by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis
The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale produced its first seven-figure sale in two years when Don Alberto Corporation purchased Siren Serenade (Unbridled's Song) for $1.025 million Monday in Lexington, but results from the first of five sessions of the winter auction continued to show the polarized results which have punctuated the sales scene in recent years.
“The January sale is called a horses of all ages sale for a reason,” said Keeneland's Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell. “It's a catch-all sale. Some years we are fortunate to have a dispersal, like we did last year, but again this year, as we've been talking about, quality sells. We had a million-dollar mare, we had a $700,000 mare. So the quality offerings brought top dollar. That's the kind of marketplace we're in at the moment. The horses that are perceived to have top quality are getting top prices and it's tough sledding for the rest.”
For the session, 163 head sold for $10,514,000. The average fell 13.88% to $64,503 and the median of $35,000 was down 11.39%. The buy-back rate was 38.95%–up from 32.84 a year ago.
During last year's first session of the January sale, which featured horses from the dispersal of the estate of Sarah Leigh, 182 head grossed $13,631,2000 for an average of $74,897 and a median of $39,500. The top price for the session was $700,000.
There were no seven-figure sales at the 2016 Keeneland January sale, but the 2015 renewal of the auction featured the $2.2-million sale of Up (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The January sale surpassed the million-dollar mark Monday when Reiley McDonald, bidding on behalf of Don Alberto, purchased the
11-year-old Siren Serenade, the only mare in the auction in foal to leading sire Tapit, for $1.025 million. The bay mare was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency.
Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall purchased the day's top-priced short yearling, going to $185,000 for a daughter of Into Mischief (hip 246).
“All or none,” Brogden said when asked for her assessment of the market on Day 1. “It's very polarized. The mares, once they've had two or three foals, they better have a good winner, otherwise people are running for the hills.”
The January sale's first session offered buyers the chance to find plenty of bargains, according to bloodstock agent Steve Castagnola.
“From what I saw early today, it looks like it's a little soft,” Castagnola said of the market. “A quality yearling is still going to bring good money and the mares in the upper echelon will still be competitive to bid on. I think if a buyer is exercising patience that there are some good purchases to be had.”
Quarantine restrictions resulting from the recent equine herpes outbreak at Fair Grounds forced some promising offerings, including stakes winner Savings Account (Medaglia d'Oro), graded stakes winner Uchenna (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), and Cinnamon Spice (Candy Ride {Arg}), a half-sister to GISW Violence (Medaglia d'Oro), to be scratched from the January sale.
“We were a little disappointed, through nobody's fault, that there were two mares who should have sold today who couldn't come to the sale because of the herpes outbreak and they would have been two of the nicest horses in the ring today,” said Russell. “So we definitely missed them.”
The Keeneland January sale continues through Friday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.
Siren Serenade to Don Alberto
A day after winning the GII Santa Ynez S. with a daughter of Tapit out of an Unbridled's Song mare, the Solari family's Don Alberto Corp. went to a session-topping $1.025 million to secure Siren Serenade (Unbridled's Song), in foal to leading sire Tapit. The 11-year-old mare was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency.
“She is a big, strong mare from a lovely family,” said Eaton Sales's Reiley McDonald after signing the ticket on behalf of Don Alberto. “Don Alberto already owns part of the family and they've been having good foals, so it was just a no-brainer for them. There is nothing like her in the sale and Don Alberto is playing at the highest end of the game, so she was just a perfect mare for them.”
Siren Serenade (hip 145), the only mare in the January sale in foal to Tapit, has already produced Luminance (Tale of the Cat), second in the 2015 GI Santa Anita Oaks. Don Alberto purchased Luminance for $1 million at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale.
The operation paid $400,000 for future 'TDN Rising Star' Unique Bella at the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Now three, that gray filly followed a romping 10 1/4-length maiden win in November with an effortless win in Sunday's Santa Ynez.
Don Alberto was an underbidder on Unique Bella's dam Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled's Song), who topped the Keeneland November sale last fall when selling to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm while in foal to Tapit for $3.8 million. McDonald's Eaton Sales consigned both Unique Bella and Unrivaled Belle on behalf of Brushwood Stable.
McDonald admitted Siren Serenade would have stood out in whatever sale she appeared.
