$2.2M Gun Runner Colt Leads Million-Dollar Bonanza at Keeneland September Opener

09/09/2024 08:08 PM

by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis, and Jill Williams

LEXINGTON, KY-The Keeneland September Yearling Sale had its first seven-figure transaction just an hour into its first session Monday and, when the dust had settled after a frenetic day of bidding, 14 yearlings had sold for $1 million or more. The group was led by a $2.2-million son of Gun Runner who sold to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm from the Four Star Sales consignment. The colt was one of five by the Three Chimneys stallion to sell for seven figures during the session.

“That was a fun day,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “We thought it was going to be energetic and a good, solid, healthy market, and we are very pleased with the way it came out.”

During the boutique Book 1 opener, 98 yearlings grossed $54,795,000 for an average of $559,133 and the median was $450,000. Both were double-digit increases over the figures from the opening session of the 2023 September sale when 110 horses sold for $55,330,000, at an average of $503,000 and a median of $400,000.

“Looking at the figures at the end of the day, they were incredibly healthy,” Lacy said. “The average was $560,000, which is up about 11% over last year. We refer to the median quite bit and last year it was $400,000. This year, it was $450,000, so that is up 12%. The gross was pretty much on par with last year, with a few fewer horses.”

Monday's first session of the September sale attracted a deep bench of buyers, with the top 21 highest-priced horses purchased by 20 unique buyers.

“There was huge diversity in the buying bench, both domestically and internationally,” said Keeneland President Shannon Arvin. “There was a lot of Japanese participation, participation from the Middle East and then, of course, our domestic buyers were very active also.”

The opening session's 14 million-dollar yearlings compares to eight during the first session last year. The entire 2023 Book 1 section featured 23 million-dollar yearlings.

The Keeneland September sale is opening with a two-session Book 1 section for the fourth year in a row and Monday's session, which began with a bluegrass band and passed cocktails, proved the format has become popular with both buyers and sellers, according to Lacy.

“We really appreciate the consignors and breeders who supported us,” Lacy said. “This is something we put a lot of effort into pushing Book 1 as a dominant marketplace. We want to make sure that the buyers are here and the horses are here for the buyers. The buyers put aside a lot of time to be here with us and we want to make them feel comfortable. So everything here is here for the benefit of the buyers and the customers and it creates the right environment. There was a crowd in here the entire afternoon and that never relented.”

Book 1 concludes with a session Tuesday beginning at 1 p.m. Book 2 sections Wednesday and Thursday begin at 11 a.m. Following a dark day Friday, the auction continues through Sept. 21 with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

“This was just the beginning,” said Arvin. “I think we all have a lot of confidence in the marketplace. A lot of principals are here. The breeders have obviously worked very hard and we appreciate them selling their stock with us. They've brought the very best to market. So it's going to be fun to watch.”

Pope Takes Home $2.2-Million Gun Runner Colt

Mandy Pope of Whisper Hill Farm, busy both buying and selling Monday at Keeneland, made the highest bid of the first session of the September sale when going to $2.2 million for a son of Gun Runner (hip 169). Bred by Three Chimneys Farm and consigned by Four Star Sales, the yearling is out of stakes winner and graded-placed Princesa Carolina (Tapit). The mare is a daughter of Pure Clan (Pure Prize) and Pope already made a significant investment in the family when purchasing a Gun Runner daughter of that multiple Grade I winner for $1.5 million at last month's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale.

“He is an amazing horse,” said Pope's advisor Todd Quast. “He's got everything: the looks, the shoulder, the hip, the movement. We bought the Pure Clan filly up at Saratoga and we love her. We know where he was raised. We do a lot of stuff with Three Chimneys, so we know he was raised right. We are just super happy to have him. Hopefully he can run. But he sure looks the part.”

Also Monday, Whisper Hill purchased a filly by Into Mischief (hip 55) for $700,000 from the Eaton Sales consignment.

“We have sold a few, we've bought a few other ones,” Quast said. “I think it's a strong market. I think you have to have the right horses with the right people, as always. And if you have it, you get rewarded, if you don't, you go home without it. But I think it's a very healthy market right now.”

