Havre de Grace's Son Tops Day 2 Prospects
Description:
Havre de Grace has had an indelible effect on Thoroughbred racing and sales, as the daughter of Saint Liam campaigned by Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm was the rare female to be crowned Horse of the Year.
The winner of nine of 16 starts, including a defeat of males in the 2011 Woodward Stakes (gr. I), the filly who earned more than $2.5 million was sold for a whopping $10 million when purchased by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment to the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale.
Now, the mare, produced from the winning Carson City mare Easter Bunnette, could impact the Sept. 13 second day of the Keeneland September yearling sale when her colt by top sire War Front will be sent through the ring, as well a Bernardini colt who is a half brother to Havre de Grace.
Wayne Sweezey, who has the War Front colt in his Keeneland Timber Town consignment, said it is a rare opportunity for a buyer to acquire a foal out of a top mare like Havre de Grace. Generally, such stock is not offered at public auction, but Pope is following a business model in which she will retain the fillies to race and add to her broodmare band and to offer the males to the public.
Havre de Grace has produced two fillies by leading sire Tapit , and the War Front, Hip 383, is her first colt.
“Mandy is going to keep the fillies, especially out of Havre de Grace and the colts will go to market,” Sweezey said. “So this is the first one. It is very exciting. He has been very well received and has the right people looking at him. He is the total package.”
Consigned by Mill Ridge Sales, agent, as Hip 318, the Bernardini colt was bred in Kentucky by Nancy S. Dillman.
One of the biggest pedigree updates in the Keeneland catalog is in the family of Hip 226, a Medaglia d'Oro filly who is a half sister to Arrogate, the son of Unbridled’s Song who upset this year’s Travers Stakes (gr. I). Produced from the grade III-placed stakes-winning Distorted Humor mare Bubbler, she was bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms, which consigns as agent. Arrogate is also one of the September sale stars, having been purchased by Juddmonte Farms for $560,000 at the 2014 venue.
Not surprisingly, among the top offerings Tuesday are three colts by Tapit, Gainesway’s leading sire.
One of the best-bred Tapits in the catalog is Hip 207, a colt produced from the Proud Citizen mare Believe You Can, whose eight wins in 14 starts included the 2012 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) for owner-breeder Brereton C. Jones. Jones’ Airdrie Stud, as agent, offered Believe You Can at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale when she was carrying the Tapit colt, buying her back on a final bid of $4.9 million.
The other Tapit yearlings that could light up the bid board are Hips 374 and 388, both consigned by Gainesway's agency. Hip 374 is a son of Grand Prayer, a stakes-winning Grand Slam mare who has produced grade I winner Malibu Prayer and millionaire Valid, a multiple graded winner. The colt was bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm and Besilu Stables. Besilu bought Grand Prayer for $1 million from the Edward P. Evans dispersal at the 2011 Keeneland November auction.
Hip 388 is a son of the stakes-winning Yonaguska mare Hidden Expression, a half sister to three stakes winners, including grade I winner Bullsbay and grade III winner Our Khrysty. He was bred by Gainesway, which purchased Hidden Expression for $360,000 from the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February sale in 2014.
HIPS TO WATCH—KEENELAND SEPTEMBER YEARLING SALE DAY 2
Hip—Description/Consignor
206—C., Malibu Moon —Beholden, by Cat Thief /Taylor Made Sales Agency, agt.
207—C., Tapit —Believe You Can, by Proud Citizen /Brereton C. Jones/Airdrie Stud, agt.
226—F., Medaglia d'Oro —Bubbler, by Distorted Humor /Clearsky Farms, agt.
318—C., Bernardini —Easter Bunnette, by Carson City/Mill Ridge Sales, agt.
347—C., Scat Daddy —Fools in Love, by Not For Love/Lane’s End, agt.
374—C., Tapit —Grand Prayer, by Grand Slam/Gainesway, agt.
378—C., Speightstown —Grosse Pointe Anne, by Silver Deputy/Denali Stud, agt.
383—C., War Front —Havre de Grace, by Saint Liam/Timber Town, agt.
388—C., Tapit —Hidden Expression, by Yonaguska/Gainesway, agt.
395—C., Malibu Moon —Hollywood Story, by Wild Rush/Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agt.