Nine seven-figure mares at Keeneland November Book 1

Cover image courtesy of Keeneland

Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale opens with nine seven figure lots

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale opened Tuesday in Lexington with a solid Book 1 session punctuated by nine million-dollar mares purchased by a diverse, international buying bench. Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm made the session's highest bid when purchasing Graded stakes winner Roses For Debra (USA) (Liam's Map {USA}) for US$2.4 million (AU$3.7 million) from the Candy Meadows Sales consignment.

“It was a very solid, vibrant marketplace,” said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. “It was a really diverse buying bench. We had great participation from Japan, which was awesome to see, carrying on from their great participation in the Breeders' Cup. And there was really strong activity from the domestic buying bench. I think all around, it just felt like a really good, strong healthy marketplace.”

“There was a really solid core through the market,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “The clearance rate is almost 80 per cent, which is really positive in a select portion of a sale. Quality, as always, comes to the fore, and young mares–whether they're off the track or with a good early cover, have a lot of appeal from all over the world. We saw a strong domestic market, but we had great participation from Australia, Japan and Europe. Everybody was here, and everybody was very, very active. I think they felt like there was something for everybody, and that's what we try to create here.”

In addition to Tuesday's US$2.4 million topper (AU$3.7 million), Pope also partnered with Gainesway to acquire the day's co-second highest price lot, going to US$1.8 million (AU$2.8 million) to acquire Lady Tapit (USA) (Tapit {USA}) from the Paramount Sales consignment. Whisper Hill purchased six head during the session for a gross of US$6,675,000 (AU$10.2 million).

Japanese buyers, so strong across town at the Fasig-Tipton November sale Monday, continued to feature at the top of the market Tuesday at Keeneland with Japanese interests purchasing two of the day's nine seven-figure mares.

Weanlings sell up to $900,000

Glen Hill Farm purchased the session's top-priced weanling, going to US$900,000 (AU$1.38 million) to acquire a colt by Into Mischief (USA) from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.

“The weanling market was very consistent with last year,” Lacy said. “But when you are getting into that rare air, there is a select group of people who can afford those at a certain range. So it's not that you have a very broad-based buying base, but we had end-users, we had pinhookers, you had everybody in there. But they know what they want. And people were protecting their weanlings. They weren't going to let them go for less than what they thought they were worth when the yearling market is so strong and they have confidence to come back next year.”

Pope Lands Roses for Debra for $2.4 million

Graded winner Roses for Debra strode into Keeneland's ring as a US$25,000 (AU$38,300) bargain yearling buy that didn't owe anybody anything. A multiple Graded stakes-winning earner of over US$600,000 (AU$920,000), Hip 198 gave her owners yet another reason to celebrate, garnering a session-topping US$2.4 million (AU$3.7 million) final bid from Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill at the Keeneland November Sale Monday.

The 5-year-old was campaigned by John O'Meara in partnership with Everett Dobson's Cheyenne Stables. Dobson also owns Candy Meadows, consignor of the mare. “She is going to a great home,” said Dobson. “I couldn't be happier that she was bought by Mandy. I love it when a plan comes together.”

Bred by Blackstone Farm in Pennsylvania, Rose for Debra is out of Essential Rose (USA) (Bernardini {USA}), who is also responsible for SWs Rose's Vision (USA) (Artie Schiller {USA}) and Rosie's Alibi (USA) (Justify {USA}). Initially a US$125,000 (AU$192,000) purchase by Albert Racing at Keeneland January in 2020, she turned into what would turn out to be an epic bargain at US$25,000 (AU$38,300) at Keeneland later in September during the height of COVID.

Named after John O'Meara's partner Debra Rose Fritz, Roses for Debra won four of five starts for trainer Christophe Clement at three, including the Malvern Rose S. against fellow state-breds. Showing the same level of consistency in 2023, she won four straight races, including the G3 Caress S. at Saratoga in July.

“She was stabled with Christophe Clement and I have horses with him,” explained Dobson when asked how the mare came onto his radar. “Every morning I would see this big, beautiful grey. Then she won the Caress, I got more interested. One thing led to another and we have been on this roll together.”