Whisper Hill had a knock out sale in 2023, selling five seven-figure yearlings in Book 1. Results for the farm's homebred Monday were more moderate, with a Tapit full-sister to Charge It RNA'ing for $1.45 million. But the farm has some star power to come during Tuesday's second Book 1 session.

“It's not as strong for us as it was last year, but again the stars have to align,” Quast said. “As of yet, it hasn't, but it could tomorrow. We have a Songbird (hip 225) and a Tap Gun (hip 255) tomorrow. We have a lot of good horses still to come and hopefully more to buy, too.”

The $2.2-million session topper punctuated an impressive day for Three Chimneys' Gun Runner, who had five seven-figure yearlings through the ring.

“He's never disappointed anybody at any point in his life,” Three Chimneys' Chris Baker said of the stallion. “I think this is the crop–it's a big crop, it's off the $125,000 stud fee and he's continuing to get it done with the crops that were bred at a lower stud fee, including the 2-year-olds that were bred at $50,000. The demand is appropriate for where he is at this stage and what is in front of him. Pay for them now or you may have to pay more for them later. And the individuals line up. We are in Book 1 at Keeneland, with the pedigrees and physicals that will bring this kind of money when they have the sire power behind them. It's very satisfying for all of us who are so closely involved with Gun Runner.”

The session-topping $2.2-million bid for hip 169 was no real surprise for Baker.

“He's the kind of colt that you get up here and you find that everybody else likes him as much as we did,” Baker said. “It really wasn't surprising. It was very pleasant to see, but shocking to see he went that high? No. The reserve was well below that and our expectations were realistic, but he was the kind of colt that had the potential to break out. And that's what he did.”  @JessMartiniTDN

Gun Runner is the First Sire to Breach Seven FIgures Monday

The first yearling to break the seven-figure barrier during Keeneland's first session Monday was hip 24, a chestnut filly by Three Chimneys Farm's Gun Runner out of 2017 GI Del Mar Oaks winner Dream Dancing (Tapit). The filly went to Douglas Scharbauer for $1.5 million. Scharbauer, whose family campaigned 1988 Horse of the Year and 1987 GI Kentucky Derby winner Alysheba, hails from Midland, Texas.

“We fell in love with her. We're big fans and thought she was one of the prettiest fillies around,” said Ken Carson, longtime advisor to the Scharbauer family and former manager of the family's Valor Farm in Texas. “The Asmussens will break her and we'll hope for the best.”

Carson reminisced about other purchases in the same sales ring with the Scharbauer family.

“Doug loves this,” he said. “She's a nice filly. He fell in love with her. His parents used to come here years and years ago, bought Alysheba here. That horse took us on a ride, I'll tell you that.”

Scharbauer's father was Clarence, who passed away in 2014 and not only raced Alysheba, but founded Valor Farm.

“I am very impressed with [this filly],” said Scharbauer. “We were all impressed with her. I didn't know what she'd bring, but I am a little surprised that I could get her for $1.5 million. She's very nice. Her breeding, everything about her. I think there is a lot of promise right there. I'm really excited about her. Probably as much as anything out there today.”

When asked about his plans for the filly, Scharbauer laughed.

“We won't bring her to Texas, that's for sure,” he joked. “We'll keep her in Kentucky. Steve Asmussen will get this one.”

Bred by John Oxley in Kentucky, the filly's great-granddam is Oxley's champion Beautiful Pleasure (Maudlin), whose six Grade I victories included the 1999 Breeders' Cup Distaff. The yearling's 2-year-old half-sister Dreamaway (Flameaway) is now two for two after winning the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park in July.

