Trying to Parlay Breeders' Cup Success Into Sales Ring

In the "What have you done for me lately" mindset, there is no better advertising for a horse being offered for auction than a top performance on racing's biggest stage.

The appeal of being able to monetize a top performance by a filly or mare in the Breeders' Cup World Championships and the ability of owners to add potential champions to their racing stables fuel a vibrant marketplace for The November Sale, the Fasig-Tipton sale Nov. 8, and the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale that runs Nov. 9-18.

This year there are 19 horses pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup who are scheduled to go through the sale ring the following week, with most being fillies and mares cataloged as racing or broodmare prospects.

There is an ebb and flow to which horses will make the starting gate and go through the sale ring, with the possibility of additional racing and broodmare prospects being added to either sale and whether sellers are still willing to part with their prized stock in the event of an impressive performance at Keeneland Nov. 6-7.

Leading this year's Cup-to-sale double are champions Monomoy Girl and Uni, both of whom could burnish their already impressive résumés before being offered for sale at Fasig-Tipton as part of the ELiTE Sales consignment. 

Monomoy Girl (Hip 192) is seeking her second victory in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), which she won in 2018 en route to championship honors before being sidelined with an injury and illness that caused the 5-year-old Tapizar  mare to miss the entire 2019 season. Trained by Brad Cox for a high-powered ownership group, Monomoy Girl is 3-for-3 this year and 12-2 in 14 career starts with six grade 1s and nearly $3.4 million in earnings.

Also seeking a second Breeders' Cup victory is Uni (Hip 228), the 6-year-old British-bred daughter of More Than Ready  who hopes to repeat her 2019 triumph in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T) for another group of prominent owners and trainer Chad Brown. The champion female grass horse in North America last year and four-time grade 1 winner has earned almost $2.6 million. Her 11 wins from 21 starts include back-to-back wins in the First Lady Stakes Presented by UK HealthCare (G1T) at Keeneland.

Not surprisingly, the Distaff has the largest group of Breeders' Cup pre-entries entered in the two auctions. In addition to Monomoy Girl, the group consists of The November Sale entrants Point of Honor (Hip 198) and Valiance (Hip 231) and Keeneland sale entries Horologist (Hip 29) and Ollie's Candy (Hip 83).

Rushing Fall and Got Stormy, two of the most accomplished turf female runners of recent years, are both expected to be offered at auction following their Breeders' Cup appearances.

Trained by Brown for the Edwards family's e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, Rushing Fall is consigned by Indian Creek, agent, as Hip 205 in the Fasig-Tipton sale and is pre-entered in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T).

Rushing Fall is a six-time grade 1 winner who has earned $2,553,000 and is one of just three females in the modern era to win grade 1 races at 2, 3, 4, and 5, alongside Beholder and Lady Eli. 

Among her impressive performances this year was a second consecutive victory in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T), setting a Keeneland course record for 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.02. That was followed by a win in the Diana Stakes (G1T) in near course-record time Aug. 23 at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Mark Casse for Gary Barber, Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) contender Got Stormy has been a hard-knocking sprinter on grass, with $1.99 million in earnings while winning 10 of 25 starts with eight placings. Among the career achievements for the 5-year-old mare was a takedown of males in the 2019 Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) at Saratoga and a runner-up finish a few months later in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile.

Got Stormy is entered in The November Sale as Hip 168 by Bluewater Sales, agent.