Renee Dailey Scores Connect Colt for $250,000
Image:
Description:
Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
The Connect colt in the ring at the Keeneland November Sale
Grade 1 winner Connect was one of the first horses Renee Dailey prepped as a weanling to sell as a yearling. On Nov. 10, when she scored the winning bid of $250,000 for a weanling colt by the son of Curlin at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, she accomplished her goal of finding the top from the stallion's first crop.
"I've been looking for the best one," Dailey said, "and I think I got it."
Consigned as Hip 1735 by Paramount Sales, agent, the gray or roan colt is out of Wild Hoots, a stakes-winning daughter of Unbridled's Song. He is a half brother to stakes winner and grade 1-placed Savings Account. He was bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge Farm and extends from the family of Wood Memorial (G1) winner Buddha and multiple grade 3 winner, grade 1-placed Late Night Pow Wow.
Dailey said the plan is for the colt to be pinhooked through The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected yearlings sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
"I thought he was just a very good-moving, scopey, beautiful colt that I feel still has a lot of upside for us," said Dailey, who added she is seeing the scope she liked in Connect in his weanlings.
Connect was a $150,000 purchase by Xavier International Bloodstock, agent for Paul Pompa Jr., from the VanMeter Sales consignment to The July Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected yearlings sale in Lexingto in 2014. Sent to trainer Chad Brown, Connect won six of eight career starts, including the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) and Pennsylvania Derby (G2) en route to earning $1.37 million.
The colt purchased by Dailey was the highest-priced weanling of Book 3 and the most expensive Connect weanling from 15 offered through Sunday at the Keeneland November Sale. Thirteen of the weanlings by the Lane's End Farm stallion sold, including one private sale.
"I've been looking at all of them. I'm very excited about how well they look as weanlings," Dailey said. "There's a lot of them that were very desirable, and I did bid on others, but I'm glad I waited 'till now for this one."
Connect will stand his third season next year at Lane's End Farm for $20,000.