds a special place in the heart of many. Secretariat is often portrayed as somewhat of a failure as a stallion, but I do not believe that. He is not one of the best studs of all-time and did not re-produce himself, but face it: there will never be another Secretariat. He was the one and only; it would be impossible to re-produce him. But the great Triple Crown winner produced multiple millionaires, including the grade/group one victors Kingston Rule, Risen Star, and Tinners Way. Lady’s Secret is one of those millionaires. She is also one of those special horses that racing enthusiasts remember for decades, that leaves a lasting effect on not only the Breeders’ Cup, but the racing world in general. More than nine years have elapsed since the striking gray mare passed, but the legend of The Iron Lady still remains, as she is not easily forgotten by any means. Whether you were around during her reign or not, it easy to picture her graceful gray frame galloping across the finish line ahead of her rivals.

Breeders' Cup Divisional Rankings 9/24/12

Countdown to­_­ Breeders’ Cup: 38 Days!

It’s inching closer and closer! Many divisions are shaping up to be very exciting and a few divisions have certainly been shaken up after this past week’s races. Yet again, several divisions were difficult to rank, especially the Ladies' Classic, which I believe should be run on Breeders' Cup Saturday the way it's shaping up!

Below is my second edition of my divisional rankings for all Breeders’ Cup races (as of September 24). I am now featuring five horses per division rather than four.

Photo by Terri Cage

Juvenile Sprint

1. Handsome Jack
2. Scherer Magic

3. Special Jo

4. Goldencents

5. Drum Roll

Marathon

1. Jakkalberry*

2. Eldaafer

3. Not Abroad

4. Brown Panther

5. Calidoscopio

Juvenile Fillies Turf

1. Sky Lantern

2. Spring Venture

3. Watsdachances

4. Spring in the Air

5. Funfair

Juvenile Fillies

1. Dreaming of Julia

2. So Many Ways

3. Executiveprivilege

4. Kauai Katie*

5. Beholder

Filly & Mare Turf

1. Snow Fairy*

2. The Fugue

3. Izzi Top

4. Zagora

5. Stephanie’s Kitten

Ladies’ Classic

1. Awesome Feather

2. My Miss Aurelia

3. Questing

4. Royal Delta

5. Include Me Out

Juvenile Turf

1. Dawn Approach

2. First Cornerstone

3. Balance the Books

4. Brown Almighty

5. Joha

Filly & Mare Sprint

1. Groupie Doll

2. Contested

3. Winding Way

4. Dust and Diamonds

5. Judy the Beauty

Sprint

1. Amazombie

2. Emcee*

3. Capital Account

4. Coil

5. Fort Loudon

Turf Sprint

1. Fire Lily

2. Bated Breath

3. California Flag

4. Caracortado

5. Strong Suit

Dirt Mile

1. To Honor and Serve*

2. Shackleford

3. Rail Trip*

4. Tapizar

5. Bourbon Courage

Turf

1. Nathaniel
2. St. Nicholas Abbey
3. Point of Entry

4. Dullahan*

5. Acclamation

Juvenile

1. Shanghai Bobby
2. Know More
3. Fortify
4. Micromanage
5. Noble Tune

Mile

1. Wise Dan*
2. Excelebration
3. Cityscape
4. Moonlight Cloud
5. Little Mike

Classic

1. Game On Dude
2. Mucho Macho Man
3. Ron the Greek
4. Fort Larned

5. Hymn Book

*may opt for a different division (if a horse's connections are considering multiple races, I will only rank the horse in a single division)

A Colt's Journey: Won Ton Win and Her Colt

Won Ton Win
Photo by Terri Cage

What defines a hard-working racehorse? There are many different ways to answer that question. Perhaps a horse that has made many starts, or maybe a horse that has overcome great adversity. There are many different ways to respond to that question, but perhaps that question could best be answered with an example: Won Ton Win.

Donna (Gowdy) Keen’s mare was honored as the Hardest Working Texas Racehorse in 2006 and deservedly so. Won Ton Win had been racing since 2000 and going into 2006, the mare had run 38 times, accumulating earnings of $112,540. She’d contested in four black-type races over her career, placing in two of them. By the end of her career, the daughter of Daring Damascus had started on 46 occasions, amassing 9 wins and $155,675 in earnings.

