By Steve Sherack
The 2-year-old filly Alyeska (Vekoma), an eye-catching, come-from-behind debut winner carrying the famed Marylou Whitney silks at Churchill Downs Sept. 20, brought a sale-topping $675,000 from bloodstock agent Steve Young at Keeneland's single-session November Horses of Racing Age sale Thursday, which produced substantial across-the-board increases.
Fellow Marylou Whitney homebred and the once-raced 2-year-old colt Captain Cook (Practical Joke), a troubled sixth on debut beneath the Twin Spires Oct. 27, was also purchased by Young for $410,000, the second-most expensive lot of the day.
The duo were both previously trained by Norm Casse and consigned by Gainesway, agent for the Estate of John Hendrickson. Hendrickson, a philanthropist who was the husband of the late Marylou Whitney, died suddenly over the summer in Saratoga.
Young led all buyers by spending $1,342,000 on five horses on behalf of undisclosed clients. He also spent $200,000 for Girdwood, an unraced 2-year-old colt by McKinzie from the Hendrickson Estate. Young didn't reveal future trainers for his purchases.
“I think anytime you have a chance to buy those quality bloodlines at auction–if it wasn't for John's passing–those horses would've never seen the marketplace,” Young said.
“Those horses showed that they had ability and they stand on their own merit. They're terrific horses. I hope they stay lucky and brave and stay sound.”
Alyeska was produced by the Giant's Causeway mare Gull Island, a daughter of Whitney's 2003 GI Kentucky Oaks heroine and champion 3-year-old filly Bird Town (Cape Town). Captain Cook is out of the graded-placed Pow Wow Wow (Indian Charlie). His third dam is the aforementioned Bird Town. Both hail from the extended female family of GI Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone.
Fireworks in the ring for hip 4066, Alyeska, who brings $675,000 at #KeeNov! The 2-year-old Vekoma filly was consigned by @Gainesway, agent for the estate of John Hendrickson, and was purchased by Steve Young, agent. pic.twitter.com/aKvbcjYIDe
— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) November 14, 2024
Gainesway consigned eight horses on behalf of the Hendrickson Estate at the Horses of Racing Age sale for a gross of $1,807,000 and an average of $225,875.
Gainesway also sold 18 horses–led by the $1.1-million Stonestreet buy Pretty Birdie–for the Hendrickson Estate for a total of $2,254,500 at the November Breeding Stock sale.
“It's a tribute to John and the work that he put into refining that program and carrying it forward after inheriting it from Marylou,” Gainesway's General Manger Brian Graves said.
“Alyeska was a filly who had broken her maiden impressively in one start. She's a real good-looking filly. She was always gonna attract everybody's attention. It was pretty obvious from the calls leading up to the sale. The attention she got at the sale– she showed as many times as a popular yearling would, which is unusual for a horse of racing age offering. She deserved to make a price like that given that she could be a graded stakes winner in the near future.”
Graves continued, “Captain Cook was an interesting horse. I thought he was a bit of a sneaky horse in the troubled trip that he had in his first start. Obviously by a stallion who's doing really well and he was a good-looking horse. When you combine everything, that horse could be a stakes horse himself. I think people just saw that potential in him.”
Graves concluded, “There's no real hiding anything. It's not like they were bargains. People stepped up and paid real money for them. That's just a sign of where the market is right now.”
Keeneland sold 105 horses (through the ring) for $8,613,000, an increase of 9.52% from last year's total of $7,864,000 for 155 horses sold (through the ring). The average of $82,029 rose 61.68% from $50,735 in 2023, while the median was up 66.67% from $30,000 to $50,000. The clearance rate was 88%.
ELiTE was the sale's leading consignor with sales of $2.45 million for 32 horses.
Honest consignors! Find us in the back ring. Closing up shop @keenelandsales. #lastdance pic.twitter.com/FRHrAkx2TY
— EliteSales (@EliteRaceSales) November 14, 2024
In 2022, Keeneland created the stand-alone auction for horses of racing age, who formerly were included in the November Breeding Stock Sale. Last year's sale was co-topped by last-out maiden winners Double Dream (Curlin) and Edgartown (Quality Road), who brought $350,000 apiece.
“The sale today was vibrant from the very get-go,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “Every year has a little bit of a different dynamic, but there was very little weakness in that market. We had almost a 90% clearance rate, median jumped 66% and average is up 61%. That's seriously strong. We were $800,000 over last year's gross with a third less horses. It shows the demand for quality stock. I really appreciate the people that supported us because it goes to prove that when you get the right environment, this is the right place to do it. The sellers were extremely happy, and the buyers were delighted to get the horses they got.”
Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach added, “Just to echo what Tony said, there was great excitement in the building and we ran out of horses. That's the best kind of description of the sale. When something goes that well you wish there were two more barns full to lead through because everybody was here right to the end trying to scrap and get quality bloodstock. That's rewarding for us as an entire sales team to see that environment come to life.”
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