Fourteen Auction Purchases Entered in Classic, Distaff

If other buyers at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale had seen what Liz Crow saw in a chestnut daughter of Tapizar , they likely would have been willing to outbid the young bloodstock agent, who took home the filly on behalf of Sol Kumin for $100,000 from the Gainesway consignment.

"It rained the day before, so all the agents were stacked up, trying to get through all the (inspections of) horses in Book 3," Crow said of the filly, later named Monomoy Girl, who emerged as one of the most accomplished and popular fillies and mares in North America over the past three seasons. "There was a lot of chaos, but when they brought her out, she was so calm, so professional. She had a very athletic build, huge forearm, strong gaskin, good length to her back. She was a beautiful filly as a yearling. She was one of the more athletic fillies I saw in Book 3."

With earnings of nearly $3.4 million gleaned from 12 wins and two seconds (including a disqualification from first) in 14 starts, Monomoy Girl has provided an impressive return on her initial price by Crow and BSW Bloodstock and looks to increase her bankroll in the Nov. 7 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), for which she is the 8-5 morning-line favorite.

Monomoy Girl, who is seeking a second Distaff victory to go with her 2018 win that catapulted her to champion 3-year-old filly honors before missing all of 2019 due to a case of colic and a muscle strain, is trained by Brad Cox for Michael Dubb, Kumin's Monomoy Stables, Stuart Grant's The Elkstone Group, and Michael Caruso's Bethlehem Stables.

For those who regret passing on Monomoy Girl at auction the first time around, they will have another opportunity in The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's breeding stock sale Nov. 8, although the price point will likely be steeper this time around. 

Monomoy Girl is among 14 horses set to contest the Distaff and Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) who were purchased at public auction.

The least expensive public auction purchase in either race is Peter Callahan's Swiss Skydiver, a chestnut filly acquired by her trainer, Ken McPeek, for $35,000 from the Select Sales offerings at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Produced from the first crop of Daredevil , Swiss Skydiver has also produced a healthy return on her owner's investment, with almost $1.8 million in earnings. With six wins in 11 starts, the 3-year-old defeated males in the rescheduled Preakness Stakes (G1) to go along with a victory in the prestigious Alabama Stakes (G1) and a second in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), among other graded successes.

The most expensive filly or mare in the race is Valiance, bought by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Marty Schwartz for $650,000 from Bluewater Sales at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected yearling sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Racing for Eclipse, Schwartz, and her breeder, China Horse Club, the 4-year-old Tapit  filly has won six of eight starts, including the Oct. 4 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) over the same Keeneland track and 1 1/8-mile distance of the Distaff. 

Among the seven Classic hopefuls purchased at auction, the top price of $350,000 was paid by SF Bloodstock/Starlight West for Authentic  from the 2018 Keeneland September consignment of Bridie Harrison, agent for breeder Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds.

The 3-year-old son of leading sire Into Mischief  has certainly lived up to that lofty price tag by finishing first or second in all seven starts for an ownership group consisting of Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse.com, Madaket Stables (in which Kumin is also a partner), and Starlight Racing Stable while trained by Bob Baffert.

With slightly more than $3 million in earnings, Authentic became a classic winner in the rescheduled Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), which followed a win in the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1).

With all seven Classic sale graduates purchased for six figures, the least expensive yearling was Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law, bought by Jack Knowlton for $110,000 from Sequel New York at Fasig-Tipton's New York Bred Yearlings Sale at Saratoga in 2018.

Trained by Barclay Tagg, the colt from the first crop of Constitution  is also a classic winner, having annexed the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) as well as the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) and Curlin Florida Derby (G1). Tiz the Law finished second in the Kentucky Derby.