Those earnings, in the words of Donna Keen, “pretty much paid for this place.” What is ‘this place,” you may ask? The land on which Keen Farms and Remember Me Rescue operate. The land on which Won Ton Win – who Donna once saved from slaughter – now lives out her days as a broodmare.

WonTon has only had one foal to race so far: a son of the Keens’ stallion Final Row named Spinstopshere. He only raced three times, placing twice before going through the Remember Me program. But it is WonTon’s latest foal that has everyone excited.

WonTon was bred to the young, graded stakes-winning Ready’s Image – who already has a stakes winner from his first crop, which hit the track this year – in 2011 for a 2012 foal. A mare’s gestation period is approximately 340 days – give or take a few. WonTon was in foal with her Ready’s Image foal for 373 days – a year and eight days. It shouldn’t be a surprise that her stomach was incredibly large as the birth of the foal approached. Whenever it moved, you could see its movement if you gazed at her stomach. It seemed like the foal would never arrive!

Won Ton Win at a year and five days pregnant
Photo by Donna Keen

But on the night of May 13, he finally did. A big, healthy bay colt with a star and snip, the foal had finally arrived. It sure took him long enough! A day later, he was out in the paddock with his dam, enjoying the world around him.

Won Ton Win and her newborn colt
Photo by Donna Keen

It didn’t take long for the colt to begin to show how special he was. He grew quickly, beginning to fill out while never leaving behind his attitude. When WonTon’s foal was less than two months old, Donna told me, “This colt is special and I have a great feeling about this. I have seen a lot of babies. I have never met one like him.”

Won Ton Win and her Ready's Image colt at one day old
Photo by Donna Keen

A month later, the colt was already standing in the starting gate… the schooling one in the pasture, that is!

Photo by Donna Keen

The colt is certainly an attention hog with an abundance of attitude! As soon as he catches sight of you, he will scurry to the fence to greet you with a whinny, ready to be the center of attention. Considering he is still with his dam and already has this much self-confidence, one can only imagine how grand he will be when he matures into a racehorse. To think he will someday become a majestic athlete that graces the track, his presence absolutely riveting, is a thought that leaves you marveling. How could something so small become something so grand? He has a long way to go until he reaches that point, but what a journey he will take us on, especially if he has the perseverance of his dam. 

Photo by Terri Cage

Breeders' Cup Divisional Rankings 9/19/12

Photo by Terri Cage

Can you believe it? In just 43 days, the Breeders’ Cup will bring to life a clash of titans of the Thoroughbred racing world at Santa Anita. It’s an understatement to say that I am very excited for this year’s Breeders’ Cup, at which I’ll be able to see some of the greatest horses in the world in person yet again!

Below is my first edition of my divisional rankings for all Breeders’ Cup races. I am certain things will change between this post and my final divisional ranking post before the Breeders’ Cup and could very well change after this weekend's races!

Juvenile Sprint

1. Bern Identity
2. Handsome Jack
3. Scherer Magic
4. Goldencents

Marathon

1. Jakkalberry*
2. Eldaafer
3. Not Abroad
4. Calidoscopio

Juvenile Fillies Turf

1. Sky Lantern
2. Spring Venture
3. Watsdachances
4. Spring in the Air

Juvenile Fillies

1. Dreaming of Julia
2. So Many Ways
3. Executiveprivelege
4. Kauai Katie*

Filly & Mare Turf

1. Snow Fairy*
2. The Fugue
3. Izzi Top
4. Zagora

Ladies’ Classic

1. Questing
2. Royal Delta
3. It’s Tricky*
4. Include Me Out

Juvenile Turf

1. Dawn Approach
2. First Cornerstone
3. Balance the Books
4. Brown Almighty

Filly & Mare Sprint

1. Groupie Doll
2. Turbulent Descent
3. Contested
4. Winding Way

Sprint

1. Amazombie
2. Emcee*
3. Capital Account
4. The Factor

Turf Sprint

1. Fire Lily
2. Bated Breath
3. California Flag
4. Caracortado

Dirt Mile

1. To Honor and Serve
2. Shackleford
3. Rail Trip
4. Tapizar

Turf

1. Nathaniel
2. St. Nicholas Abbey
3. Point of Entry
4. Dullahan*

Juvenile

1. Shanghai Bobby
2. Rolling Fog
3. Know More
4. Fortify

Mile

1. Wise Dan*
2. Excelebration
3. Cityscape
4. Moonlight Cloud

Classic

1. Game On Dude
2. Mucho Macho Man
3. Ron the Greek
4. Fort Larned

*may opt for a different division (if a horse's connections are considering multiple races, I will only rank the horse in a single division)