“We've always had good horses that show up in January for one reason or another,” McDonald said. “Sometimes they do a little better because they stand out a little more here, but I think she would have been competitive in November.”
Siren Serenade is out of multiple Grade I winner Versailles Treaty (Danzig) and is a half-sister to Grade I winner George Vancouver (Henrythenavigator) and graded stakes winner Saarland (Unbridled). She had a War Front yearling sell for
$1 million at the 2015 Keeneland September sale and a filly by The Factor bring $475,000 as a weanling at the 2015 Keeneland November sale. Her Tapit filly RNA'd for $485,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.
“It was a bit of an afterthought,” Hill 'n' Dale Farm owner John Sikura said of the decision to sell Siren Serenade at the January auction. “I am in the business to buy and sell and trade. The mare has produced really good foals and this was the year to sell her or go on owning her. The reason to sell her is to keep commercial and keep trading and provide cash to pursue other opportunities.”
Of the mare's seven-figure price tag, Sikura added, “We're happy about her price. She was a million-dollar mare and that is what she made. It was a fair trade. It's the same cross as [Don Alberto's] freaky good filly. They are accumulating good stock and they are nice people and I hope she has a great foal for them.” —@JessMartiniTDN
Some Joy for Aboughazale
Oussama Aboughazale's International Equities Holdings remained busy throughout Monday's opening session of the Keeneland January Sale and made its biggest splash when going to $700,000 to secure graded stakes winner Delightful Joy (Tapit) (hip 309). The broodmare prospect was consigned by Denali Stud.
“She's just a really, really nice filly with great range and scope,” commented Frances Relihan, who signed the ticket while sitting alongside Aboughazale and farm manager Jody Alexander. “She was a good race filly from a very strong family.”
Delightful Joy, out of graded stakes winner Graeme Six (Graeme Hall), is a half to graded stakes winner Cali Star (Street Cry {Ire}). Graeme Six, in foal to Pioneerof the Nile, was purchased by Gainesway and Whisper Hill Farm for $950,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.
“We've got an exciting mating on the horizon for her–we are hoping to breed her to War Front,” Relihan added of plans for Delightful Joy.
Delightful Joy was the sixth of seven purchases during the session for International Equities Holdings. The operation also acquired Honey Chile Ryder (Medaglia d'oro) (hip 365) for $160,000; Brushwork (Discreet Cat) (hip 273) for $150,000; and Bonnie's Empire (Empire Maker) (hip 269) for $110,000.
“Mr. Aboughazale just purchased a farm in Bourbon County,” Relihan said. “It's going to be Sumaya Stables. We are looking at a broad range of mares. Mr. Aboughazale has his young stallion Protonico (Giant's Causeway), so we have been looking at some young mares for him just to give him a little start and a boost. He'll start breeding mares next month for the first time, so we're looking to give him a base and a kick start in the market.”
Sumaya Stables, recently represented by 'TDN Rising Star' Malagacy (Shackleford), who was a dominant 15-length debut winner at Gulfstream Park Jan. 4, will be active both on the racetrack with homebreds and in the sales ring, according to Relihan.
“It's still under discussion, but it will probably be 50/50 [between racing and selling],” Relihan said. “I think we'll look at all options. Sumaya Stables has traditionally raced in the past, but we'll see what kind of stock we're getting and hopefully we can have both commercial and racing interests.”
Pete Bradley's Bradley Thoroughbreds purchased Delightful Joy for $105,000 at the OBS April sale in 2014. The chestnut went on to win the 2015 GIII Monmouth Oaks and was second in the GIII Turnback the Alarm H. She was on the board in five of six starts and earned $179,200. The filly had also been entered in last year's Keeneland November sale.
“She was supposed to race this year and she came up with a foot issue that was going to put us back too far to run her,” Bradley explained. “She's a beautiful filly by Tapit and she could really run. It's a shame we didn't get to race her on because she had a lot of talent. She was entered in the GI Cotillion last year and we really thought she'd get a piece of that, but she came up with a temperature. She was just always one of those fillies that had a lot of hard luck, but at the end of the day, I think they got a very good broodmare prospect and we sold a nice filly.”
Delightful Joy's sale Monday exceeded Bradley's expectations.
