Stradivarius New Keeneland January Session Topper

Stradivarius, a winning daugher of Street Cry, sold for $375,000 to Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services, as agent for Andrew Rosen, to become the top selling mare during the opening session of the Keeneland Janaury horses of all ages sale Jan. 8.

The 5-year-old mare is a half sister to graded/group stakes winners Eskendereya and Balmont and is in foal to Medaglia d'Oro . 

"I like that she ran very fast when she broke her maiden by nine," said John Stuart with Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services. "I like that she is in foal to Medaglia d'Oro." He said she might go back to Medaglia d'Oro or to Violence , a son of Medaglia d'Oro.

Consigned by Craig and Holly Bandoroff's Denali Stud as agent for Earle I. Mack, the mare went through the ring at the Keeneland November sale and was bought back for $475,000.

"I thought she would do a little better than that but we got her sold and that is the object of the exercise," Craig Bandoroff said. "She got looked at a lot in November and she got looked at a lot here. At the end of the day, people make up their mind. We didn't have a very aggressive reserve."

Stuart observed that the market was a little slow during the first half of the session and said he saw a lot of nice mares go unsold.