Dobson bought into the filly after her winning Caress effort and was quickly rewarded when the filly scored in the Smart and Fancy S. in upstate New York the following month. Third in the G3 Turf Monster S., the grey was ninth in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.

“I bought into her last summer after she won the Caress at Saratoga with the idea of running her through this sale, but I never dreamed of an outcome like this,” admitted Dobson. “I am really happy for my partner, John O'Meara, and for her namesake, Debra.”

This season, she won Keeneland's G3 Giant's Causeway S. in April before coming up a head short of the win in the G2 Intercontinental S. at the Spa in June. Third while taking another swing at the Smart and Fancy on August 23, Roses for Debra eked out a win when returning to the synthetic for the G2 Presque Isle Masters S. on September 20. In her latest start, she was eighth in the G2 Franklin S. on October 13.

Whisper Hill tops Book 1, buys Roses For Debra

Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm has been active in Book 1, buying five mares outright for an average of US$975,000 (AU$1.5 million). They included Roses for Debra (Hip 198), who hammered for US$2.4 million (AU$3.7 million). “She was very elegant, very well put together,” said Pope. “She was very fast. It was on the grass, which is not necessarily ideal for American breeding programs, but she was so fast, and I needed some mares of speed to add to the stallions that I like to breed to.”

Pope said Curlin (USA) and Justify (USA) were among the stallions who would be considered for Roses for Debra. “We have a couple of good options there that both work on the grass and the dirt, and it's a good cross.”

After signing for Roses for Debra, Pope said, “We're mainly taking the opportunities as they come up, and then later on we'll be looking for mares to breed to Charge It and Tapit Trice.”

Whisper Hill homebred Charge It (USA), a GI Florida Derby winner, will stand his first season in 2025 at Gainesway. Tapit Trice (USA), a Gainesway homebred campaigned in partnership with Whisper Hill, won the GI Blue Grass S. and will likewise stand in 2025 as a new Gainesway stallion. Both are by Gainesway's outstanding cornerstone sire Tapit (USA).

“Neither one of them were really quick out of the gate,” said Pope. “They always needed a chance to get their footing and to get going. We'll probably be looking for some mares to put some speed with them.”

Shortly afterward, Pope purchased Lady Tapit (USA) (Tapit {USA}) (Hip 225) for US$1.8 million (AU$2.8 million) in partnership with Gainesway. Consigned by Paramount Sales, Lady Tapit is a half to Grade 1 winner Gozzip Girl (USA) (Dynaformer {USA}) and is the dam of this summer's G1 Stephen Foster S. winner and new Spendthrift sire Kingsbarns (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}).

Grand Stud extends to $1.5 million for Twirling Candy's Walkathon

After amassing a quartet of mares for US$11.7 million (AU$17.9 million) at Fasig-Tipton one day earlier, agent Emmanuel de Seroux, representing Yoshiyuki Ito's Grand Stud, returned early Tuesday to land graded winner Walkathon (USA) (Twirling Candy {USA}) for US$1.5 million (AU$2.3 million) on the opening day of the Keeneland November Sale. The mare represented the sole purchase for Grand Stud during Monday's Book 1 session.

“You can see what I saw,” said de Seroux. “She is a beautiful filly, full of quality. And a very good race mare, very good addition for our farm. She'll end up in Japan, but I don't know. She might be bred in Kentucky before and then go to Japan.”

“She's beautiful, full of quality and a very athletic filly, very nice. We are not the only one; there were at least five or six other people that wanted her. It has been very competitive.”

Offered as Hip 101 from the Denali Stud consignment, the 5-year-old is out of Grade 3 winner Walkabout (USA) (Stroll {USA}), herself a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and US$4.4 million (AU$6.7 million) earner Fort Larned (USA) (E Dubai {USA}). The third dam is two-time North American Champion Older Mare Bayakoa (Arg).

“She has shown soundness and durability all the way through,” said Denali's Conrad Bandoroff. “We knew she was popular and was going to sell well. (The price) was well beyond our expectations but when they have her performance and her quality, results like this can happen.”

