Discreet Lover's Sale Price Lowest Among Classic Horses

Discreet Lover is the poster horse for the adage that a good horse can come from anywhere—and be purchased for a bargain price.

Trained by Uriah St. Lewis for his family's Trin-Brook Stables, the 5-year-old son of Repent is the least expensive contender in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) among those that were purchased at public auction.

Bred in Florida by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Discreet Lover is the first foal out of the unraced Discreet Cat mare Discreet Chat. Consigned by his breeder to the 2014 Ocala Breeders' Sales August Yearling Sale, he was bought back on a final bid of $14,000. Put into Woodford's training program, Discreet Lover was sent through the ring at the following year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, going to St. Lewis on a final bid of $10,000.

To say that was a bargain is an understatement. The grade 1 winner of the Sept. 29 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes at Belmont Park now boasts earnings of $1,374,685.

"We went to the sale looking to buy something for $15,000, $20,000, or $25,000, and we usually like to buy the dam's first foals," said the trainer, who is based at Parx Racing in Pennsylvania. "He came into the ring and he looked smart and was doing everything right. It was luck. Anyone could have bought him. A lot of horses fall through the cracks, and he's not big and robust like a lot of them. But he's smart. (They) could be big and robust but have no sense. He has a lot of sense—a lot of class."

Matt Lyons, Woodford Thorougbreds' vice president, said there were a number of factors that entered into the relatively low price for Discreet Lover, not the least of which was the lack of commercial appeal for his sire, Repent. Repent was standing at Woodford in 2014 for $3,000 when he was exported to Trinidad, where he died this year. 

"He was a really good-looking foal," Lyons recalled. "When you walked into a field of foals, he caught your attention. But he wasn't by a big-time sire at the time. He was sent to OBS and he got returned, and that led us to put him in training. We took him to the 2-year-old sale, and he still didn't really do anything exciting for the buyers there—he didn't go fast enough, his X-rays weren't great, he didn't have a perfect throat. He had the right shape, he had the right angles."

Although not commercially successful, Discreet Lover has more than made up for it on the track.

"Thankfully, horses can't read X-rays," Lyons said. "I don't think what was shown on his X-rays held him back any. He's a good horse and he's got a good trainer. Where so many have come and gone, he's still out there fighting, and he won a grade 1 in his 44th start. He's a true mile-and-a-quarter horse. This is a game for dreamers, and a horse like this gives everybody hope. It's been fun for all of us to see this story pan out."

At the other end of the public-auction price point is Classic runner Mendelssohn . The royally bred colt cost $3 million when he was purchased by the Coolmore Stud interests of Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier, and Derrick Smith, a sale-topping price at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. A 3-year-old son of the late Scat Daddy, Mendelssohn is out of 2016 Broodmare of the Year Leslie's Lady—dam of four-time champion Beholder and grade 1 winner and sire Into Mischief —and was bred in Kentucky by Clarkland Farm. He has earned $2,317,137.

"He's by Scat Daddy, and he's out of an exceptional race filly," Coolmore's M.V. Magnier said at the time he signed for the colt. "He's a very good mover, he's very good-looking and from a very good family. We had a lot of luck with Scat Daddy in the past, and hopefully it will continue."

Among the starters in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), the most expensive filly or mare bought at auction is Wonder Gadot. The 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro  was purchased by owner Gary Barber for $325,000 at the OBS April 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

Initially sent through the 2016 Keeneland September sale ring by her Ontario breeder, Anderson Farms, the filly was purchased by Eisaman Equine for $80,000. Eisaman consigned the filly—who has now earned $1,492,461 and was a Canadian champion last year at 2 for trainer Mark Casse—to OBS. Wonder Gadot is out of the winning Vindication mare Loving Vindication, who also produced stakes winner Solemn Tribute.

The least expensive Distaff entrant is La Force, a German-bred daughter of Power who has won or placed in 13 of 22 starts and earned most of her $370,800 for trainer Patrick Gallagher. Bred in Germany by Gestut Karlshof, the filly sold for $24,473 at the 2015 Baden-Baden Premier Yearling Sale.