This year’s Breeders’ Cup is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting renewal! Each division is quite competitive and some – such as the Juvenile Fillies, Ladies’ Classic, Filly & Mare Sprint, Mile, and Classic – appear very contentious. Considering there is a multitude of horses I had to exclude (such as Stephanie's Kitten, Musical Romance, and Little Mike), it only strengthens my belief that this will be a very strong Breeders’ Cup. Its approach becomes more and more exciting each and every day!

Juvenile Spotlight 9/17/12

Revolutionary (9/3): For the first time ever, a horse that has not yet won a race is being featured in a Juvenile Spotlight. That horse is Revolutionary, who debuted on closing day at Saratoga. After a terrible start, the favorite suffered an unfortunate trip and despite his rough expedition, he closed to finish an impressive third. By the late champion War Pass, Revolutionary is out of a grade one-winning A.P. Indy mare, Runup the Colors. This beautifully bred colt is full of potential.

Tizracer (9/8): Fourth in his debut, Tizracer had better luck in his second start, leading from start to finish in a one-mile maiden special weight at Belmont Park. The race clearly belonged to him, as he drew off to a 10 ½-length victory. The final time of 1:38.38 was uninspiring, but understandable considering the headwind. By Tizracer and out of a graded stakes-placed sprinting daughter of Elusive Quality, this colt is an example of breeding speed to stamina. It will be interesting to see what his future holds.

She’s On Parade (9/9): Debuting at Arlington Park, She’s On Parade found a position just off the lead, remaining with the frontrunners throughout the race. Despite She’s Lit Up’s generous lead on the field as the fillies turned for home, She’s On Parade kicked into gear to overtake the leader down the homestretch, galloping to a 3 ½-length victory. By Fusaichi Pegasus and out of a Storm Cat mare, this filly is bred for success.

Quinzieme Monarque (9/15): This colt’s career got off to a slow start, as he finished fourth in his first two career starts, which came at Saratoga. But when he made his third start – this time at Belmont – Quinzieme Monarque found the winner’s circle after closing from the back of the pack in a mile and one-sixteenth turf maiden special weight to score by 4 ¾ lengths. By Rock Hard Ten and out of a Giant’s Causeway mare, this colt appears to be bred for versatility.

Rose to Gold (9/15): This filly made her first career start in the Lindsay Frolic Stakes last month at Calder, romping by 13 lengths. Coming off that brilliant performance, Rose to Gold dominated the Brave Raj Stakes at Calder on Saturday by 13 ½ lengths. It remains to be seen what she can do outside of listed stakes at Calder, but look what Awesome Feather accomplished after a path of that sort. By Friends Lake and out of a Tabasco Cat mare, Rose to Gold is likely to not only continue to be successful, but be able to stretch out.

Keeneland September: Session Five Eye-Catchers!

I am such a zealous fan of sales that I couldn’t help but do one more post regarding the outstanding Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which is the largest sale of its kind in the world. Though I said I would only cover the first four sessions, I decided to do a brief write-up of the horses that caught my eye in session five, which was the only session (other than session one) for which I was able to watch most of the yearlings. Since I’d only planned on covering the first four sessions, for which I selected horses based on pedigree, I did not study the catalog for session five ahead of time and instead picked horses off of their conformation and presence in the sales ring. This resulted in quite a large number of yearlings to be featured, but then again, there were 416 yearlings cataloged for session five! Some of the ones that caught my eye were among the highest-priced horses in the session; others were bargains. Here are the 30 yearlings that caught my eye during the procession of session five (which spanned hips 1048-1463):

*Note: I missed several intervals of hips and was unable to watch any yearlings after hip #1401.

Hip #1056: By Street Sense, this nicely built filly is out of an A.P. Indy mare that is a full sister to two stakes winners. Sold to Jerry Hollendorfer for $75,000.

