By Christie DeBernardis
One of the major highlights of the Keeneland September Sale, especially Book 1, is the ability to shop the first foals of some of the top racemares in recent years. This year, Book 1 features six yearlings who are the first offspring of Grade I-winning mares. It also includes four others who are not the first foals of top mares, but are the first foals out of Grade I winners to be offered at public auction, such as Hip 51, a Tapit filly out of champion Songbird.
Separationofpowers (Candy Ride {Arg}) captured both the GI Test S. and GI Frizette S. and retired with earnings of $964,000. Hunter Valley Farm purchased the mare for $2.1 million at the 2019 FTKNOV sale and bred her to Curlin in partnership with Mountmellick Farm. The resulting filly is offered here as Hip 36 in Hunter Valley's consignment.
The very next horse through the ring is the first foal out of a champion mare. Shamrock Rose (First Dude) captured the GII Lexus Raven Run S. in 2018 and went on to upset the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint S. a month later at odds of 25-1. The bay earned the Eclipse for top female sprinter for her efforts and made three starts in 2019 before calling it a career. Agent Michael Shannon purchased Shamrock Rose for $2.5 million at that year's FTKNOV sale. Breeder Juliana Hawn of Cross Triangle Farm offers her first foal, a colt by War Front, during Monday's opening session. He is consigned by Lane's End.
A champion at both two and three, Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) won a total of eight Grade Is and amassed $4.692 million in earnings during her illustrious career. She topped the 2017 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, selling to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm for $9.5 million. Pope retained her first two foals, an unraced 3-year-old filly named Song Gate (Arrogate)and an unraced juvenile filly named Magic Song (Tapit). Songbird's third foal, a yearling filly by Tapit, will be her first offered at public auction during Monday's opening session. Gainesway consigns the royally bred filly.
- TIME AND MOTION – American Pharoah colt (Hip 85)
Phillips Racing Partnership homebred Time And Motion (Tapit) captured the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S., as well as the GII Lake Placid S. They kept the mare and bred her to American Pharoah in partnership with that stallion's syndicate. The Phillips family's Darby Dan Farm offers the resulting colt here.
- UNTAPABLE – Gun Runner colt (Hip 101)
Winchell homebred Untapable (Tapit) won five Grade Is, including the Kentucky Oaks and Breeders' Cup Distaff, and earned the Eclipse Award for top sophomore filly. Retiring with earnings of over $3.92 million, she was retained by her owner and sent to Frankel (GB) for her first two seasons in the breeding shed. Ron Winchell kept both of those foals, a 4-year-old colt named Brentley (GB), who broke his maiden at Lone Star in June, and an unraced and unnamed 3-year-old Frankel colt. Untapable returned to America and was bred to Gun Runner for the 2020 season, but did not get in foal. The champion mare produced a colt by her connections Horse of the Year and top freshman sire last year and he will be her first foal to go through the auction ring Monday. Gainesway consigns the bay colt as Hip 101.
- VILLA MARINA (GB) – Medaglia d'Oro filly (Hip 110)
Villa Marina (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}) captured the G1 Prix de l'Opera in France, as well as the G3 Prix de Psyche. Privately purchased by Jon Clay's Alpha Delta Stables, the mare was bred to Medaglia d'Oro for her first foal and the resulting filly is consigned here by Lane's End.
American Gal (Concord Point) won both the GI Test S. and GI Humana Distaff S. The full-sister to SW & MGSP Americanize was purchased by Whisper Hill Farm for $3 million at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Her first foal, a Curlin filly, is part of the Timber Town consignment.
- DADDYS LIL DARLING – Galileo (Ire) colt (Hip 197)
Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy) was a graded winner on both dirt and turf. She captured the GI American Oaks and GIII Modesty H., as well as the GII Pocahontas S. and was second in the GI Kentucky Oaks. Coolmore's M.V. Magnier purchased the bay for $3.5 million at the 2018 FTKNOV sale. Magnier's operation kept her first foal, an unraced juvenile filly by Galileo (Ire) named Savethelastdance (Ire). Denali consigns her second foal, a Galileo colt, at this auction.
- DREAM DANCING – Gun Runner filly (Hip 219)
John Oxley homebred Dream Dancing (Tapit) captured the GI Del Mar Oaks and GIII Herecomesthebride S. before retiring to her owner's broodmare band. The breeder kept her first foal, an unraced 2-year-old filly by Justify, but offers her second foal, a Gun Runner filly, during Tuesday's session. The gray filly is consigned by Gainesway.
A $750,000 FTFMAR buy, Dream Tree (Uncle Mo) won the GI Starlet S., as well as a pair of Grade IIs. Phoenix Thoroughbreds decided to keep the mare to breed and her first foal, a Curlin filly, is part of the Denali consignment.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
