Distorted Humor Filly Tops Keeneland Day 4

Saucy Dame, a well-bred daughter of Distorted Humor , was bought by Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings for $320,000 to top the Nov. 8 session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Consigned as Hip 1386 by VanMeter-Gentry Sales, agent, as a broodmare prospect, Saucy Dame led a solid first session of Book 3 as the sale settled into a pace typical of a November mixed sale.

Keeneland reported 259 horses were sold for a total of $17,381,000, an average of $67,108, and a median of $52,000. The 76 head that went unsold represented an RNA rate of 22.7%. There are no comparable figures from 2017 due to a reformatted sale.

Cumulatively, 833 horses have sold for $142,608,000 for an average of $171,198 and a median of $105,000. The cumulative RNA rate is 26%.

At the same juncture a year ago, 660 head had averaged $218,329 on gross receipts of $144,097,000, with a median price of $130,000.

A winning 3-year-old filly, Saucy Dame is a daughter of the stakes-winning Storm Cat mare Storm Beauty. A half sister to champion Gold Beauty, Storm Beauty has produced seven winners from 10 to race, including grade 3 winner Buffum and multiple stakes winner and grade 2-placed Stormy West.

Bred in Kentucky by Brushwood Stable, Saucy Dame was bought as a yearling by Summerplace Farm for $200,000 from Eaton Sales at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

"She was a beautiful Distorted Humor mare and comes from a great dam," Banke said. "As a breeder, she looks perfect for breeding to some of our stallions. There are a number of candidates (we may breed her to)."

Tom VanMeter said the filly was cataloged for Book 3 of the marathon auction so she would stand out.

"We are pleased with the price," VanMeter said. "We put her (in Book 3) for a reason—we wanted her to stand out, and she did. She has a big pedigree. She is a breeders' mare. We sold her for Louise Lally's Summerplace Farm. They bought her as a yearling. They like to race."

Stonestreet Stables also purchased a Kantharos  filly consigned as Hip 1431 from the family of grade 1 winner Stormy Lucy, going to $155,000 to acquire a chestnut weanling foaled on Valentine's Day. The filly was consigned by Wynnstay Sales, agent.

At $285,000, the session's top-priced weanling was a colt by Speightstown  from the family of grade 1 winners Dream Rush and Dreaming of Julia, grade 3 winner Song of Spring, and stakes winner Atreides . He was purchased by Evergreen Stable. Consigned by St George Sales, agent, he is out of the Malibu Moon  mare Magical Dream.

Tommy Eastham of Legacy Bloodstock echoed the sentiment of most consignors on the day.

"It's a fair market, with a lot of activity and with some volume buyers," he said. "It's been a good sale. One thing we are seeing is a little more leniency with the vetting. People are beginning to understand there are some things on those reports that aren't going to affect the horse's performance. There are also a lot of international interests here. I've heard many different accents."

The sale continues through Nov. 16 with sessions beginning at 10 a.m. ET daily.