Lyon Adds Proud Emma on Day 3 at $1M for Flightline

The concluding session of Book 2, Nov. 9, at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale saw steady trade throughout the day, with 214 horses changing hands of the 286 on offer, posting an increase in all statistical categories. Summer Wind Equine's Jane Lyon once again saw out competitive bidding to take the queen of the day, Proud Emma  home at a sale-topping $1M.

Since the first day of the Keeneland November Sale, Lyon has been stocking up on mares for Flightline  , her homebred once-in-a-lifetime horse. Today she added grade 3 winner Proud Emma (Hip 876) to her collection. The 6-year-old Include  mare sold in foal to first-year sire Charlatan  .

Charlatan had an exceptional day at the sale, being the top covering sire on Day 3, with 11 mares selling in foal to the Hill 'n' Dale sire for a gross of $4,005,000 at an average price of $364,091.

"We saw an awfully pretty mare that we think Flightline would like. We decided we would give him a little present for his performances lately," Jane Lyon joked. "We were trying to find mares that we thought physically and pedigree-wise would fit him."

Lyon bred and campaigned the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), four-time grade 1 winner with Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing. The son of Tapit   will stand at Lane's End Farm for an advertised fee of $200,000.

"She is a big beautiful mare by Include," Conor Doyle of Bedouin Bloodstock, who consigned the mare, said. "She is an awesome physical. The price surprised us a little. We thought she would bring more than half a million. (Covering sire Charlatan) played a huge role (in the price). We're glad she was bought by Summer Wind and will be part of that broodmare band."

Summer Wind Equine made two purchases Wednesday, including the Candy Ride   mare, Analyze  (Hip 632), consigned by Gainesway; the stakes winner sold in foal to Hard Spun  .

St. George Stables closed out Day 3 as a leading buyer by gross at $1,720,000, with six purchases made at an average price of $286,667 per horse.

Session 3 finished with 214 of the 286 horses through the ring trading hands for gross receipts of $40,754,000, suitable for an average price of $190,439 and a median of $160,000. Positive increases across all categories were recorded at 3.8% in gross, 21.3% in average, and 14.3% in median. Seventy-two horses failed to attain their reserve price, representing an RNA rate of 25.1%.

In 2021 the closing day of Book 2 saw 250 horses sold of the 296 on offer for a gross total of $39,244,000. An average price of $156,976 and a median of $140,000 were recorded. Forty-six horses failed to sell, representing an RNA rate of 15.5%.

Over the past three days of selling, Keeneland reports 565 of the 743 horses on offer have sold for a gross total of $141,022,000, to post an increase of 8.9% year-on-year. An average price of $249,596 and a median of $170,000 show gains of 17.8% and 9.7%, respectively, from the prior year.

At this point during last year's sale, 611 of the 752 horses under the hammer had sold for gross receipts of $129,495,000 at an average price of $211,939 and a median of $155,000. One hundred and forty-one horses failed to attain their reserve price to represent an RNA rate of 18.7%.

"The sale has been great so far, it's been a good week, both sales have been terrific, and long may it last," Joe Seitz of Brookdale Sales said. Brookdale consigned the Not This Time   colt as Hip 749, who early in the day realized $375,000 when Archie St George signed the sales ticket for Dudley Racing.

A pair of Gun Runner   weanlings sold as the day's highest-priced weanling offerings. A colt consigned by Indian Creek as Hip 976 sold to AAA Thoroughbreds (Dean DeRenzo) for $550,000. The colt out of the Union Rags   mare, Twiga, was bred in Kentucky by Chisago Farm.

Paramount Sales consigned the other Gun Runner, a filly—Hip 84—out of Mighty Moon, by Malibu Moon , who realized $425,000 from Stonehaven Steadings' Aiden O'Meara. The weanling was bred in Kentucky by Drumkenny Farm and American Equistock.

ELiTE closed out the third day as the day's leading consignor by gross, selling 16 offerings for a gross total of $4,655,000.

"We feel like we had some nice physicals with nice pedigree pages here today," Liz Crow of ELiTE commented. "It all starts with the people who send us these horses. We have a great group of clients who entrust us to sell their horses. We always aim to put a nice Book 2 together; we bring stakes-winning and stakes-placed, and graded stakes-winning and stakes-placed mares here. Our team works together months in advance; without their hard work, we wouldn't have such a good day."

The first day of selling for Book 3 begins Nov. 10 at 10 a.m. ET with Hips 996-1408 slotted to walk across the sales ring. As of Wednesday evening, 64 horses had been withdrawn from session four.