Weekend Stakes Results Could Boost Keeneland Yearlings

Racetrack success by horses closely related to yearlings consigned to an upcoming sale can produce a catalog boost with added incentive for potential buyers.

Ahead of Keeneland's September Yearling Sale Sept. 9-22, graded stakes conducted Labor Day weekend at Del Mar, Saratoga Race Course, and other tracks, saw winners by siblings of yearlings scheduled to go through the sale ring over the next several weeks.

Victory by Baoma Corporation's Bast in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) added to the already black-type heavy catalog page for Hip 881, a California Chrome  colt consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency. Bast, trained by Bob Baffert, was purchased by Donato Lanni for $500,000 from Taylor Made's offerings at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected yearling sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Bast was initially purchased by Bloodstock Investments for $200,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. The Debutante improved the Uncle Mo  filly's record to 2-1-1-0 with earnings of $192,200.

Bast and the California Chrome colt are out of the Arch mare Laffina, a half sister to grade 2 winner Mananan McLir and stakes winners Big Sur and Charming N Lovable, the latter the dam of grade 1 winner Fault. The California Chrome colt was bred in Kentucky by BlackRidge Stables, a partnership entity of Bill Daugherty and Bill Barr, co-founders and managing partners in BlackRidge Resource Partners, a Lexington-based energy exploration and resource company. 

While the benefit of a major catalog update prior to a sale can be hard to quantify, Taylor Made's Mark Taylor said it could be significant in the case of the California Chrome colt since 7-year-old Laffina is a young mare off to a good start, with Bast being her first foal.

"It is definitely a big deal, with the fact this mare is so young," Taylor said. "It would be different if she was an older mare who had been bred a lot and had a grade 1 winner. I think it's very important, especially when you have an unproven stallion like Chrome. You have a mare who's shown she can really produce the goods. It moves the needle a little more than other scenarios where you have an already proven stallion."

Taylor said Daugherty and Barr have only recently begun investing in Thoroughbreds and are members of the California Chrome syndicate. Laffina is one of the mares they purchased with the express purpose of being bred to the two-time Horse of the Year who stands at Taylor Made. 

"It's worked out well; the foal she was carrying when they bought her (Laffina) turned out to be Bast, and she has this nice California Chrome colt and a Pioneerof the Nile  filly in the pipeline as well," Taylor said. "I love Arch mares and she puts a lot of quality and substance into her foals. Her Chrome colt looks more like her than Chrome, but is a really nice horse I think will sell well."

Basin's victory in the Runhappy Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga enhanced the page for Hip 3583, an Orb  colt consigned by Brookdale Sales, agent for the Estate of Tommy G. Ligon. Basin, A Liam's Map  colt purchased by owner Jackpot Farms for $150,000 from Brookdale at the 2018 Keeneland yearling sale, has earned $261,000 while winning two of three starts, with one second.

Appenzell, the dam of Basin and the Orb colt, is a two-time winning daughter of Johannesburg who also has produced Rise Up, a $1.2-million earning son of Rockport Harbor whose 12 victories include a score in the the Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes (G3). 

Other yearlings cataloged for the Keeneland sale who had victorious siblings in recent days:

—A half-brother to Prioress Stakes (G2) winner Royal Charlotte by Mineshaft  (Hip 1796), is consigned by Vinery Sales, agent;

—A half brother to Red Bank (G3) winner Divisidero by Into Mischief  (Hip 1258), is consigned by Hinkle Farms;

—A half brother to P. G. Johnson winner Crystalle by Street Boss  (Hip 1878), is consigned by Shawhan Place, agent;

—A half sister to TAA Kitten's Joy winner Doc Boy by Elusive Quality (Hip 582), is consigned by Sierra Farm;

—A half sister to Smarty Jones (G3) winner Spun to Run by Frosted  (Hip 1047), is part of the Taylor Made consignment;

—A half brother to One Dreamer Stakes winner Hanalei Moon by Tapit  (Hip 1076), is consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised.

Although Nucky is not represented by a sibling in the September sale, the 2-year-old colt's victory in the Runhappy Del Mar Futurity (G1) added to the list of stakes winners that went through the ring at the 2018 yearling sale.

Trained by Peter Miller for Rockingham Ranch, Nucky is a 2-year-old son of Ghostzapper  who has two wins and a runner-up effort in five career starts and has earned $271,750. Produced from grade 3-winning Rock Hard Ten mare Lady Ten, Nucky was purchased by Rockingham for $110,000 as an RNA to Sale when offered by Havens Bloodstock at the 2018 sale after initially going unsold on a final bid of $130,000.

"It worked out well for everyone involved," Andy Havens said of the positive outcome of Nucky having been sold after being an RNA and then going on to juvenile success at Del Mar.