A homebred for Whitham Thoroughbreds, whose family also campaigned Bayakoa, and trained by Ian Wilkes, who also conditioned Fort Larned, Walkathon earned her initial graded S. win in the G3 Regret S. at three before adding another in this winter's G3 Endeavour S. at Tampa. Runner up in the G3 Honey Fox S., the bay returned later in the summer to reel off three wins, including the one mile G3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf S. in August.

In regard to her pedigree, Bandoroff explained, “The whole family is cultivated by the Whitham family. They have been wonderful stewards of this family tracing back to third dam Hall of Famer Bayakoa and Fort Larned. She is beautiful. She has a lot of class and so much presence. To have her ability and her class, results like this can happen.”

'Really, Really Talented' Hidden Connection to Spendthrift

What a difference a few years and a few races can make. Hidden Brook bought Hidden Connection (USA) as a 2021 OBS Open 2-year-old for US$85,000 (AU$130,000), campaigned her with Black Type Thoroughbreds to victory in the 2021 G3 Pocahontas S., as well as eight other black-type wins or placings, and finally consigned her Tuesday to Book 1 of Keeneland's November sale, where she sold as Hip 204 for US$1.5 million (AU$2.3 million) to Spendthrift Farm.

“I loved the physical, especially, and loved the talent,” said Spendthrift's Ned Toffey, who signed the ticket. “There's enough pedigree there, but she was a really, really talented filly and has the physical to go with it. We've had good luck buying that kind in the past.”

Out of the unplaced C J's Gal (USA) (Awesome Again {USA}) from the family of GI King's Bishop S. winner Capo Bastone (USA) (Street Boss {USA}), Hidden Connection was bred by St. Simon Place. When asked if he had a stallion in mind for her, Toffey said with a laugh, “I think we can scare one up, but the nice thing is that she'll go with a variety of the horses that we would like to use. We have a lot of options with her.”

Shortly after acquiring Hidden Connection, Spendthrift also signed for Graded winner Kathleen O. (USA) (Upstart {USA}) (Hip 221) for US$850,000 (AU$1.3 million).

Shotgun Hottie to Wathnan for $1.5 Million

Shotgun Hottie (USA) (Gun Runner {USA}) will be joining the Wathnan Racing roster after selling for US$1.5 million (AU$2.3 million) on Tuesday at Keeneland. “She has a ton of quality about her and she has a great race record,” said bloodstock agent Case Clay after signing the ticket on the 5-year-old mare. “She is just a beautiful Gun Runner.”

Gallery: Images courtesy of Keeneland

Shotgun Hottie was purchased by Jeff Ganje for US$45,000 (AU$69,000) at the 2021 OBS April sale. Racing for Ganje and Omar Aldabbagh, the bay mare won the 2023 Molly Pitcher S. and hit the board in six additional graded S. races. Second in the G2 Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis S. in June and the G2 Shuvee S. in July, she was most recently third in the September 14 G2 Locust Grove S.

“I am very happy,” Ganje said after watching the mare sell. “It's a great sale. I'm a little sad. I had her for a long time. She's been a big part of my life. It was three years of excitement. Winning the Molly Pitcher was amazing. She was just a mare who fought every race. She just always shows up. She's been wonderful.”

Looking ahead to his next generation of runners, Ganje said, “I have four or five yearlings and five mares and a bunch of racehorses. I will keep going. I will spend the next 20 years trying to find another one like that.”

Of the decision to sell Shotgun Hottie Ganje said, “I had to take the money. It's just too much money. If I had a billion dollars, I would keep her and just keep breeding her. But I had to sell her.”

Quick start with Midnight Memories selling for $1.45 Million in sale's first moments

After buying five mares for a combined US$6,350,000 (AU$9.73 million) at Fasig-Tipton Monday, including Grade 1 winners Adare Manor (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}) for US$2.8 million (AU$4.3 million) and Queen Goddess (USA) (Empire Maker {USA}) for US$1.5 million (AU$2.3 million), Shingo Hashimoto struck mere minutes into the Keeneland sale on Tuesday with Hip 10 as he signed for Graded winner Midnight Memories (USA) (Mastery {USA}) for US$1.45 million (AU$2.2 million).

