'Plan B' Horses Reap Rewards for Breeders

Sometimes Plan B trumps Plan A, at least when it comes to Thoroughbred auctions.

The connections of some entries in this year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) were unable to find willing buyers at the desired price and, out of necessity, added them to their racing stables.

Plan B has been quite successful for many, including owner/breeder William S. Farish, whose Code of Honor is in the Classic, a 4-1 morning-line second choice along with Vino Rosso .

Code of Honor races for his Kentucky breeder only because the colt from the first crop of Lane's End stallion Noble Mission  out of Farish's homebred grade 3 winner Reunited was bought back at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale on a final bid of $70,000, which was short of the reserve price.

"A lot of times when we have a colt like that, it's because we didn't get (the price) we wanted as a yearling and decided to race him," said Bill Farish after the colt won the Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) in March. "He was a colt Dad was really high on and liked physically, so he was more than happy to keep him and race him."

As a son of Coolmore's top international stallion Galileo and a full brother to the top runner and emerging European sire Frankel, Noble Mission won three group 1 races on the grass in Europe, leading to the belief his runners would be predisposed to turf racing.

"Sometimes those European turf families benefit from a dose of American speed and that is certainly the case with Code of Honor's pedigree," Farish said of the colt who has now earned more than $2.29 million, with top-level victories in the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1), the latter via a disqualification of Vino Rosso. Code of Honor is trained by Shug McGaughey.

Another 2017 Keeneland September buyback for Lane's End was War of Will, who went unsold on a final bid of $175,000 but was subsequently purchased privately by Norman Williamson, who operates Oak Tree Farm in County Meath, Ireland.

The son of War Front  bred in Kentucky by the Niarchos family's Flaxman Holdings was then entered in the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale at France's Deauville Racecourse.

Fortuitously, Florida bloodstock agent Justin Casse was attending that sale for the first time, selling a small group of 2-year-olds through another agent. Although Casse had not planned to buy at the auction, War of Will's pedigree caught his attention, and he was able to acquire the colt for €250,000 (US$298,550) on behalf of client Gary Barber.

"He breezed really well and was a very refined, athletic-looking horse with a lot of stretch," Casse said. "He is an American-bred with a worldly pedigree."

Trained by Casse's brother Mark, War of Will was grade 1-placed at 2. As a sophomore, he won the Lecomte Stakes (G3) and Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) on his way to capturing the Preakness Stakes (G1). He has earned more than $1.6 million to date.

Seeking the Soul has also proved an astute buyback for breeder Charles Fipke, who entered the son of Perfect Soul  in the 2015 Ocala Breeders' Sales June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale through McKathan Bros. and bought him back on a final bid of $37,000. The 6-year-old horse trained by Dallas Stewart has gone on to earn more than $3.3 million. 

Among Classic contenders who were sold the first time through the ring, McKinzie, the 3-1 morning-line favorite, was purchased from Lane's End by Three Amigos, the pseudonym for partners Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, for $170,000 out of the 2016 Keeneland yearling sale.

Awesome Again Stakes (G1) winner Mongolian Groom is the least expensive Classic starter sold at auction. He was purchased by Mongolian Stable for $12,000 from Jesse and Samantha Hoppel's Coastal Equine at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Through the name Calcutta Thoroughbreds, Hoppel bought the colt by Calumet Farm stallion Hightail  for $11,000 from Paramount Sales at The October Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky yearling sale, in 2016.

The 4-year-old gelding has won or placed in half his 16 starts and earned $579,141 so far.

In the Distaff, Ollie's Candy races for breeders Paul Eggert and Karen Eggert only because the daughter of Candy Ride  was bought back on a final bid of $45,000 when offered through Denali Stud's consignment at the 2016 Keeneland September sale. Trained by John Sadler, the 4-year-old filly has won or placed in eight of nine starts, including a game victory in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1).

Secret Spice represents a major pinhook score for Paul Sharp, who acquired the Godolphin-bred daughter of Discreet Cat for $4,500 from Blandford Stud at the 2016 Keeneland yearling sale. Pinhooked by Sharp into the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, the filly was purchased by Tom McCrocklin for $125,000 on behalf of Little Red Feather Racing. Trained by Richard Baltas for Little Red Feather Racing and Bobby Flay, the filly won the Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) and placed second in two other grade 1 stakes this year. She has earned $548,510.

At the other end of the price spectrum, the most expensive Distaff contender is Dunbar Road, the Quality Road  filly bought by Peter Brant's White Birch Farm for $350,000 when she was consigned to the 2017 Keeneland September sale by Indian Creek. Bred in Kentucky by Jeffery Drown, the filly trained by Chad Brown has never been worse than third in six starts, with $637,900 in earnings.