“We thought that she was a really nice filly. We were pleasantly surprised that she was able to bring over $1 million,” said Brian Graves of Gainesway, who consigned the filly on behalf of Oxley. “We thought that she was always that caliber, but it's nice when a few people hook up and it goes a little higher. In fairness, she's out of a young Grade I winner with a huge family and she looked the part. The Oxleys have done it again and they're infamous for showing up on the track, like with Sierra Leone and all the other good horses they've bred, so when it all matches up, it's nice to see them break through.”—JillWilliamsTDN

#KeeSept Book 1, Monday: A colt from the first crop of Charlatan out of Grade I winner Guarana (Hip 70) sells for $1.4 million to @coolmorestud and Peter Brant. Consigned by @HillnDaleFarm. pic.twitter.com/6OElcNrjCm

— TDN (@theTDN) September 9, 2024

Coolmore/White Birch Extend to $1.4M for Charlatan Colt

With the Day 1 action gradually easing into gear, the seven-figure tickets started coming fast and furious midway through Monday's opening session. Among those lighting up the board, Hip 70, a colt by first season sire Charlatan, was secured for $1.4 million from Coolmore partners and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm. Bidding from the team's customary spot behind the main pavilion, M. V. Magnier signed the ticket on the son of 'TDN Rising Star' and MGISW Guarana (Ghostzapper).

The Mar. 7 foal was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, who co-bred the colt with Matt Dorman.

“This was a very nice horse. His mother was a very nice race filly and Charlatan was a very good racehorse himself,” said Magnier. “John Sikura and everyone at Hill 'n' Dale do an exceptional job breeding and raising racehorses. They have a very good track record.”

Trained by Chad Brown, Guarana won over $1 million on the racetrack, highlighted by wins in the GI Acorn Stakes, GI Coaching Club American Oaks and GI Madison Stakes. A granddaughter of GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home (Seeking the Gold), the  8-year-old mare is a half-sister to Grade III scorer Beatbox (Pioneerof the Nile) and fellow 'TDN Rising Star' SW/GSP Magic Dance (More Than Ready).

“Let's hope he's as good as his mother,” added Magnier. “Chad liked the horse, everybody did. We'll bring him back to Ashford , and we'll figure out what we're going to do with him there.”

The family has proven prolific in the sales ring, beginning with Guarana's dam Magical World (Distorted Humor), who realized $5.2 million while in foal to Into Mischief at the Fasig-Tipton November sale in 2021. In turn, the half-brother to Guarana brought $1.1 million when led through the ring at this venue in 2023.

“He was a magnificent horse,” said Hill 'n' Dale's John Sikura of Monday's third-highest priced colt of the session. “He was powerful and a great mover. He was beautifully balanced with great musculature. He was a classy and athletic horse with a beautiful face, head and eye. The physical horse is outstanding.”

At the conclusion of her racing career, Guarana–also carrying an Into Mischief foal–sold for $4.4 million to Hill 'n' Dale at Fasig-Tipton November in 2021 and the resulting colt, now named Mischievous Intent, brought $1.4 million from Winchell Thoroughbreds at Keeneland last September.

“They love the Charlatans and Guarana was a supremely talented racehorse,” added Sikura. “[Hip 70] has a deep pedigree, the dam was a Grade I winner and a great individual. It's all the components you need to sell a $1-million horse. After that, you just don't know because it depends who bids at that point.”

From six Charlatan yearlings offered Monday, five sold for a gross of $2.785m and an average of $557,000.

“The results speak for themselves,” said Sikura when asked about the Hill 'n' Dale resident stallion. “The buyers are appreciating them and they are selling very well. We have more good Charlatans over the next few days but the table is set.”

At the conclusion of Day 1, Coolmore and White Birch teamed up to purchase two additional yearlings: hip 74, a Gun Runner half-brother to Airdrie sire Collected (City Zip) for $700,000 and hip 86, another Gun Runner colt out of In The Moonlight from an active family that realized $800,000. The session's expenditures totaled $2.9 million for an average of $966,667.

Of the team's Gun Runner purchases, Magnier explained, “Gun Runner is absolutely flying at the moment. After this year's [runner-up finish] Kentucky Derby with Sierra Leone, Derrick Smith really wants to win it. It's a really big deal for these guys and they just want good race horses. We're here trying to find some.”

