Lukas Enjoys Limelight With $1M Into Mischief Buy

With his aviator shades and his megawatt grin, Hall of Fame trainer D, Wayne Lukas found himself back in the limelight for the second straight day at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

After making headlines with a $1.15 million Quality Road   colt purchased for the BC Stables of John Bellinger and Brian Coelho during the sale's opening session, Lukas emerged victorious again Sept. 13 on another blueblood—this one by leading sire Into Mischief  .

Consigned as Hip 363 by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Aaron & Marie Jones, the $1 million gray or roan colt is out of the Unbridled's Song mare Not in Jest , a full sister to 2013 Whitney Handicap (G1) winner Cross Traffic  . Her dam, 1998 Ballerina Handicap (G1) and 1999 Santa Monica Handicap (G1) winner Stop Traffic , also produced the winning Unbridled's Song mare Fame and Fortune—the dam of Bashford Manor winner Gulfport , second last out in the Sept. 5 Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.

Frank Taylor, congratulating Lukas on the purchase, joked, "You bought the fastest horse in the sale!"

Lukas concurred.

"He's gonna be quick," he said. "I think he's very, very typey. The thing I liked about him, he must've shown 100 times and he never took a wrong step, he always just bowed his neck. I love his energy. This horse has a lot of energy and I love it. He is really a well-conformed horse, he's not real lengthy but I think he'll be a great 2-year-old."

"We've had several foals out of the mare and Marie has a breeding right to Into Mischief, and that's the second time we've bred the mare to him," Taylor said. "The full brother (maiden winner Dr. Perry) had a bullet work today (five furlongs in :59 4/5 at Ellis Park for Courtlandt Farms and Steve Asmussen).

"We love that Wayne bought it; he's been my hero my whole life and I know he'll do a good job and I hope this horse does some special things for him."

ROLLINS & GASH: BC Stables Secures Quality Road Colt for $1.5 Million

BC Stables also purchased a $500,000 Justify   colt bred by Summerhill Farm out of the Fastnet Rock mare Irish Lights , consigned by Eaton Sales, agent as Hip 288. Across the sale's two days thus far, they have taken home a quartet, including their seven-figure duo and an $800,000 Quality Road filly consigned by Baccari Bloodstock, agent, as Hip 80. The filly was bred by Seclusive Farm, Chester Prince, and Anne Prince. 

"It makes it a lot easier to get up at 3:00 a.m.," Lukas said of BC Stables' recent purchases. "I'm excited about their program and where I can take them. They want to play at the top and I don't know when I had a nicer bunch of 2-year-olds when you put their Saratoga horses (purchased at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) with these." 

Assessing the market, Lukas said he could see strength not only at the top end, but through the middle.

"It seems like it is so solid in the $350,000-$550,000 range; right in there is so solid," he said. "If you buy a racehorse that stays sound, I think you have a great chance with the purse structure that is today to get out very easy and get your seed money back. The purse structure is so strong right now, getting $70,000-$80,000 for a maiden win, $90,000-$100,000 for non-winners. If he runs and runs and stays strong, you'll be able to recoup your money. I think that what is driving the market a little bit.

"The thing that is getting difficult is when everyone starts holding hands," Lukas added. "I think the partnerships are good, sure, they're good. They get a lot of people involved that probably couldn't do it on their own, and they do it at a high level. But every time I see them start holding hands, I think its not too good (for me)."