Amo Racing Lands Quality Road Colt for $1.1M

Agents Alex Elliott and Ben McElroy were the first bidders to go to $1 million on the first night of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale Aug. 7, acquiring a son of Quality Road  , consigned as Hip 77, for $1.1 million.

Purchased on behalf of Kiavash Joorabchian's Amo Racing from the consignment of Gainesway, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised, the colt is from the family of multiple grade 1 winner Dortmund  and out of the Henny Hughes  mare I'm a Looker , winner of the 2016 Winning Colors Stakes (G3).

"We thought he was very nice," said Elliott. "Amo Racing has been very lucky buying horses out of America lately. They had Valiant Force, a Malibu Moon colt that won the Norfolk (Stakes, G2), and we also had King of Steel that was second in the English Derby (G1) and that won at Royal Ascot. We bought him in the States as well." 

Valiant Force  was purchased as a yearling for $100,000 out of the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, running twice at the Curragh before breaking his maiden in the Norfolk at Royal Ascot this year.

Amo Racing bought King of Steel  for $200,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale. Racing exclusively in England, he won the King Edward VII Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot and most recently was third in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1).  

Elliott indicated that the horse would go to Ireland to be broken before returning to the United States to race.

"I think Amo is looking for Derby horses in the States," he said. "This colt has got size and scope, and he's got the right pedigree. Obviously, there were a lot of people that wanted him for him to bring what he brought."

"He's a spectacular colt," said Antony Beck, Gainesway's chairman. "He looked fantastic, and it's a great cross, Quality Road to Hennessey. Everybody loved him, and he brought a great price. 

"There's no reason that he won't perform extremely well overseas."

Currently ranked fifth on the North American general leading sires list, Quality Road finished second on that leaderboard last year with nearly $21 million in progeny purses. A multiple grade 1-winning Virginia-bred, he earned $2.2 million on the racetrack and numbers among his successful progeny National Treasure , winner of this year's Preakness Stakes (G1); Emblem Road , winner of the 2022 Saudi Cup (G1) and earner of $12 million; and Abel Tasman , a grade 1 winner at ages 2, 3, and 4. 

Quality Road stands at Lane's End in Versailles, Ky. His 2023 stud fee was $200,000.