Dixie Union Mare Tops Keeneland Sale Session

Dr. E.C. "Pug" Hart and Susie Hart came to the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale looking for a replacement for their late mare Miz United States, and left with Dixie Victory, who topped the penultimate session Jan. 12 at $100,000.

Bought by the Harts under the name of Willow Wood, the winning 6-year-old daughter of Dixie Union was consigned as a broodmare prospect as Hip 1457 by Shawhan Place.

"She's a beautiful mare," Susie Hart said, noting she paid more than she expected for the mare. "She was the right physical, had the right look, had a live pedigree, and is a half sister to a current graded horse. I wanted to buy her for $50,000, but all the smart guys are here. Any time a really good one comes in, you can't hide them."

A multiple stakes-winning daughter of United Appeal, Miz United States produced multiple stakes winner Exaggerated and multiple stakes-placed runners Ameribelle and Scampering for the Harts.

"I loved her. She was a great mare," Hart said. "I was looking for a replacement for her, so hopefully this mare will be with us for a good long time."

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Holdings, Dixie Victory was produced from the grade I-winning Artax mare Friendly Michelle and is a half sister to stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Bonita Bianca. Dixie  last Sept.Victory had been claimed by Bull O' The Woods Stable for $10,000 at Laurel Park last September, providing her owners with a quick return.

Shawhan Place's Matt Koch said the mare's price went well beyond the consignor's expectations.

"We were surprised," Koch said. "We knew she was going to do well. She was popular at the barn and very well received. You are always excited when one goes beyond your expectations. Obviously we were extremely happy."

Koch said the market during the Thursday session was either feast or famine.

"You hit one out of the park like that and the next one you don't get a bid," he said.

Dixie Victory was the only six-figure horse during a session in which gross, average, and median prices trended downward and the buyback rate rose.

Keeneland reported 209 head grossed $2,489,600 for an average price of $11,912, down 22.3% and 7.8%, respectively, from the $12,919 average for 248 horses during the same day a year ago. The session median of $5,000 was 31% off the $7,250 figure in 2016. The 67 horses bought back represented 24.2% of the total through the ring, compared with a 15.3% RNA rate last year.

Going into the day's fifth and final session, the average is trending down 12.9% at $34,784 ($39,944 in 2016), as 790 horses have grossed $27,479,100, compared with the $33,672,900 total for 843 at the same point in 2016.

Through Day 4, the 398 horses that were withdrawn represented 25.6% of the 1,549 cataloged, with 361 horses bought back, for an RNA rate of 31.4% of those through the ring. At the same point a year ago, the RNA rate was 24%.

The day's second-highest price and top for a short yearling was the $67,000 bid of Robertson Q. H. for Hip 1515, a filly from the first crop of Goldencents  . Consigned by Susan Forrester, the filly foaled Feb. 13, 2016, is from the family of multiple grade 3 winner Halo's Image.

The colt, from Zenyatta's family and out of a Curlin   mare, was bought by Dennis Farkas.

Four Stars Sales was leading consignor on the day, selling 43 for $447,300, and the entity's Kerry Cauthen said he has been satisfied with prices brought by the consignment.

"They are bringing what I thought or better," Cauthen said. "They are horses that are not overly commercial but they are trading. That is the best we can expect at this point. The market is down but they are trading."

The Harts' lone purchase made them the day's leading buyer by gross.

The January sale concludes Jan. 13, with a start time of 10 a.m.