Spendthrift Strikes for $3.1M Sale-Topper Paris Lights
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Paris Lights at the Keeneland November Sale
Paris Lights proved worth the wait Nov. 10 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
The final mare through the ring Wednesday, part of the supplemental catalog and consigned as ELiTE, agent, as Hip 224D, the 2020 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) winner commanded $3.1 million from Spendthrift Farm to top the sale's Book 1 session.
Paris Lights, by Curlin , was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm out of the Bernardini mare Paris Bikini , and offered as a racing or broodmare prospect. According to Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey, she will now begin her second career as a broodmare with a visit to the farm's flagship sire, Into Mischief .
"Very classic, American racehorse," Toffey said of Paris Lights. "Big, scopey filly, classic type—and I think she'll suit Into Mischief really well. Happy to have her. She comes from as good a family as we have in the stud book, so there's not much more you could ask for."
Paris Lights retires with earnings of $403,842. She ran to four wins and three thirds from nine starts in 2020-21 for WinStar Stablemates Racing and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, and put her versatility on display when she won the seven-furlong Distaff Handicap (G3) earlier this season at Aqueduct Racetrack to go with her determined CCA Oaks score by a head over Crystal Ball going 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga Race Course last year. She was retained to race by the syndicate arm of her breeder after failing to meet her reserve when the hammer fell for $200,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Denali Stud.
KING: Paris Lights Delivers for WinStar Syndicate in CCA Oaks
Descending from the influential broodmare Blush With Pride, with a deep and active family that includes blue hen Better Than Honour, Paris Lights presented a rare opportunity to acquire a grade 1-winning Curlin filly at auction.
"It's a unique opportunity for us, and (we're) just very grateful to get to sell this horse for WinStar Farm," said Brad Weisbord of ELiTE. "She deserved to make her money; she's from one of the best families in the stud book, and WinStar deserves all the credit."
(L-R): Ned Toffey of Spendthrift Farm is congratulated by Bradley Weisbord of ELiTE Sales at Keeneland
Paris Lights was one of two mares purchased Wednesday by Spendthrift, which also flew far beneath the radar to acquire the Speightstown mare Hrasky for $120,000. Offered in foal to first-year sire Tiz the Law , the mare from the family of grade 2 winner Ready to Act and grade 1 winner Mast Track was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency as Hip 128.
"We're pretty happy with where our broodmare band is right now," said Toffey, whose selective shopping saw the Lexington operation take home Vequist for $3.4 million and Perfect Alibi for $2 million among four mares purchased Nov. 9 at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's marquee breeding stock sale
"You're always trying to add to the top and you've got to always keep culling, which we're doing a little bit of, but (we're) trying to add really select mares, and we'll continue to try to do that," Toffey added.
The sale of Paris Lights capped a huge two-day span in the ring for WinStar-bred race fillies, as champions Shedaresthedevil ($5 million) and Swiss Skydiver ($4.7 million) both were among the top lots at The November Sale. While those runners were sold for their respective owners after previously graduating through the ring, both were produced by the WinStar breeding program.