Palace Malice Colt a Nostalgic Buy for Agent Mike Ryan

Eight years ago, agent Mike Ryan purchased eventual classic winner Palace Malice  as a yearling for a modest $25,000 under the name Colin Brennan. One year later, the veteran horseman's Dehere mare Miss Seffens foaled a More Than Ready  filly named Miss Always Ready. 

Palace Malice went on to be a classic winner of the 2013 Belmont Stakes (G1), and Miss Always Ready, after starting five times for owner Three Chimneys Farm, retired to life as a broodmare.   

During the second session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale March 13, the two stories finally converged for Ryan, who went to $850,000 to acquire the first foal produced from the pair on behalf of Minnesotan Jeff Drown from the consignment of Pick View, agent.

"I thought he was the best colt in the sale," Ryan said. "We've kind of come full circle. I'm very close to the horse. I bought Palace Malice as a yearling, and I bred the colt's mother."

Consigned as Hip 325, the colt was bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm, which purchased Miss Always Ready—a full sister to grade 2 winner More Than Real—for $400,000 as a 2-year-old. Consigned by Gainesway, agent, to last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the colt was originally purchased by Marquee Bloodstock for $160,000.

Ryan said the colt was not among the yearlings he inspected at Three Chimneys Farm prior to last year's yearling sale, but added he was impressed with what he saw at OBS.

"I went to Three Chimneys before the sale and I looked at 40 head there, and this guy wasn't on the list," Ryan said. "When I saw him here last week, it blew me away. He is very much like his father."

Ryan said the colt's March 8 under tack show workout of a quarter-mile in :21 1/5 also impressed. "His breeze was phenomenal. He is a two-turn horse who showed a lot of pace. Everybody and their brother was on him."

"It was quite a home run," said Pick View's Joe Pickerell. "We knew coming in we had a lot of horse. It was a matter of who lined up for him, and he did everything perfectly all week. This horse was for a pinhooking partnership that some of my clients have had for a long time, with a few new ones, so it's very exciting. You just want everything to go right because you know the kind of potential he has. His class is the most impressive thing about him.

"This is dedicated to Kevin Hartigan, who we just lost. We bought part of his farm, Cashel Stud."

Hartigan, who owned Cashel Stud Farm, died Jan. 22.