Hashimoto buys on behalf of Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm and their newest acquisition will “most likely” join the broodmare band in Japan. “She has a strong pedigree,” said Hashimoto. “She looks very nice and strong. We like her very much. I think she pretty much qualified on what we wanted. She ticked the boxes. She's a very nice filly and we're very excited.”

The 5-year-old Midnight Memories was trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and raced as a homebred for Mike Pegram, Paul Weitman, and Karl Watson. A winner of the 2022 G2 Zenyatta S., she is out of track record setter and Graded winner Tiz Midnight (USA) (Midnight Lute {USA}), who is in turn out of G1 Ruffian H. and G1 Lady's Secret S. winner Tough Tiz's Sis (USA) (Tiznow {USA}). Midnight Memories is carrying her first foal after being covered by Curlin (USA) in April. The Sikura family's Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, who consigned eight of the millionaires at Fasig-Tipton Monday, also consigned Midnight Memories.

Yoshida also picked up an additional mare at Keeneland Tuesday: 4-year-old Graded winner Safeen (USA) (War Front {USA}) (Hip 55) for US$675,000 (AU$1 million).

'We Just Wanted a Flightline:' first-crop weanlings in demand at Keeneland

Flightline (USA), who was represented by the top-priced weanling at the Fasig-Tipton November sale on Monday, had a pair of foals bring US$500,000 (AU$766,000) or more during Tuesday's first session of the Keeneland November sale on Tuesday. Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo purchased a colt by the stallion (Hip 241) for US$575,000 (AU$881,000) from the Lane's End consignment. He is out of Lucrezia (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}), whose yearling filly by Gun Runner (USA) sold for US$1 million (AU$1.53 million) at the Keeneland September sale earlier this year and was part of the dispersal of Ed Seltzer's Solera Farm.

“We just wanted a Flightline,” Hartley said after signing the ticket on the weanling. “We just loved him as a horse. We were able to be around him. The Mayberrys broke him and they train on our farm. So I saw him since he was getting broke. He was just a beautiful animal.”

Hartley said the plan is to offer the youngster at a yearling sale next year. “It's kind of hard to buy the weanlings because you don't really know,” Hartley said. “That's a nice baby, but you know there are some that are going to come through in September that are going to be monsters. But we have to have nice babies to sell. And we have to stretch when we see one we like. No risk, no reward.”

Of what he is seeing in Flightline's first crop of foals, Hartley said, “I see a lot of the stallion in them, but I also see a lot of the mares in the babies. This one looked a lot like an Into Mischief. I see the traits of the mares and I see the traits of the stallion, too. Flightline was just a Tapit who had such great balance. He was such a beautiful horse. We are super happy to have one.”

Earlier in the session, trainer Yoshito Yahagi purchased a colt from the first crop of the Breeders' Cup Classic winner (Hip 147) for US$500,000 (AU$766,000) on Tuesday at Keeneland. Yahagi, who saddled Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) to a third-place finish in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic last Saturday, was already dreaming of a return trip to championship weekend with his newest acquisition.

“Flightline is very popular in Japan,” Yahagi said, with bloodstock agent Keisuke Onishi of J.S. Company acting as interpreter. “I really wanted to purchase a weanling by Flightline.”

Consigned by Eaton Sales, the weanling was bred by the Nagles' Barronstown Stud. He is out of stakes-placed Champagne Lady (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}), who is a full-sister to Grade I winner Mo Town (USA) and a half to stakes winner Justique (USA) (Justify {USA}). Barronstown purchased Champagne Lady, with the colt in utero, for US$1,450,000 (AU$2.2 million) at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“He will race in Japan,” Yahagi, who was bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client, said. “And I should return to the Breeders' Cup with him. We saw Flightline race on the track. It was very impressive. And we saw him at Lane's End. He is a special horse.”

During Tuesday's first session of the Keeneland November sale, four weanlings by Flightline sold for an average of US$412,500 (AU$633,000). In addition to the two colts, a filly by the sire (Hip 178) consigned by Paramount Sales sold for US$435,000 (AU$666,000) to Tarpon Stables.