“It's great fun and it's unlike anything else in the world. The sales companies have worked very hard to put on a good show and the mood feels very hopeful.” - Price Bell
American mares have proven to be a strong influence on Australian pedigrees in recent times and subsequently, Southern Hemisphere buyers have been significant players at the big US sales - such as the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale which kicks off on Monday, November 7.
Mill Ridge Farm has raised and sold 36 Grade 1 winners since the turn of the century. With a 53-strong draft featuring representation from America’s most prominent bloodlines, the 37th Grade 1-winning graduate could well be lurking among the broodmares, weanlings and racing and breeding prospects the farm will send through the Keeneland ring.
“There are nearly 4000 horses on offer. With that volume, there is opportunity across the board... if you put the work in then you've got a shot.” - Price Headley Bell Jr.
Price Bell takes us through four Mill Ridge mares who should hold particular appeal to the Australian market.
Hip 175 - Gift List (GB) (Bated Breath {GB} x Birthstone {GB})
Three times successful (five times placed) from 10 starts, Gift List (GB) was in the quinella at all five of her 2-year-old starts - successful at her second start, saluting by over 4l next time out.
She earned her first black type (a Listed second) as a juvenile, subsequently venturing to the US; winning the G2 Edgewood S. where she easily accounted for a quality field which included the previous year’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who subsequently sold for US$3 million (AU$4.7 million) at last year’s Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
“They imported this filly (Hip 175), she’s by Bated Breath and when you peel it back another layer it’s a really nice piece of paper.
"Nureyev is the sire of her second dam and then you pop down underneath there and you have Furioso, who was a Champion Sire in Japan. It’s a deep pedigree.” - Price Headley Bell Jr.
Also, Group 2 and Group 3 placed and fourth in the G2 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Gift List is a daughter of Juddmonte's Bated Breath (GB) - the high-class sprinter from the family of Redoute's Choice, and a horse who has sired 23 stakes winners in his first few crops.
Gift List is out of the undefeated French Group 3 winner Birthstone (GB) (Machiavellian {USA}), daughter of the Group 3 winning, G1 French Oaks runner-up Baya (USA) (Nureyev {USA}).
Hip 403 - Irish Constitution (USA) (Constitution {USA} x D'Wild Ride {Can})
Showing plenty of toe at two, Irish Constitution (USA) was a debut winner over 1100 metres at Saratoga and at just her second start was fourth in the G1 Spinaway S. won by Vequist (USA) (Nyquist {USA}) who two starts later won the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.
“It’s a pretty clever play on horses like this - the American market might not value her as well because we can’t take advantage of that Group 1 placing at two.
“There have been some very clever Australians make a lot of money from doing that type of form research and I think being in foal to Candy Ride has to help her appeal.”
Only just beaten at her third juvenile outing, Irish Constitution at three was a stakes-placed winner, her success coming over 1200 metres.
Her dam D'Wild Ride (Can) (D'Wildcat {USA}) was also fast as well as durable, racing from two till six and winning 12 races up to 1400 metres - four of those at stakes level with another nine stakes placings on her outstanding record.
“She (Hip 403) won first time out at Saratoga and then ran fourth on her next start in the Spinaway (Stakes), which is a Group 1 at Saratoga. That doesn’t catalogue for us, but it does for Australia, which should help her appeal.” - Price Headley Bell Jr.
A daughter of WinStar's G1 Florida Derby winner Constitution (USA) who, with his 41 stakes winners (nine Group 1 winners) is Tapit's (USA) best sire son, the Danehill (USA)-free Irish Constitution is in foal to Lane's End's star stallion Candy Ride (Arg) - sire of 17 individual Group 1 winners.
Hip 562 - Sterling Crest (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA} x Tamazug {GB})
Classy and as honest as they come, Sterling Crest (GB) was never out of the first four in her 11 starts - winning twice over 1600 metres at three having been close up at all four of her 2-year-old starts including a Listed-level fourth.
Twice Group 3 placed (and a fourth) at three, Sterling Crest is a daughter of Coolmore's record-breaking speedster No Nay Never (USA) who is doing such a great job with his 44 stakes winners - six of whom are G1 winners including the recent G1 Thousand Guineas winner Madame Pommery, daughter of a Danehill (USA)-line mares (who appears in another 12 of No Nay Never's stakes winners).
A Danehill-free full sister to the stakes-placed Beechwood Ella (USA), Sterling Crest is one of the five winners produced by the Group 3-placed Tamazug (GB) (Machiavellian {USA}) whose dam Nasheed (USA) (Riverman {USA}) won three of her five starts at two and three - including the Listed Newbury Fillies Trial S.
Hip 1042 - Bicameral (USA) (Constitution {USA} x Humble Song {USA})
Talented enough to contest a big race at just her second outing, Bicameral (USA) was third in the G1 Debutante S. at Del Mar at two, at three winning two races (at Del Mar and Santa Anita) over 1600 metres.
She is the daughter of WinStar's high-achieving G1 Florida Derby winner Constitution (USA) who, with his 41 stakes winners (nine Group 1 winners) is Tapit's (USA) best sire son. And we know how well Tapit is faring as a broodmare sire - 66 stakes winners and counting!
“Bicameral is a Constitution filly so she’s Tapit, and her mother Humble Song is by Songandaprayer which is Unbridled’s Song, and I feel like that line has done well on the broodmare side in Australia.” - Price Headley Bell Jr.
Bicameral is a daughter of the three-times winner Humble Song (USA) (Songandaprayer {USA}), half-sister to the Group 3 winner Around The Cape (USA) (Carson City {USA}) out of the Listed winner Song Of Africa (USA) (Alzao {USA}).
Bicameral is Danehill (USA) free with her 4 X 4 cross of Unbridled (USA) making her an attractive proposition for Australian stallions - Danehill and Unbridled combining exceptionally well in the pedigrees of 51 stakes winners.
