War Front Top Covering Sire; Tapit Leads Weanling Sires

The dominant commercial quartet of War Front , Tapit , Medaglia d'Oro , and Curlin  were prominent on the leading sires lists for weanlings and as covering sires following Book 1 of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Represented by the most expensive weanlings sold Nov. 5, Gainesway's Tapit led the ranks of weanling sires of more than two sold with an average of $550,000 from four sold of four offered. His top seller was Hip 116A, a filly out of champion La Verdad bought for $800,000 out of the Eaton Sales consignment. The second-highest weanling was Hip 28, a half sister to champion and multiple grade 1 winner Arrogate  that Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, agent, sold for $750,000 to Clearsky Farm and Rac 04 Racing.

Hill 'n' Dale Farms' Curlin was the second-leading weanling sire by average at $436,667 from three sold of three offered. Following Curlin in the Book 1 rankings by weanling average were Darley's Medaglia d'Oro ($382,500 from four sold), WinStar Farm's Speightstown  ($370,000 from three sold), and Claiborne Farm's War Front ($355,000 from two sold).

War Front took the top position among covering sires with a $2,170,833 average from six sold from as many offered. Like Tapit among the weanlings, War Front was the covering sire of the day's two most expensive mares: five-time grade 1 winner and champion Lady Eli and grade 1-placed, graded stakes winner My Miss Sophia.

Hill 'n' Dale offered Lady Eli, and after spirited bidding ended up taking her back to the farm, not as a buyback but as a purchase by farm president John Sikura. He bought the daughter of Divine Park for $4.2 million. My Miss Sophia, a daughter of Unbridled's Song consigned by Lane's End as agent, was not far off Lady's Eli's mark, selling for $4 million to agent Steve Young.

Out of the eight in-foal mares sold for seven-figure prices, War Front was the covering sire of five. 

Medaglia d'Oro was the second-leading Book 1 covering sire with a $1,117,500 average from four sold. Among the seven-figure in-foal mares, Medaglia d'Oro was the covering sire of two—Tiffany's Honour, consigned by Lane's End and bought by Katsumi Yoshida for $2.2 million, and Zipessa, consigned by St. George Sales, agent, and bought by Shadai Farm for $1.25 million.

The rest of the top five leading covering sires were Curlin ($613,333 from six sold), Quality Road ($575,000 from three sold), and Tapit ($500,000 from two sold).

Among the first-crop weanling sires, Taylor Made Stallions' two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome  had the highest Book 1 average of $162,500 for two sold. His top seller was a filly out of the Unbridled's Song mare Edit that sold for $175,000 to Old Chapel Farm. Taylor Made Sales Agency consigned both California Chrome weanlings.

Juddmonte Farms' Arrogate had the top covering sire average among entering-year sires of 2018. The son of Unbridled's Song had a $483,333 average from three in-foal mares sold. Yoshida paid $625,000 for the top-priced mare in foal to Arrogate, a grade 1-placed, graded stakes winner by Mizzen Mast named Money'soncharlotte. Lane's End consigned the mare, who is carrying her first foal.