Consignor/breeder Stonehaven Steadings is having the perfect storm at this year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale; on Day 3, Sept. 14, they sent the last foal from their mare Steelin' through the ring to see the filly by Into Mischief hammered down at $900,000 to Maverick Racing/Siena Farm.
"It's kind of her swan song," said Leah O'Meara of Stonehaven Steadings of the mare. "Didn't really want to bring (Hip 459) to the sale. But we've retained every other filly out of the mare. So we have the family. We've sold out of the family. It's already like a proven producer out of the family. So this was a beautiful result, like it's very sentimental for us with Shanghai Bobby , our champion. So yeah, it's great. We've got all of our family here."
The bay filly out of the stakes-winning Orientate mare is a half sibling to 2012 champion 2-year-old male Shanghai Bobby. The Harlan’s Holiday colt collected three graded wins his juvenile year in the Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes (G2), Foxwoods Champagne Stakes (G1), and Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). His full sister Miz Kella produced the multiple grade 3-winning Canoodling , by Pioneerof the Nile , winner of the Megahertz Stakes (G3T) and Wilshire Stakes (G3T) this year at Santa Anita Park.
"Just loved her physique. Real strong filly," WinStar Farm president and CEO of racing operations Elliott Walden said. "The pedigree works, you know, with Shanghai Bobby and another daughter already having a graded stakes winner, both by Harlan's Holiday. So thought she was worth a try. (Someone) we could put in the broodmare band one day, as well."
The Reddoch family, which owns Stonehaven Steadings, sent the Quality Road colt out of True Feelings (Hip 97) through the ring on the first day, seeing him realize $2.5 million from the partnership of Talla Racing/Woodford Racing/West Point, LEB agent. The colt is the current sale topper.
"This is our best crop we've ever brought to sale and to be this well received in a market so strong is unreal, and there's no words," said O'Meara. "It's truly beautiful. I'm thankful that our entire industry, the staff on the farm, staff at the sale barns, and everyone will benefit; it'll trickle down to everybody."
During Wednesday's selling session four of the five horses through the ring sold for gross figures of $2,875,000. Stonehaven Steadings' offerings sold for an average of $718,750 with a median price of $737,500.
The Maverick Racing/Siena Farm partnership opened up its checkbook for four other hips: A Justify colt out of Sambucca Classica consigned as Hip 420 sold for $575,000 from the Highgate Sales consignment; a Constitution colt out of The Dream consigned as Hip 483 purchased for $200,000 via the Taylor Made Sales Agency; an Into Mischief colt out of Distracting consigned as Hip 615 bought for $425,000 from the Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency; and a Candy Ride colt out of Don'tforgetaboutme consigned as Hip 618 purchased for $575,000 from Claiborne Farm, agent.
That partnership spent $2,675,000 on its five purchases with an average of $535,000 and a median price of $575,000.