Conquest Dispersal Has Unique Flavor

Since making their foray into Thoroughbred racing under the Conquest Stables banner four years ago, Ernie Semersky and Dory Newell have quickly risen to the upper echelon of North American owners.

The Conquest horses have been trained by top North American conditioner Mark Casse and were easy to find in the racing entries since the stable name was incorporated into the horses’ names.

Ranked 32nd in 2014 by annual purses won, Conquest rose to 18th last year and, with more than $2.4 million to date in 2016, rank 15th as 42 of their 240 starters have found the winner’s circle for an 18% strike rate. Among their successes this year have been grade II winners Conquest Two Step, winner of the Palos Verdes Stakes, and Conquest Daddyo, who captured Woodbine’s Summer Stakes.

Over this past weekend, Conquest Vivi won Woodbine’s Victorian Queen Stakes for her second stakes victory.

But due to personal reasons, co-owner Semersky announced earlier this year he would be leaving the racing and breeding industry and 115 Conquest-owned horses will be offered for public sale during the Nov. 8-20 breeding stock sale at Keeneland.

"When we launched Conquest Stables just four years ago, our goal was to build an operation that could compete in the biggest races in North America," Semersky said in announcing the dispersal. "We were on our way to achieving that goal, with seven Breeders' Cup starters, two Sovereign Award winners, and the winners of races like the grade I Darley Alcibiades.

“Unfortunately, because of personal reasons, we have decided to step back from racing at this time. But we feel these up-and-coming horses would be at home in any international racing stable."

The Conquest group, consigned by Lane’s End as agent, includes grade I winner My Conquestadory, in foal to leading sire Tapit  , and her 2016 weanling colt by Tapit, as well as six additional in-foal mares. Also cataloged are five weanlings, 41 racing and broodmare prospects, 61 racing and stallion prospects, 42 3-year-olds, and 44 2-year-olds.

“Dispersals have always added s little spice to the November sale,” said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland’s director of sales operations. “Conquest this year is slightly different because it is more of a racehorse dispersal than a breeding stock sale.”

Russell said the racehorses from Conquest will be offered during the Monday and Tuesday sessions of the sale’s second week when Keeneland tries to catalog racing stock on dark days for many racetracks in an effort to attract trainers.

In addition to the Conquest dispersal, the Keeneland sale will include dispersals of Marc Ferrell’s VinMar Farm (St. George Sales, agent); and Jim Eigel’s Rosemont Farm (Trackside Farm, agent).

Also, Claiborne Farm will consign an 11-horse reduction from the Phipps family stable, including 2005 Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Distaff (gr. I) winner Pleasant Home, in foal to Orb  , the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner who stands at Claiborne.

“All of those dispersals or reductions have jewels to be found,” Russell said.