$1.5M Dam of Bast a 'Great Ride' for BlackRidge Stables

Laffina, the dam of top 2-year-old filly Bast, concluded her great ride for BlackRidge Stables Nov. 5 when she sold for $1.5 million in foal to Ghostzapper  at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's breeding stock sale in Lexington.

Eaton Bloodstock was listed as the buyer of the 7-year-old Arch mare. Bast, a daughter of Uncle Mo , is the mare's first foal. Bast won the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) and Chandelier Stakes (G1) this summer in California before finishing third Nov. 1 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Laffina, who raced for Coolmore connections through four starts in Ireland in 2014-15 before she was imported to the United States, was consigned to the November sale by Taylor Made Sales Agency as Hip 141.

BlackRidge purchased Laffina privately from Coolmore after she failed to meet her reserve at $290,000 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in 2016. 

"It looks like she's going back to Coolmore, who we bought her from to begin with," Mark Taylor said. "It was a great result. They bought two nice mares to breed to California Chrome —that's why they bought her to begin with. They bred her to California Chrome, got a nice one, and it's been a great deal for everybody."

Laffina was preceded in the ring by her weanling filly by Pioneerof the Nile. The filly consigned as Hip 140 by Taylor Made sold for $430,000 to Giant Elf Bloodstock. Laffina's California Chrome colt was a $325,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Baoma Corporation, which campaigns Bast.

"That's about what we had in mind (price-wise)," said BlackRidge's Will Daugherty. "I'm glad to see her go back to Coolmore. She's been a great ride so far. … Very good all around. It's been fun to follow Bast to this point. I'm hoping she has a good rest of the winter and spring campaign.

"The way that that mare has been able to produce great movers, great heads, just fantastic individuals. I had hopes for the Ghostzapper that she's carrying, but obviously with Bast out there, it was worth letting her go right now. Right now we have nine mares, or a piece of nine mares, at least. So we'll use Laffina here to start doing a little more. We've really enjoyed the process and the ride that Bast has given us."

Bred in Kentucky by Robert Trussell, Laffina sold for $200,000 to Blandford Bloodstock at the 2013 Keeneland September sale. She is a half sister to grade 2 winner Mananan McLir and stakes winners Big Sur and Charming N Lovable, the dam of grade 1 winner Fault.