Commenting on the overall market for the sale's premier stock, Magnier concluded, “The market seems to be competitive for the good ones and there seems to be plenty of nice horses around.”–@CBossTDN

Heaven Trees Knocks it Out of the Park With Rachel Alexandra's Brother

Monday's opening session at Keeneland was in full swing when Hip 112, a colt by Medaglia d'Oro, strode into the arena. If the sire power was enough to garner its share of glances on its own, the bottom side of the page was absolutely spellbinding. Out of 23-year-old Lotta Kim (Roar), the Feb. 23 produce, a full-brother to none other than Horse of the Year and Classic winner Rachel Alexandra, garnered a $1.35-million final bid from new-on-the-scene Epic Horses.

“He's a lovely horse, a full brother to a great, great filly. A great result. We're very very happy,” said John Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, who consigned the yearling on behalf of breeder Dede McGehee.

McGehee, who boarded mares for Dolphus and Ellen Morrison for many years, secured Rachel Alexandra's dam Lotta Kim privately from Morrison when the champion's breeder dispersed his band due to illness.

Bred by Morrison, Rachel Alexandra amassed earnings of $3.5 million on the racetrack, having won the GI Kentucky Oaks for her breeder before being acquired privately by Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick. She won the GI Preakness Stakes in her first start under the tutelage of Steve Asmussen.

As a member of Stonestreet's broodmare band, the champion 3-year-old filly and five-time Grade I winner produced GI Spinaway Stakes winner Rachel's Valentina (Bernardini). A Quality Road filly out of Rachel's Valentina is off to Japan after the Maeda family's North Hills Co. Ltd. paid $1.05 million for her on Monday.

“I got [Lotta kim] when she was carrying Dolphus [Lookin At Lucky, foaled in 2013],” said McGehee. “It's extra special because the mare Lotta Kim [was] owned by my favorite client of all time.”

McGehee's initial seven-figure yearling was also produced by Lotta Kim–a colt by Medaglia d'Oro's son Bolt d'Oro that brought $1.4 million at Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga Sale in 2021.

“That mare has paid for most of the stuff on my farm,” said a visibility emotional McGehee. “I was a little surprised [about the price] because the mare was old. So it definitely exceeded my expectations.

“Book 1 is not my thing,” McGehee said with a laugh. This is a big deal!”

Heaven Trees Farm's resident broodmare band numbers approximately 20 mares. Additionally, the operation's current crop of yearlings number 15.

“This was our best foal this year. My crew did a great job and Hill 'n' Dale did a great job too. They've been very good to me.”

According to McGehee, Heaven Trees Farm will be represented by one more yearling–by Army Mule–in Keeneland's Book 4.

“It is probably the last foal out of [Lotta Kim's foals] that we will ever sell,” said McGehee. “I didn't know what to expect. But you never know.”–@CBossTDN

'Epic' Result for Rachel's Full-Brother

Making a splash of its own at Keeneland Monday, Epic Horses LLC recorded its initial auction purchase when landing Hip 112 for $1.35 million.

Handling the bidding duties for the undisclosed new owners, the operation's advisor and CEO of Town & Country Farms Shannon Potter explained, “We saw him at the farm [Hill 'n' Dale Xalapa in Paris, Kentucky] three or four weeks ago and we liked him there. With that family and that pedigree, he checked all the boxes for us.”

Underscoring the most obvious selling point in the yearling, Potter explained, “His head and his look is probably right on with what [Rachel Alexandra] looks like. He has a very good temperament every time we have seen him. We probably looked at him four or five times.”

According to Potter, the colt will ultimately be trained by Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher after his initially taking up residence at Town & Country.

“He is a really good mover,” he confirmed. “He has a good walk and has a lot of hip and a big shoulder. We loved the way he looked.”

While declining to name the new owners, Potter offered some additional insight into the fledgling racing operation.

“Epic Racing is a new venture,” he said. “It is a couple from Vegas. This is their first purchase at auction. We bought another privately. They are excited about the game and the business and the industry. ”

During Monday's opening session, Epic Horses also secured Hip 149, a filly by Into Mischief for $350,000.–@CBossTDN

#KeeSept Book 1, Monday: A full brother to Horse of the Year and champion RACHEL ALEXANDRA, a colt by Medaglia d'Oro out of Lotta Kim, sells for $1.35 million to Epic Horses.