Hip #1058: Another offspring of Street Sense that is out of an A.P. Indy mare, this fine-looking colt’s graded stakes-winning second dam produced several black-type horses. Purchased by Nick de Meric, agent for Klaravich, for $130,000.

Hip #1061: A well-built Bluegrass Cat colt, this yearling is a sibling to two stakes horses, including a graded stakes winners. Bought by Allied Racing Stables, LLC/Chester Thomas for $75,000.

Hip #1130: A very impressive-looking son of War Pass, this colt is out of an A.P. Indy mare and is from the family of the champion Duke of Marmalade. Purchased for $160,000 by McMahon & Hill Bloodstock, agent for Lake Lonely.

Hip #1152: By the unpretentious It’s No Joke, what this still-maturing filly lacks on the top side of her pedigree, she makes up for on the bottom side, being a half-sister to the multiple grade one-winning Weemissfrankie. Bought for $50,000 by Cheyenne Stables, LLC.

Hip #1217: An incredibly impressive Tiz Wonderful colt, this colt is out a Pulpit mare that is a sibling to several black-type horses. Sold to Stonestreet Stables for $170,000.

Hip #1242: A well-conformed three-quarters sister to the grade one-winning Zazu, this filly was bought by Ben Glass, agent, for $340,000.

Hip #1245: A racy individual, this filly, despite a bottom side dotted with black-type, is stronger on the top side of her pedigree, being by Street Sense. Purchased by Barry Berkellhammer for $95,000.

Hip #1262: A half-brother to the graded stakes-placed Elite Alex, this Hard Spun colt impressed me with his large, strapping appearance. Bought for $160,000 by Miguel Angel Rubio Fernandez.

Hip #1275: Another big, stout son of Hard Spun, this colt – from the family of the grade one-winning Careless Jewel – was purchased for $52,000 by John O’Meara.

Hip #1278: A very well-balanced son of Birdstone, this colt is from the family of the grade one-winning Imperial Gesture. Sold to Foye Genetics, agent, for $150,000.

Hip #1290: A muscular daughter of Smart Strike, this filly is a full sister to the grade one-winning Shadow Cast. Purchased by Stone Bridge Bloodstock for $75,000.

Hip #1297: With remarkable muscularity similar to that of his sire’s, this Curlin colt’s second dam produced three graded stakes winners, including a grade one winner. Bought by Stone Bridge Bloodstock for $40,000.

Hip #1300: A stunning gray with outstanding conformation, this daughter of Yes It’s True was sold to California Ventures for $110,000.

Hip #1312: A half-sister to the grade one-winning Creative Cause, this solid filly was purchased for $140,000 by Doug Cauthen, agent for Susan Casner.

Hip #1316: This sleek Divine Park filly, a sibling to several black-type horses, was bought by Santa Rosa Racing Stables, LLC for $115,000.

Hip #1320: A balanced, muscular chestnut, this Street Boss colt is a grandson of the graded stakes-winning Broad Gains. Did not reach reserve, only driving the hammer to $27,000.

Hip #1324: A very solid, balanced colt, this Awesome Again colt is a sibling to two stakes winners, including the grade one-winning Afleet Express. Purchased by Clark Hanna, agent, for just $35,000.

Hip #1329: An evenly balanced bay with a sloping shoulder, this Tiznow colt is out of a stakes-winning, grade one-placed mare. Brought $125,000 for Mark Casse, agent.

Hip #1333: A sleek, racy Colonel John filly, this yearling reached a final bid of $20,000 and did not reach her reserve.

Hip #1337: A well-balanced daughter of Dixie Union, this filly comes from a strong female family but did not attain her reserve, only driving the hammer to $37,000.

Hip #1356: A very athletically built colt, this son of Cowboy Cal is a grandson of a graded stakes-producing mare. Purchased by Wayne Sanders & Larry Hirsch for just $34,000.

Hip #1357: A well-conformed daughter of Najran, this filly is a full sister to the graded stakes-winning Buckleupbuttercup. Sold to Arch Bloodstock, LLC, agent one, for $90,000.

Hip #1367: By Birdstone and out of a half-sister to Shackleford and multiple other black-type horses, this stout colt was bought by Live Oak Plantation for $385,000 as the second highest-priced yearling in the session.

