White Birch Strikes Early for $925,000 Regal Glory

One of the more successful family units to pass through the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale ring Jan. 12 as part of the dispersal for the estate of Paul Pompa Jr., was that of the More Than Ready  mare Mary's Follies. But it was her daughter, Regal Glory (Hip 403) who—only three hips in to Tuesday's session—set off fireworks when she was knocked down to Peter Brant's White Birch Farm for $925,000. 

A multiple graded stakes winner, Regal Glory is the fourth foal out of Mary's Follies. Trained by Chad Brown, the mare proved early to be a talented turf runner, winning the Stewart Manor Stakes at 2 before going on to claim the Penn Oak Stakes, Lake George Stakes (G3T), and Lake Placid Stakes (G2T) in rapid succession at 3. The now 5-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom entered the sale off a September win in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes (G3T). 

According to a representative of Brant's racing operations, the plan at the moment is to continue racing Regal Glory. 

It was much later in the afternoon when Mary's Follies herself was sent through the ring as Hip 725. A multiple graded stakes winner whose best scores came in the Boiling Springs Stakes (G3T) and Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2T), the mare was purchased by BBA Ireland for $500,000. One hip later, the mare's short yearling colt by Lane's End stallion Connect  (Hip 726) was purchased by Larry Best's OXO Equine for $185,000.

Mary's Follies other progeny include Night Prowler (by Giant's Causeway), who won the Dania Beach Stakes (G3T) and Transylvania Stakes (G3T), and Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah ), who has proven to be a formidable force on the dirt in Japan winning the Hyacinth Stakes, Unicorn Stakes (G3), and Sirius Stakes (G3). 

"It's such a classy family all the way through so you kind of have those built-in expectations levels, but they sure met them," said Allaire Ryan of Lane's End, which consigned all the horses entered as part of the Pompa dispersal. "That didn't go unrecognized by anybody when you saw the mare (Mary's Follies), Regal Glory, and the Connect colt sell. The market is very good here for that kind of quality." 

In addition to purchasing Hip 726, Best helped boost Lane's End's afternoon with an earlier purchase of a $400,000 filly (Hip 660) by Lane's End stallion City of Light . 

Bred in Kentucky by Baumann Stables, Aaron Sones, and Eric Crawford, the filly is out of the Bernardini  mare I'll Show Me, a half sister to champion and 2008 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Proud Spell. The price for Hip 660 was the highest paid for a short yearling on the day.

"City of Light has been so consistent with what he's thrown and we've been fortunate that that has translated into the sales ring as well," said Ryan. "The two that we brought out today, we're very pleased with how they did—particularly the filly. I think she was really appealing to people because of her back family. That added a lot of residual value."  

Bob Ehalt contributed to this report.