Time on the Side of Palace Malice Yearlings

Shannondoe Farm faced a tough decision last year with a striking, well-balanced colt by then-first-crop weanling sire Palace Malice .

The chestnut colt out of the multiple stakes-producing Silver Deputy daughter Timeless Silver had plenty of maturity and quality to warrant consideration for Fasig-Tipton's boutique November sale. Upon further consideration, however, owner/breeder Arika Everatt-Meeuse and sales agent Mike Recio felt the colt was progressing so well that he might be more valuable as a yearling.

They rolled the dice, and now the colt is one of six Palace Malice progeny entered in The Saratoga Sale.

"I think the actual terms we used at the time was that he was going to come back and bite us in the rear end if we sold him as a weanling," said Everatt-Meeuse, who operates Shannondoe Farm near St. Thomas, Ontario, with her parents, James and Janeane Everatt. "We didn't want to be standing beside him at Saratoga crying."

So far, their patience looks like a savvy decision.

Three Chimneys Farm's Palace Malice, a six-time graded stakes-winning son of Curlin , had his progeny light up the bid board at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Yearling Sale, where he was represented by two daughters among the top five highest-priced fillies. One filly, named Duchess of Sussex—out of Southern Belle (by Dixie Union)—sold for $275,000 to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. The other filly, named Prehistory—out of Passe (Dixie Union)—sold for $250,000 to agent Steve Young.

Overall, Palace Malice was the sixth-leading Fasig-Tipton July sire by average price, with four sold of five offered averaging $187,500.

The market appreciation from Palace Malice's 2017 weanling average of $65,083 from 12 sold was striking but not altogether surprising.

Recio, who operates South Point Sales Agency with Everatt-Meeuse, said he suspects the decision they made with their Saratoga sale colt mirrors what several owners of Palace Malice offspring concluded—that giving already good-looking foals more time to grow would be rewarded.

"I think a lot of people held them back because (Palace Malice) didn't have that many sell as foals," said Recio. "You knew they were going to keep moving forward, so why cash out too early? This is a big, strong, two-turn horse that looks like he'll be quick."

The Fasig-Tipton July sale was a barnburner for Three Chimneys, whose stallions sired all of the sale's five highest-priced fillies.

"Our team looks at everything by our stallions at all the sales, and based on the feedback we already had from the farms, the results were not shocking," said Chris Baker, chief operating officer at Three Chimneys. "Now, I would not have predicted we'd have the top five fillies, but I knew they would all be well-received by the market."

The farm's freshman sires Will Take Charge  and Strong Mandate  collectively had three daughters in the top five at the July sale. Will Take Charge was represented by two—a $260,000 filly out of La Belle (Dixie Union) who was bought by Jay Em Ess Stable and a $250,000 filly named Back in Charge, out of Hamsin (Dynaformer), who was bought by trainer Ken McPeek as agent. Strong Mandate sired the sale's highest-priced filly, a daughter out of Fly the Flag (Giant's Causeway) whom Alex and Jo Ann Lieblong bought for $435,000. These sales matched the already strong results the two sires had been delivering in the commercial market for a couple of years with their weanlings and yearlings, but they both got even more attention at this year's 2-year-olds in training sales. Will Take Charge's first juveniles averaged $174,727, while Strong Mandate's 2-year-olds were not that far behind with an average of $156,050. 

Only Will Take Charge will be represented at the Saratoga sale, with Hip 159 and Hip 188.

"They both have early winners now, as well, and we saw that momentum carry over into Fasig-Tipton July," Baker said. "We had been getting good reports on the Palace Malices, too, and now to see it proven in the marketplace is a great start."

Baker said most of Palace Malice's progeny tend to look like the sire, with some length to the neck and body accompanied by a well-balanced, athletic frame. 

"The ones we like and the market likes are the ones that are most like him—a stretchier, easy-moving individual," Baker said.

Balance and athleticism are certainly traits Everatt-Meeuse sees in her Saratoga colt. But just as important, she said, the colt has a great mind.

"I'm hands-on with our horses. We work with them, prep them, and do everything ourselves, and he is a true professional and pleasure to be around. He's a colt, so he's a bit cheeky, but he is a very mature colt mentally and physically," she said. "I bred a (Canadian) Horse of the Year two years ago (Caren in 2016), and now I need to breed a Queen's Plate winner. That is what I think I've done."