Consigned by @HillnDaleFarm. pic.twitter.com/GYRBBJbGd7

— TDN (@theTDN) September 9, 2024

AMO Racing USA Strikes for American Pharoah Full-Sister to Forbidden Kingdom

An American Pharoah filly out of GSW Just Louise (Five Star Day) brought the gavel down at $1.35 million Monday to the bid of AMO Racing USA LLC. Consigned by Paramount Sales, the Feb. 25 foal filly is a full-sister to MGSW & GISP Forbidden Kingdom.

“We love her. We saw her on the first day and on Sunday,” said AMO Racing's Kia Joorabchian. “We loved her and we went back to see her a couple of times. She's got a great pedigree. To be honest, that's what we are looking for. We're looking for fillies with great pedigrees and she was a standout for us, so we weren't going to stop. We are going to take our time now. She will go now to take a break and we will give her a little bit of time off and then we'll see. It will definitely be an American trainer [that she goes to].”

The filly's dam is a half-sister to MGSW Sara Louise (Malibu Moon), dam of 'TDN Rising Star' Nash (Medaglia d'Oro). Gabriel “Spider” Duignan's Springhouse Farm bred the filly, offered as hip 97, after purchasing her dam for $150,000 at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

“We've had the mare for a while, she's been very good to me,” said Duignan. “Delighted with where she is going and delighted with the price. I'm glad she is going to great owners. She is a very nice filly and has been very popular all week. It's a fantastic family, her brother is very good.”

Pat Costello of Paramount was also pleased.

“She's well-bred, a full-sister to a lovely racehorse,” said Costello. “She was a good physical. There was a lot of action. She has a great mind. That was good. That was on the top of where we thought it would be.”—JillWilliamsTDN

Broman Looking for a Derby Horse

Longtime New York owner and breeder Chester Broman went to $1.15 million to acquire a colt by Gun Runner (hip 73) from the Brookdale consignment Monday at Keeneland. Broman did his bidding alongside advisor Becky Thomas from the new reserved table seating area inside the pavilion.

When asked why he purchased the yearling, who is out of Grade I winner Harmonize (Scat Daddy) and is a half to multiple graded winner and multiple Grade I-placed Integration (Quality Road), Broman pointed at Thomas and said, “You told me to.”

Thomas laughed and said “No, I didn't. You told me you like that one the best.”

Thomas continued, “He was a big, beautiful and stretchy. We loved his family and his walk. Mr. Broman wants to go to the Derby and we thought he looked like the type.”

Of the colt's final price, Thomas admitted she wasn't surprised, “but I am not one to bid that high. Mr. Broman is here and he told me, 'If I come, we don't have a budget.' He was in charge of the budget.”

The colt by was bred by Larkin Armstrong, who purchased Harmonize for $80,000 at the 2014 Keeneland September sale. Racing in Armstrong's colors, the mare won the 2016 GI Del Mar Oaks. Her first foal, Integration, sold for $700,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale and went on to win last year's GIII Virginia Derby and GII Hill Prince Stakes. He was runner-up in last month's GI Arlington Million. @JessMartiniTDN

Nyquist Colt Brings $1.15M on Keeneland's Day 1

Rarely missing from the leaderboard, agent Donato Lanni was back in action for Hip 82, a colt by Nyquist, that realized $1.15 million. Consigned by breeder Candy Meadows Sales, the Feb. 10 was purchased on behalf of SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing and Madaket.

“He was beautiful from the day he was born until today. He never had a bad day in his life. He's just a really lovely horse,” said Matt Lyons of Candy Meadows.

Candy Meadows purchased the mare Impasse (Quality Road), in foal to Into Mischief, for $385,000 at Keeneland November in 2019. A daughter of MSW Tempus Fugit (Alphabet Soup), the 11-year-old's resulting Into Mischief filly realized $300,000 at this sale in 2021 followed by a Uncle Mo filly that brought $450,000 one year later.

Lyons added, “There were so many good judges and so many good groups following this horse the last couple of days. We could see the momentum going. You never can predict a million- dollar horse, but we knew he had a chance.”