“Based on what we saw in November, I thought she was a $500,000 to $600,000 mare,” he said. “But she had over 90 people look at her at this sale and you don't have 90 people look at yearlings most of the time, much less a broodmare prospect. And with the kind of quality of the family–her half-sister is a Grade III winner, her dam was a graded stakes winner and Grade I placed–you don't find that kind of racing quality up close in a lot of pedigrees.”
Despite his success, Bradley acknowledged the January market was tough sledding.
“If you don't have a really good product, there is no market, it looks to me,” Bradley said. “When you don't have a dispersal here, it's really a secondary market. And it's just tough. It's hard to sell anything but quality these days.” —@JessMartiniTDN
Roden Strikes for Uncle Mo Half-Sis
Being a half-sister to champion and top sire Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie) and in foal to the red-hot stallion Pioneerof the Nile made Grosse Pointe Anne (Silver Deputy) (hip 350) quite popular in Lexington Monday afternoon. The 10-year-old mare from the Taylor Made consignment summoned $460,000 from bloodstock agent Alistair Roden, who was buying on behalf of an undisclosed client.
“She's a beautiful mare and obviously a black-type horse,” Roden remarked. “She's in foal to a pretty serious horse in Pioneerof the Nile. Uncle Mo under the first dam was obviously a big factor and she's a pretty mare.”
As for the price, Roden said, “I thought in this market I may have got her for less to be quite honest. Nothing ever changes in the horse business. We overpay for the good ones and there is nothing for the rest. She was a good mare, but I thought I would get her for less.”
Out of MSP Playa Maya (Arch), Grosse Pointe Anne is a half-sister to champion juvenile and dual Grade I winner Uncle Mo, who was 2015's leading freshman sire and was represented by a champion juvenile and GI Kentucky Derby winner in his first crop in Nyquist. She won one of six starts for Grosse Pointe Farm and trainer Ken McPeek and was purchased by WinStar for $400,000 at the 2010 Keeneland November Sale.
The dark bay mare is responsible for four foals, including the stakes-placed 5-year-old mare Indian Annie (Indian Charlie). Her most recent produce is a yearling colt by Speightstown and a weanling filly by WinStar's Pioneerof the Nile, sire of Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year American Pharoah and recent GI Breeder's Cup Juvenile hero Classic Empire.
Roden was back in action just one hip later to take home Ha Ha Tonka (Distorted Humor) for $75,000 for another undisclosed client. Catalogued as hip 351 from the Taylor Made consignment, the 10-year-old stakes winner sold in foal to top young sire Union Rags. —@CDeBernardisTDN
Brant Continues to Rebuild Broodmare Band
Peter Brant was a very prominent owner/breeder in the eighties and nineties, having bred a pair of GI Kentucky Derby winners Gulch and his son Thunder Gulch. The White Birch Farm owner took a break from racing to focus on polo, but has returned to the scene in a big way in recent months, purchasing several seven-figure fillies and mares both in America and Europe.
Brant continued his buying spree at Keeneland January courtesy of Claiborne's Bernie Sams, who signed the $380,000 ticket on Divalarious (Distorted Humor) (hip 312) on his behalf. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the 9-year-old mare sold in foal to Triple Crown Winner and Horse of the Year American Pharoah.
“She's from a big family and in foal to American Pharoah,” Sams said of the Hip 382's appeal. “The horse over in Japan [her now 3-year-old colt Baskerville {Bernardini}] won and they have high hopes for him.”
Bred by Charles Wacker, Divalarious is a daughter of SW Alidiva (Ire) (Chief Singer), who also produced Italian highweight and MG1SW Taipan (Last Tycoon {Ire}), who won group races all over Europe; English highweights and G1SWs All-Royal (Royal Academy) and Sleepytime (Ire) (Royal Academy); and American GSW Oonagh MacCool (Ire) (Giant's Causeway). Divalarious, who was third in the 2011 Riskaverse S., has four foals on the ground: a 4-year-old filly named Durable Goods (Medaglia d'Oro), the previously mentioned Baskerville, a yearling Giant's Causeway filly and a weanling colt by Bernardini. —@CDeBernardisTDN
Owners Shopping to Support New Stallions
The Albaugh Family recently retired two talented sons of Giant's Causeway to stud in impressive GIII Iroquois S. hero and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Not This Time, who now resides at Taylor Made, and dual Grade I winner Brody's Cause, who joined the roster at Spendthrift. Kempton Bloodstock's Steve Castagnola was hard at work Monday picking out mares for the two young stallions on the Albaughs' behalf.
