Racehorses Bolster Strong Seventh Session at Keeneland

Book 4 closed out on a strong note Nov. 12 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, as racing prospects joined weanlings and broodmares in the ring for the first of two sale sessions to feature horses of racing age.

A total of 241 horses changed hands Tuesday for gross receipts of $7,613,900, a 2.7% decrease over last year. The average was up 6.2% to $31,593 and the median was up 17.7% to $20,000. At last year's session, total receipts for 263 horses sold came to $7,821,100 with an average of $29,738 and median of 17,000.

Fifty-five horses went unsold at the conclusion of the seventh session this year, representing an 18.6% RNA rate. A total of 61 horses went unsold last year for a rate of 18.8%.

Through Tuesday, a total of 1,653 horses have been sold at Keeneland November for receipts of $181,131,300.

Topping the sale Tuesday was the last horse through the ring, a 2-year-old racing prospect consigned as Hip 2761G by Indian Creek, agent. Entered in the supplemental catalog, the Liam's Map  colt, Liam's Legend, was bred in Kentucky by Mark Stansell out of the Cherokee Run mare Indian Legend and is a half brother to stakes winner Kenda. He was purchased by Khalid Mishref on a final bid of $325,000. 

"I have no option except to Dubai, but mainly he will end up racing in Saudi Arabia for the long term," said Mishref. "But for the time being, at 2-years-old, there's the United Arab Emirates Derby. That's what we are shooting for.

"He will suit the track back in Saudi Arabia very well and also I like the distance. He won already, at 2-years-old, he won at a mile and an eighth. He will go, that's what we are targeting, eight furlongs, nine furlongs, 10 furlongs."

With the inaugural $20 million Saudi Cup set to debut Feb. 29 of next year, Mishref said should everything go smoothly with Liam's Legend, the colt could one day be targeted towards a start in the world's richest race.

"Saudi Arabia right now, they're booming," said Mishref, who also owns a piece of two current Saudi Cup hopefuls in Gronkowski and Math Wizard. "They're going the right track. They'll have the big Saudi Cup Feb. 29, which is their biggest race at $20 million for 4-year-olds and older. Who knows? It might be this horse if he stays in Saudi Arabia for one more season, he might be a potential for (2021), so we have to build up."

Two hips earlier, Shedaresthedevil, a 2-year-old bay filly by Daredevil , was picked up by Flurry Racing Stables for $280,000. Consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent, the filly (Hip 2761E) was bred in Kentucky by Winstar Farm out of the Congrats  mare Starship Warpspeed. 

Shedaresthedevil was third in the Aug. 3 Sorrento Stakes (G2) at Del Mar and placed second in the Oct. 13 Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita Park. 

"I thought that was fair for a horse that can be stakes quality," said Clay Scherer, who signed the ticket for the new owner. "She's already a proven stakes runner and she'll leave to go to Brad Cox here soon. She'll go to Hot Springs for the winter.

"Keeneland does a great job bringing racehorses ready to go. They offer a great ready-made product, so why not strike?"

Bloodstock agent David Ingordo, who was also active during the final hour of the horses of racing age session, said that purchasing racehorses at this time of year requires buyers to evaluate individuals to really strategize on what makes the most sense for the future of the horse. 

"Obviously they have to go and perform. A lot of these mares and different things, or weanlings, or short yearlings, or whatever breeding stock—they're kind of there. Very quickly we're going to find out if we're right or wrong here. You have to do your homework, you've got to know what you're looking for. Buying a racehorse isn't just like, 'Oh, I found one. Let's do it.' You want to make sure if you buy it for X price, that you have some room to maneuver to place it properly.

"We buy and sell horses privately. We sold a horse the other day to New York because he'd done what he could here. In New York he has starter (conditions), he has another (option) ... You're moving them where they belong. When you're buying racehorses you're trying to manage it like a puzzle piece and put it where you can immediately hopefully do some good with it." 

Betz Thoroughbreds Lands Indian Gardens

The most expensive mare sold for the day was Hip 2688, an unraced daughter of the late Pioneerof the Nile named Indian Gardens. Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, agent, the 3-year-old dark bay was offered in foal to Maclean's Music  and purchased for $205,000 by Betz Thoroughbreds. 

Bred in Kentucky by Hal J. Earnhardt, Indian Gardens is the sixth foal out of two-time champion Indian Charlie mare Indian Blessing. A five-time grade 1 winner who was named champion 2-year-old filly in 2007 and champion female sprinter in 2008, Indian Blessing earned just shy of $3 million from 16 starts. She is also the dam of Ten Blessings, who placed third in the Malibu Stakes (G1). 

"She stood out in Book 4," said bloodstock agent Donato Lanni on behalf of Hill 'n' Dale Farm. "We just wanted her to be a star today, let her be in Book 4 and let her be a star. She's beautiful. There's still a lot of people shopping for mares, young mares.

"She was out of a champion mare and she was beautiful. She sold herself."

The second-highest priced mare of the day was Hip 2397, a daughter of Malibu Moon  purchased for $180,000 by Arch Bloodstock, agent for Sandra Sexton. Named Moon Over Matter, the 5-year-old was bred in Florida by Hardacre Farm and consigned by Brookdale Sales, agent for Hardacre.

Out of the Point Given mare Prettyatthetable, Moon Over Matter is a half sister grade 2 winner Pomeroys Pistol. She produced a filly by Tiznow  in 2019 and was offered in foal to Twirling Candy . 

Tom Bozarth of Arch Bloodstock said the active family was particularly alluring for Sexton, who already has a broodmare band of around 30 mares. In particular, Pomeroys Pistol has a 2-year-old Pioneerof the Nile colt named Thousand Words who was sold by Brookdale for $1 million to the Albaugh Family and Spendthrift at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The colt recently broke his maiden on debut Oct. 26 at Santa Anita.

"We were just glad to get her," said Bozarth. "We bought her for Sandra Sexton. Sandra likes Twirling Candy and we like the family. There's a lot of upside with the 2-year-old coming up and we're looking for those types of horses to put in her broodmare band."

Demand for Quality Weanlings Holds Steady 

The top weanling Tuesday was Hip 2598, a Kantharos  filly consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent. Bred in New York by Adrian Regan and Fergus Galvin, the filly is the first foal out of the Warrior's Reward  mare Cassidy's Reward. She was purchased for $160,000 by Pink N Blue Stable. 

"We were really drawn to the cover sire more than anything," said Galvin, who purchased Cassidy's Reward for $50,000 from Indian Creek at last year's Keeneland November sale. "She was a resident New York mare when we bought her. I sent her back up to my father-in-law, who is John McMahon, and he foaled her out. She's now back in Kentucky back in foal to Kantharos." 

Galvin said that while the market continued to play strong with pinhookers and end-users looking to purchase quality weanling stock, the propensity of buyers to land on the same horses had made selling in the middle market a more pronounced challenge. 

"It's the old saying—it's very polarized," said Galvin. "She (Hip 2598) was the star of our show for this current book and that's what people are all gravitating towards. It's definitely very tough underneath the ones that don't appeal to the majority of people. There's a lot of weanlings that are not making stud fee. That's the times we're living in right now. But it's good. You bring a good one like her up, everybody's there."