Partners Eye Long Game With Quality Road Weanling

"Quality" proved to be the magic word for the partnership of China Horse Club and Maverick Racing Nov. 7 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. 

Sporting the signature red and gold silks of his employer on his jacket, China Horse Club bloodstock agent Mick Wallace was easy to spot in Keeneland's back ring as he bid to $600,000 to secure the top-priced weanling of the Thursday session, a colt by Lane's End stallion Quality Road . 

"He'll go to our racing program. It was an opportunity to acquire a quality colt by a quality stallion," Wallace said. "We will take him back to the farm, rear him out, and continue on with the good job that Archie St George has done with him so far." 

Consigned as Hip 362 by St George Sales, the bay weanling was bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge Farm out of the Birdstone mare Princess Aspen. The colt's second dam, Rhumb Line, produced multiple grade 1 winner Zazu as well as Santa Anita Derby (G1) runner-up Flashback , the sire of Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner British Idiom.  

"Quality Road is an exceptional stallion. I'd like to thank Dell Ridge for breeding an exceptional horse," St George said. "He's a very good price. Anytime you get that sort of money for a horse, it's a lot of money. He was a very good physical, and he looked like a runner. The physical, sire, the pedigree—everything like that all adds up. 

"He's a very nice horse, and I wish them the best of luck with him. Hopefully, we will be seeing him down the road." 

Hip 362 was the second six-figure weanling purchase of the auction for China Horse Club and Maverick Racing. The partnership purchased Hip 254, a colt by Spendthrift Farm's Into Mischief , for $550,000 during the Nov. 6 opening session. 

Consigned by Eaton Sales, agent, Hip 254 was bred in Kentucky by Barronstown Stud out of the Songandaprayer mare Hopeoverexperience. He is a half brother to grade 3 winner So Perfect and stakes-placed Scat Eddie. 

Wallace said the strength of the yearling market was a critical factor in the partnership's decision to focus a good portion of their buying power on weanlings. 

"We're just trying to circumnavigate the yearling market a little bit," Wallace said. "It seems to be strong for these type of colts, and we like to get ahead of the curve a little bit. If they're quality horses by quality stallions, that's why they make more at the yearling sales. 

"The market is good. It's healthy, solid. There are many people here that are able to buy them. The RNA rate is good, so overall, I think everybody is happy."