Harlan's Holiday Mare a Bittersweet Sell for Stuart

When John Stuart of Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services entered his Harlan's Holiday mare in the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, the decision to take the 5-year-old to auction was one born of economic necessity, rather than personal choice. 

Holiday's Angel, who had been purchased by Stuart privately from Oaklawn Park on the recommendation of a friend, was in foal to Constitution , one of the most in-demand freshman sires on the market. With that fact in mind, Stuart knew that achieving the highest possible return on investment meant sending the multiple stakes-placed mare through the ring. 

"I bought her to keep her," Stuart said. "I'm a shareholder in Constitution and I had an extra season left so I felt like those two would be a good combination. Then when Constitution started getting all these graded stakes winners, I realized she was becoming too valuable for a modest guy like me so I thought I'd put her in the sale." 

Consigned as Hip 1918 by Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services, bloodstock agent John Williams struck late at the Nov. 10 fifth session to secure the mare, prevailing over SF Bloodstock on a final bid of $225,000. 

"Two of the guys that know a good potential broodmare when they see it just sort of locked into each other," Stuart said. "John Williams won the contest against SF Bloodstock but there were a half a dozen people that really wanted her. She's a beautifully made mare. I guess I ought to be happy I made a profit but I would still love to own the mare." 

Bred in Kentucky by Elm Racing, Holiday's Angel is the first foal out of the El Corredor mare Senorita Corredora and was stakes-placed twice on the turf at 4. Her second dam, the unraced Forty Niner mare Scapegoat, produced 11 winners including stakes winners Tres Coronas, Descapate, and Windy Forecast. Tres Coronas produced Royal Society, dam of Delaware Oaks (G3) winner Dark Nile. 

"She was a stakes mare herself, she was an exceptionally well-made Harlan's Holiday, and Harlan's Holiday in our opinion is a real broodmare sire," said Williams, who purchased Holiday's Angel on behalf of an undisclosed client. "She was in foal to the second-leading freshman sire so far, Constitution, so there's a lot there that can make this a very good purchase, even though we had to reach a little bit further than we thought. But based on how the perception of good horses by this group that's here buying, from Book 1 to now, you got to pay up for those kind. Even though we had to reach a little bit further, we're hopeful that it will be a profitable venture.

"(She's a) very well-made mare, plenty of bone, balanced, and she could run. Those things usually are the ones that produce the runners. Even though we had to pay more, we're happy."

Constitution currently ranks second on the leading international first-crop sire list behind Triple Crown winner American Pharoah . To date, his progeny have earned $1,690,388 in North American purses. 

"If there is a bigger Constitution fan in the country I'd like to meet him," Stuart said. "I'm convinced he is going to be a top stallion. I'm absolutely convinced." 

While Stuart said he was pleased with the mare's performance in the ring, the veteran breeder said he found the market to be particularly difficult to navigate for middle-market mares. 

"I think it's hard on mares. The weanlings are selling great but I think the mares have to be something special to get attention," Stuart said. "This mare, I was lucky. She had a lot of things going for her and she's in foal to one of the hottest horses going. I RNA'd a couple mares today that I don't think I got a bid on and they're nice mares.

"I don't think people want to be in the breeding business much. I think they like the young horses and they like the action and racing. For top of the line mares there is top of the line money, but mares in the middle market—it's hard. The stud fees are expensive and it's really expensive to keep a mare. It's hit or miss on whether you can provide the market with something that they want. It's much harder than it looks."