“We are very excited about Not This Time as a stallion prospect,” Castagnola remarked. “It is unfortunate that he won't be able to run in his 3-year-old year because we thought he would have been better as a 3-year-old, even though he was obviously very talented at two. We've kept a large interest in him as a stallion and are looking to buy five or so mares at this sale. We have done some extensive pedigree research and we know what type of bloodlines will work well with him, so now we are trying to look for the right physicals.”
Castagnola added, “We've got a plan for Brody too. We will be shopping at this sale for Brody's Cause and also doing some work for the upcoming Fasig-Tipton February sale too.”
The first mare Castagnola purchased during Monday's opening session of Keeneland January was stakes winner Karen's Silk (High Cotton), who will be bred to Not This Time. He picked up the 4-year-old mare, who was consigned by South Point Sales Agency as a racing/broodmare prospect, for $72,000 and she hails from the family of MGISW Bushfire (Louis Quatorze).
“The mare we bought earlier today, Hip 7, was just a very attractive mare,” Castagnola commented. “She was a beautiful mare, a stakes winner and we thought she offered good value. We are going to try and buy a mix of a couple of maiden mares, a couple of young, pregnant mares and maybe a couple of older producing mares that we think will suit him and try to give him a good opportunity to get off to a good start at stud.”
Castagnola bought three mares total during Monday's session. In addition to Karen's Silk, the bloodstock agent also scooped up GSW Sheza Smoke Show (Wilko) (Hip 134), who is in foal to MGISW Liam's Map, for $190,000; and the SP Simply Confection (Candy Ride {Arg) (Hip 143), who sold for $90,000 as a racing/broodmare prospect.
“We did a lot of work before the sale as far as what mares we thought would match up genetically and through bloodlines,” Castagnola said. “We are looking for the best physicals we can get and fortunately for us, the market, for a change, has been kind to buyers. We have been rewarded with our patience and are happy with the mares we bought so far.”
Erich Brehm and his partners were also busy at Keeneland Monday buying mares to support their 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red (Afleet Alex), who recently retired to stud at Crestwood Farm.
“We are just trying to support the stallion so he can be successful and help Crestwood get him off the ground,” offered Brehm, who was sporting a bright red Texas Red ball cap. “My partners and I are buying as many mares as we can that fit. Preferably, Storm Cat and A.P. Indy mares, both in foal and with foals in front of them. We are just trying to find good horses to breed to Red. Physically, he is spectacular, so we can put him with a lot of things. Pedigree wise we can put him with a lot. He's got great size, great scope.”
When all was said and done Monday, Brehm had signed the ticket on three mares. He went to $110,000 for Ainsley (Officer), a MSP 8-year-old in foal to Distorted Humor; paid $67,000 for Veronica's Lake (Salt Lake) (Hip 205), a SP mare carrying a foal by Flatter; and secured Tres Peach (Mr. Greeley) (Hip 196), who sold in foal to Shanghai Bobby, for just $15,000.
Brogden Stretches for Into Mischief Filly
With some encouragement from her mother, Machmer Hall's Carrie Brogden stretched a bit past her ideal price to take home a yearling filly by Into Mischief for $185,000. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, hip 246 was bred in Kentucky by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding.
“She was the bomb,” Brogden remarked after signing the ticket out back alongside her mom. “She was amazing. I thought she was exceptional. I sent my husband [to look at her] and he thought she was exceptional. My business partners thought she was exceptional. This market is all about the exceptional.”
She continued, “This is all my mom's fault! I dropped out at $155,000, but then my mom came over and was like, 'Isn't she the one?' And, I was like, 'Yes. Yes, she's the one.' I know she was raised at Watercrest too and they do nothing but raise runners. They raise them tough and strong and outside. It's funny because they actually bought a horse off one of our clients for $30,000 earlier and I told them I'd take the difference. She was the rockstar for us.”