Signing the ticket of the colt, SF Racing's Tom Ryan explained, “He is a horse that there was a consensus about. It's the same group, we've got Stonestreet in this horse and then most of the same old characters, Starlight, Madaket, and SF [Racing]. We felt like it was a high-conviction horse for us.”

Ryan confirmed the colt will ultimately join Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert in California.

“We like Nyquist. He doesn't take any introduction anymore,” Ryan added of the Darley resident. “He's clearly a top-flight stallion. Very good example of what a good son of Uncle Mo can do.”

He continued, “He is an athlete with plenty of pedigree. We have no doubt that he'll see out a mile and hopefully he'll get a little farther. We're excited to have him.”–@CBossTDN

Repole and Spendthrift Partner on Gun Runner Colt for $1.1 Million

Gun Runner is as hot in the sales ring as he is on the racetrack. The Horse of the Year and young sire sensation got his fourth–but not last–seven-figure horse of the day when hip 121, a Feb. 3-foaled colt, sold to Repole Stable and Spendthrift Farm for $1.1 million Monday. The bay was consigned by Bridie Harrison, agent for Peter Blum Thoroughbreds.

“Repole Stable and Spendthrift Farm partnered on this horse. It was loved by both teams,” said Jacob West, agent for Repole Stables. “Obviously Gun Runner doesn't really need an introduction on how big of a stallion he is. Peter Blum breeds incredible horses. Mix it all in the pot and it equals $1.1 million. Just excited to get him. [Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher] will train the horse. He was one of those horses that was highly ranked from the start. We know it was going to be expensive to get him, but luckily Mike [Repole] and Eric and Tammy [Gustavson] were able to come together and come up with an idea of what we would go after him and it happened to fall into that range of budget.”

Bred by Blum, the colt is out of GSW & GISP Magical Feeling (Empire Maker). The mare has already produced four black-type winners, including GSW & GISP Imagination (Into Mischief), who was most recently third in the Sept. 1 Shared Belief Stakes, and GSW & MGISP Occult (Into Mischief). Both sold at previous editions of the September sale, with Imagination bringing $1.05 million in 2022 from Donato Lanni, for SF Bloodstock/Starlight Racing/Madaket, and Occult hammering for $625,000 in 2021 to Steven W. Young.

Blum's son, Josh, was representing his father Monday.

“He's a fantastic horse,” said the younger Blum. “He's been a standout for us since he was on the ground. We expected him to do well and we were happy to get a good price, but we weren't setting the bar too high. Ultimately, we wanted to make sure he sold in the ring. We're in the business to sell, so we're happy he got sold and happy he sold well.”

Upon being wished congratulations, Blum said with a smile, “Congratulate my dad. It's his operation.”—JillWilliamsTDN

Snyders Celebrate First Million-Dollar Sale

Richard and Connie Snyder, who moved their commercial broodmare band from New Mexico to Kentucky 10 years ago, celebrated their first seven-figure sale Monday at Keeneland when John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock bid $1 million to acquire a filly from the first crop of Maxfield (hip 53).

“That's the first million-dollar horse, but it won't be the last,” Richard Snyder said with a chuckle after congratulating Stewart on the purchase.

Of his emotions while watching the filly sell, Snyder admitted, “It was exciting, nervous, stressful for us, but it was fun. We knew she was going to sell well. A lot of people liked her. She is what she is.”

The yearling is a half-sister to the first Grade I winner the Snyders have bred, GI Alabama Stakes and GI Ogden Phipps Stakes winner Randomized (Nyquist).

“They were very similar,” Snyder said of the two fillies. “This filly might be a tick bigger than Randomized was, but both of them had big walks and were straightforward.”

Both fillies are out of the unraced French Passport (Elusive Quality), who was one of the first high-priced mares the Snyders purchased after acquiring their Kentucky farm on Paynes Mill Road in Versailles in August of 2014. The couple paid $200,000 for the mare in foal to American Pharoah at the 2018 Keeneland November sale.

