Eaton Offers Only War Front Yearling at Keeneland
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
This War Front colt consigned as Hip 763 by Eaton Sales is the only yearling by his sire in the sale
When a War Front colt at the 2017 Keeneland November breeding stock sale spiked a fever, the foal was withdrawn from the sale and re-entered in the January horses of all ages sale.
The Feb. 16, 2017 colt out of the Empire Maker mare Circle the Empire is consigned as Hip 763 by Reiley McDonald's Eaton Sales, agent, and is the only yearling in the Keeneland sale by War Front, who stands at Claiborne Farm for a 2018 fee of $250,000.
According to BloodHorse's Auction Edge, in 2017 there were 23 War Front yearlings sold for an average price of $556,038.
"Instead of selling him compromised, we decided to pull him out (of Keeneland November)", McDonald said.
Considering the colt has improved physically in the short time since November, McDonald said he could offer opportunity to buyers.
"He has grown bigger and leggier and he is a standout physical—a really nice horse," the consignor said. "I think it's a good opportunity for the buyers that are here, because we are not seeing a large number of the people who were looking at weanlings in November."
Bred in Kentucky by Frank Hutchinson, the colt is the second foal out of Circle the Empire, a half sister to Chatham, the stakes-placed dam of three-time group 1 winner Air Force Blue and to the dams of stakes winners Surfside Tiara and Miss Double d'Oro.
The colt's third dam, the winning Storm Bird mare Starlet Storm, produced champion Flanders. Flanders is the dam of champion Surfside, among other black-type winners.