Out of the unraced mare Anna Sun (Trippi), who Hertrich purchased for $50,000 at the 2012 renewal of this sale, hip 246 hails from the family of Argentinian Horse of the Year Second Reality and MSW/MGSP Wild Mia.
“She will go back as a yearling most likely, either September or Saratoga, depending,” Brogden offered. “We have partners, so we will just partner her out.”
Brogden could not say enough good things about not only the filly, but her sire as well. Into Mischief had a banner year in 2016 as the top sire of 2-year-olds with 49 winners led by MGISW Practical Joke.
“I have seven mares pregnant to [Into Mischief] and 16 mares going to him this year,” Brogden commented. “Unfortunately, I didn't start with him early on. To me, at this time in a year or two years, we will be talking about Into Mischief the same way we talk about Tapit and Uncle Mo. People forget this 2-year-old crop he is on are from a $7,000 stud fee.”
A half-brother to three-time, soon to be four-time, Eclipse winner Beholder (Henny Hughes), GISW Into Mischief has also sired two-time GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner and fellow Spendthrift resident Goldencents; MGSW & MGISP Vyjack; and GSW Conquest Enforcer. He currently stands for a fee of $75,000 and his 2017 book is already full. —@CDeBernardisTDN
Bloodstock Investments Busy at Keeneland
Taylor Made's Bloodstock Investments IV purchased a pair of six-figure yearlings Monday at Keeneland January, going to $165,000 to secure a colt by Street Sense (hip 78) and returning a few hips later to acquire a First Samurai colt (hip 89) for $135,000. Consigned by Hurstland Farm, the Street Sense yearling is a half-brother to Group 1 winner Certify (Elusive Quality) and to Grade I winner Cry and Catch Me (Street Cry {Ire}).
“He had a great walk and he was really well-balanced,” Katie Taylor said after signing the ticket on hip 78. “And we like Street Sense a lot. He met all our criteria, correct and with a good mind about him. He's actually the horse that we wanted the most today, so I'm really happy we got him. You'll see him back probably either in [Fasig-Tipton] Saratoga or [Keeneland] September. That's our plan with him.”
The yearling, out of multiple graded stakes-placed Please Sign In (Doc's Leader) and consigned by Hurstland Farm, was bred by Hurstland and William Kartozian.
Taylor, daughter of Frank Taylor, runs Taylor Made's Bloodstock Investments program, now in its fourth year.
“Bloodstock Investments is a program at Taylor Made that we use like a mutual fund for new investors,” Taylor explained. “Each year we raise between $2 and $3 million. And we've had a lot of new people in the industry buying into these packages. Our minimum investors are $50,000 up to $200,000. It's just a great way for people to invest $50,000 and, instead of putting it in one horse, they get to spread all of their liability and be involved with 12 or 15 horses.”
Each year's program is a new entity, featuring between 18 and 20 participants, but often includes many return investors, according to Taylor. Investors are provided weekly updates and included in discussions on sales placement and marketing.
“It's just a great way for people to learn more about the industry and not have a whole lot of downside,” Taylor said. “It's a pretty safe investment. We've earned a profit most of our years and we've had a landmark year, so we are aiming towards upwards of a 15% return on investment for our investors.”
While focusing solely on pinhooking, Bloodstock Investments manages its portfolio based on current market trends.
“We follow the market,” Taylor said. “The first couple of years, we did maidens or mares carrying their first foals and then last year, we mixed the package and we had three yearlings and the rest were maidens or mares carrying their first foals and we had one weanling we bought in the summer and pinhooked in the fall.”
On the other side of the ledger Monday, Bloodstock Investments III sold graded stakes winner Thegirlinthatsong (My Golden Song) (hip 186), in foal to Honor Code ($40k stud fee), for $210,000 to Shadai Corporation. The group purchased the
6-year-old mare for $140,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale. Bloodstock Investments also parted ways with Sheza Smoke Show (Wilko) (hip 134), who sold for $190,000 Monday to Not This Time/A. F .S, and the mare's yearling colt by Malibu Moon, who brought a final bid of $45,000 from John Cummins. The 6-year-old mare, who sold Monday in foal to Liam's Map ($25k stud fee), RNA'd for $250,000 while carrying the Malibu Moon colt at the 2015 Keeneland November sale.
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