Hip #1375: A very racy, balanced colt with conformation that implies he will be very athletic, this son of Yes It’s True is a half-brother to a stakes-placed runner. Sold to Cecil Seaman for Bad Boy Racing and Whizway Farms for $62,000.

Hip #1385: A sleek, well-balanced son of Afleet Alex, this colt is out of an A.P. Indy mare. Brought $200,000 for Mark Casse, agent.

Hip #1386: An evenly balanced, spry-looking Harlan’s Holiday colt, this yearling is out of a black-type-winning mare and was purchased for $190,000 by Stonestreet Stables & George Bolton.

Hip #1389: Not only does this Tiz Wonderful colt have exceptional conformation, but his second dam produced three graded stakes winners. Sold to KV, agent for Mike Dubb, for $50,000.

Hip #1393: With a flaxen mane and tail and markings that seem fit for a Paint Horse, this stout Curlin colt was purchased by Dale Romans, agent, for $35,000.

Hip #1395: This son of Artie Schiller is not just a half-brother to the graded stakes-winning Run Away and Hide, but he has a sleek, athletic build. Bought by St. George Farm for $250,000.

It was interesting to select yearlings as they went through the sales ring, selecting them solely off of conformation and presence. They will be added to my list of horses to watch! That means I have a total of 136 selections and eye-catchers from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale to keep my eye on!

Part Two: Session Four, Keeneland September Yearling Sale

My coverage of the 2012 Keeneland September Yearling Sale is complete. The first four sessions of the world’s largest yearling auction are in the history books. The fourth session saw 108 yearlings sell for an average of $174,028. Of my top 20 selections, 14 sold – 5 were declared out of the sale and 1 did not reach its reserve. These selections brought a total of$2,590,000, averaging $185,000.

Listed below are the horses featured in Part One, with descriptions of the results of the auction:

Hip #745: Sold to Lucky Seven Stable for $150,000.

Hip #747: Purchased by Ben Glass, agent, for $250,000.

Hip #750: Bought by Jim & Susan Hill for $150,000.

Hip #761: Purchased for $190,000 to Green Lantern Stables, Inc.

Hip #771: Bought by Mt. Baldy Equine for $85,000.

Hip #784: With a  final bid of $37,000, this filly’s reserve was not attained.

Hip #788: Declared out of sale.

Hip #795: Sold to John D. Fielding, agent, for $190,000.

Hip #799: This half-brother to Drosselmeyer was purchased by Steve Howard for the bargain price of $45,000.

Hip #836: Bought by Nick de Meric, agent, for $250,000.

Hip #876: Purchased by Live Oak Plantation for $500,000.

Hip #877: Sold to Fox Hill Farm/Tom McGreevy, agent, for $300,000.

Hip #898: Declared out of sale.

Hip #903: Bought for $140,000 by Steven W. Young, agent.

Hip #925: Declared out of sale.

Hip #979: Sold to James McIngvale for $100,000.

Hip #985: Declared out of sale.

Hip #1007: Purchased for $85,000 by David Redvers Bloodstock.

Hip #1037: Bought by Hartley/De Renzo for $250,000.

Hip #1041: Declared out of sale.

It’s a wrap! Of course, nearly 2,000 yearlings still have to go through the Keeneland sales ring, but my coverage of this amazing auction is complete. It was an exciting ride and you can bet I’ll be keeping up with the rest of the sale! Covering this sale not only furthered my love of sales, but it also made me wish (yet again) that I had the resources – either to be present (which would be a dream come true) or have videos and photos of each yearling (thanks to the consigners that posted photos of their yearlings!) to study the conformation of the yearlings entered in the sale.

But most of all, remember this with the conclusion of my reportage of this awesome sale: it is not the price tag that matters, but rather what the horse amounts to. I greatly anticipate their futures!

Part Two: Session Three, Keeneland September Yearling Sale

2012 Keeneland September Yearling Sale: three sessions down, eight to go. The 196 yearlings sold in the third session averaged $176,393. Of my top 20 selections, 11 sold – 7 did not reach their reserves and 2 were declared out of the sale. Those sold brought a total of $2,830,000, averaging $257,273.

Listed below are the horses featured in Part One, with descriptions of the results of the auction:

Hip #443: Declared out of sale.

