Winchell Makes it Baker's Dozen at Keeneland Sale

Coming into the Sept. 16 session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, bloodstock agent David Fiske needed to buy just two more yearlings to push his client, Winchell Thoroughbreds, to a baker's dozen. The bidding was competitive and the prices high, but in the end, Fiske walked away with exactly what he came for.

Starting off the day was Hip 1941, a $525,000 son of Tiznow  consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised. 

"We thought he was the nicest one in today," said Fiske. "We had not bought a Tiznow this week yet so we had to fill a slot. We had bought one by practically everyone, just not a Tiznow. He was an awful nice colt and he has a nice family."

The colt is the fourth foal out of the Malibu Moon  mare Catch the Moon, who was purchased by Stonestreet for $240,000 from the consignment of Legacy Bloodstock to the 2015 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. One year before, the mare had foaled the Tale of Ekati colt Girvin , who went on to win the betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) and earn just over $1.6 million on the track. Another of Catch the Moon's offspring, Cocked and Loaded, had already picked up black-type for the family when he won the Iroquois Stakes (G3) when Girvin was a yearling.

Stonestreet bred Catch the Moon to Shanghai Bobby in 2015. The now 3-year-old gelding, named Pirate's Punch, placed third in the Sept. 7 Super Derby (G3) at Louisiana Downs for trainer Grant Forster, missing the win by a length. 

"He was a little tough to buy," said Fiske. "It was a little more than I thought he'd go for. But the other high price of the day was $500,000 so I thought he'd be around $400,000 to $500,000 or in that neighborhood."

Just a little less difficult to buy was Hip 2000, a colt by Constitution  out of the Shamardal mare Fancy Day. Also consigned by Warrendale Sales, the bay was purchased for $230,000.

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, the bay's second dam, Sorrento Stakes (G2) winner Tizdubai, is a full sister to Tiznow as well as fellow stakes winners Budroyale and Tizbud. Her unraced sister Tizamazing is the dam of Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Oxbow .

"It always seems like every year there are a couple of individuals in the later books that are really nice and for one reason or another consignors thought they'd stand out in the later books," said Fiske.

Eleven yearlings have been purchased so far by Winchell Thoroughbreds alone. Two were in partnership with Phoenix Thoroughbreds III, including an Into Mischief  colt (Hip 448) who was the most expensive of the bunch at $875,000. As of the sale's end on Monday, total receipts for the 13 yearlings were $3.86 million.