Ryan’s Legwork Pays Off at Keeneland September

Realizing there would be a lot of ground to cover in a short period of time leading up to this year’s yearling sales season, bloodstock agent Mike Ryan went on a scouting mission at Central Kentucky farms, inspecting foals of 2019.

That work paid off Sept. 13 when he won a bidding war for a War Front  filly (Hip 98) that is a half sister to champion and young Ashford Stud stallion Air Force Blue , taking home the filly out of the multiple stakes-placed Maria’s Mon mare Chatham for $1.05 million from breeder and consignor Stone Farm.

“I saw about 1,500 yearlings this year,” said Ryan, adding that he used an iPad for the first time this year in doing his sale work. “As soon as they came out on the iPad, I started looking. I couldn’t wait for the catalogs to come out because there was too much work to do. This is the first time I’ve used an iPad.”

Ryan saw the filly at Stone Farm Aug. 28 and was struck by her appearance.

“I thought she was an exceptional physical when I saw her at Stone Farm,” he said. “She is a May foal. She is very well grown for her age. She’s not lacking size or scope."

Ryan, who bought the filly on behalf of a client who did not want to be named, said the acquisition would likely begin her career on grass in Europe, but that she appears to also be able to race on dirt. 

“This filly will probably go to Europe and start out there,” he said. “Being a full sister to champion Air Force Blue, you’d have to think she will love the turf. She looked to me like a filly that could run in the States on the dirt.”

The filly represented back-to-back big scores for Stone Farm, which sold Hip 97, a Quality Road  colt, for $620,000.

“That was a little stressful,” Stone Farm’s Lynn Hancock said. "We knew coming up here we had two very nice individuals and people might like them. You breed them, raise them, and do the best you can and hope for a good result.”

Hancock said the War Front filly had been special from the time she was foaled.

“She has been a queen from day one,” Hancock said. “We brought her up here and she has just continued to blossom and show well.”

The Quality Road colt was purchased by Donato Lanni, agent for SF/Starlight/Madaket Stable.

“We love that colt,” Hancock said. “My dad (Arthur Hancock) always says, ‘That’s a racehorse!’ In this market, we weren’t really sure what to expect going in.”