Hip #445: Sold to Hubert Guy Bloodstock, agent, for the bargain price of $20,000.

Hip #448: Declared out of sale.

Hip #453: Reached final bid $75,000 without attaining reserve.

Hip #457: Bought by J.S. Company, Ltd. for $600,000.

Hip #463: Purchased by G. Watts Humphrey for $190,000.

Hip #479: Bought for $130,000 by Columbine Stables.

Hip #487: Drove hammer to $190,000, but did not reach reserve.

Hip #493: Did not reach reserve with final bid of $30,000.

Hip #494: Purchased by Spendthrift Farm LLC for $160,000.

Hip #513: Drove hammer to $285,000, but did not attain reserve.

Hip #536: Sold to Hoffman Thoroughbreds, LLC/Mike Ryan, agent, for $110,000.

Hip #550: Bought by Koji Maeda for $390,000.

Hip #569: Reached final bid of $245,000, but did not reach reserve.

Hip #581: Purchased by Summerplace Farm for $210,000.

Hip #584: Sold to Pedro E. Pacheco for $55,000.

Hip #624: Bought for $440,000 by Solis Bloodstock, agent.

Hip #654: Purchased for $525,000 by Shadwell Estate Company, Ltd.

Hip #659: Drove hammer to an impressive $725,000, but did not attain reserve.

Hip #714: Reached final bid of $335,000, but did not reach reserve.

Session four – the final session of this auction that I’m covering – is tomorrow; check out my selections here.

Part Two: Session Two, Keeneland September Yearling Sale

Session two of the 2012 Keeneland September Yearling Sale is in the books. This session, as expected, did not flaunt dazzling prices like the first session, which is the select portion of the auction. The average for the 186 yearlings sold (305 cataloged) was $173,333. Of my top 25 selections, 17 sold (7 did not reach their reserves and 1 was declared out of the sale). Those top selections brought a total of $4,060,000, averaging $238,824. My 5 extras did not fare well – only 1 sold (for $180,000), for 2 did not attain their reserves and the remaining 2 were declared out of the sale.

Listed below are the horses featured in Part One, with descriptions of the results of the auction:

Hip #142: Drove hammer to $285,000, but did not reach reserve.

Hip #145: Purchased by Blandford Bloodstock for $100,000.

Hip #149: Bought by Sierra Farm for $260,000.

Hip #159: Declared out of sale.

Hip #184: Purchased for $335,000 by Fox Hill Farm/Tom McGreevy, agent.

Hip #203: Bought for $135,000 by Mike Ryan, agent.

Hip #206: Purchased by Maverick Racing for $390,000.

Hip #212: Bought by Repole Stable/J.J. Crupi, agent for $250,000.

Hip #213: Purchased as the second highest-priced yearling in the session for $550,000 by Maverick Racing.

Hip #246: Bought for $240,000 by Reddam Racing, LLC.

Hip #249: Reached final bid of $95,000, but did not reach reserve.

Hip #261: Also reached final bid of $95,000 without attaining reserve.

Hip #270: Drove hammer to $100,000 without reaching reserve.

Hip #273: Purchased by Jorge Wagner for just $25,000.

Hip #280: Bought by Course Investment Corporation, as agent, for $120,000.

Hip #303: Purchased for $210,000 by Friarstown Stud.

Hip #343: Bought for only $55,000 by Raut, LLC.

Hip #349: Purchased by Shadwell Estate Company, Ltd. for $500,000.

Hip #352: Reached final bid of $60,000 without reaching reserve.

Hip #376: Bought by Shadwell Estate Company, Ltd. for $200,000.

Hip #384: Purchased for $150,000 by Raut, LLC.

Hip #413: This three-quarters brother to Paynter reached final bid of $190,000, but did not attain reserve.

Hip #423: This filly, out of a half-sister to Zenyatta, drove the hammer to $245,000, but did not reach reserve.

Hip #432: Sold to Susan Casner for $260,000.

Hip #434: Bought by Jamie McCalmont for $100,000.

Extras:

Hip #133: RNA ($240,000)

Hip #153: $180,000

Hip #190: RNA ($90,000)

Hip #239: OUT

Hip #250: OUT

Session three is tomorrow; check out my selections here.