Puca (Big Brown–Boat's Ghost, by Silver Ghost), the dam of GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic), will be among the lots at the upcoming Keeneland November sale in an exclusive two-mare initial consignment offered by Case Clay's Case Clay Thoroughbred Management. The other mare in Clay's consignment will be 2022 GI Beverly D. S. winner Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger}–Drawn To Run {Ire}, by Hurricane Run {Ire}).
Puca is carrying a full-sibling to Mage, who has also placed in the GI Preakness S., GI Florida Derby and GI Haskell Invitational S. from six career starts and is scheduled to go postward in Saturday's GI Travers S. Puca's first foal is MSP Gunning (Gun Runner), while she also has a 2-year-old full-brother to Mage named Dornoch, who is entered in Monmouth Park's Sapling S. Saturday.
Dalika, who won races from 5 1/2 to 11 furlongs, is carrying her first foal to the cover of 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline (Tapit). In addition to her Beverly D. win, in which she set a new course record at Churchill Downs of 1:46.31 for the nine furlongs, Dalika won an additional three graded stakes, including the 2022 GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf S., the 2022 GIII Cardinal S., and the 2021 GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial S. She won 10 races in three countries for earnings of $1.465 million and also set a course record at Kentucky Downs for one mile and 70 yards in 1:37.45.
“It's an honor to bring Puca and Dalika to the market and to be associated with such quality mares and quality pregnancies,” said Clay. “I am associated with these two particular mares already, so it's a natural extension of my business in an area in which I have been lucky enough to have experience in selling top mares. I'm looking forward to showing them to potential buyers in November.”
Both Puca and Dalika are part of Keeneland's Book 1 and are scheduled to go through Keeneland's ring Wednesday, Nov. 8.
“Keeneland is excited that Case has chosen us to offer these two exceptional broodmares in Book 1 of the November Breeding Stock Sale–and mark the debut of Case Clay Thoroughbred Management,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “While at Three Chimneys Farm, when it was owned by his family, Case oversaw the sale of a large number of million-dollar-plus broodmares over many years, including the great Take Charge Lady here at Keeneland in 2004. Along with this experience at the top end, he has an extraordinary number of connections and relationships with domestic and international buyers.”
“It's really just a vertical integration to my business for my clients, in an area in which I am lucky enough to have a lot of experience, as Three Chimneys used to consign a lot of mares when I was there full-time,” Clay said. “It is similar to my equine insurance business, which began during Covid, when one of my clients asked how he should insure his filly. There wasn't a lot going on at the time, so I got my license.”
Harkening back to his days at Three Chimneys, Clay amassed quite a record selling million-dollar-plus mares to the top players in the business. He said he has no plans to expand into the yearling consignment business.
“The November Sales were my favorite, since they follow the Breeders' Cup and everyone is in good spirits,” Clay said. “Selling high-quality fillies and mares is always a charge.”
The November Breeding Stock Sale catalogue will be released online Tuesday, Oct. 3.
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