Randomized sold for $420,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale and her colt by Justify sold for $410,000 at the 2022 September sale. The Maxfield yearling is the mare's final foal.

“The sad part is we don't have the mother anymore,” Snyder said. “This is the last one out of her. She got killed in a paddock accident. It was tragic. Very tragic.”

The Snyders currently have a broodmare band of 17 head.

“This was our only yearling in Book 1,” Snyder said. “We've got one in Book 2 and multiples all the way through Book 6.”

Hip 53 also became the first seven-figure result for her first-crop sire Maxfield (Street Sense), winner of the 2021 GI Clark Stakes and 2019 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity.

The stallion, who stands for $35,000 at Darley, had 16 first-crop weanlings sell for an average of $148,312 last year, led by a $500,000 colt at the Fasig-Tipton November sale. Prior to Monday, he had had 10 yearlings sell this year for an average of $209,750, led by a $450,000 filly at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale.

“That is a very big price for a yearling by a first-crop sire,” said Kerry Cauthen of Four Star Sales, which consigned the filly. “Based on this filly and several I have seen, they have great minds and I expect good things from him.”

The seven-figure yearling was one of six purchased by Resolute Bloodstock Monday. The group also included a Tapit half-sister to GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner and GI Kentucky Derby third Zandon (Upstart) (hip 128) acquired for $900,000 from the Airdrie Stud consignment.

“We like Maxfield, think he's coming on well,” Stewart said. “We actually bred him to some of our maiden mares this year. He nicks really good in our system. We think he's going to be a good stallion. This filly is just a beautiful filly, as you can see commanding that kind of price. When we rank it in our pedigree system and looking at the horse overall, she's an A+ and was on the top of our list.” @JessMartiniTDN

$1-Million Constitution Colt to Juddmonte

“We were on fumes at the end,” Juddmonte manager Garrett O'Rourke said after signing the ticket at $1 million to acquire a colt by Constitution (hip 85) from the Airdrie Stud consignment. “The market is very, very strong. It's more than I wanted to pay for him, but it's the market, so you have to go otherwise you go home empty handed.”

The colt is out of Indian Pride (Proud Citizen), who romped to an eight-length debut victory at Saratoga in 2019 before finishing third in the GII Raven Run Stakes and winning the Shine Again Stakes in 2020. She won three of her four lifetime starts for her breeder, the late Brereton Jones.

“My exposure to the family was to his dam,” O'Rourke said. “I was very impressed with her when she won her first start. I spoke to Bret Jones then and asked if he would sell her and he wasn't interested. I had followed her career and always thought she was a filly who had the talent to win a Grade I, even though she didn't. So I was interested to go and see the colt. He is a huge, big beautiful colt. Hopefully he will grow into something as fast as his mother and we have a very high opinion of Constitution, as well.”

Juddmonte Farms, founded by the late Prince Khalid bin Abdullah who died in 2021, has had success buying future champions out of the Keeneland September sale. The operation purchased Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) for $560,000 at the 2014 auction and Elite Power (Curlin) for $900,000 in 2019.

“Classic horses,” O'Rourke said when asked what he was shopping for at Keeneland this week. “We've been lucky enough with Arrogate and Elite Power buying here. They say they come in threes, so we will keep shopping until we get the third one. It's great that Prince Khalid's family have the ambition to get another one. That's the goal. That's our hope anyway. Everyone has hope in this game. He is the first one we went in to bid on and it's nice to have a ticket in your hands whatever happens from here on in.”

The colt represents several generations of a family cultivated by Brereton Jones, who passed away last September.

“A million dollars doesn't happen to us very often; it doesn't happen to many people very often,” Jones's son Bret said. “We are ecstatic. It means so much to the farm. We are just very grateful right now.”

Indian Pride is a daughter of Ms. Cornstalk, who RNA'd for $35,000 as a yearling at the 2005 Keeneland January sale. The mare produced Canadian champions Biofuel (Stormin Fever) and Tu Endie Wei (Johar), as well as Indian Pride.

“The memories hit you right in the face when you think about all the fun that we had with Biofuel and Tu Endie Wei,” Jones said of the bittersweet seven-figure result. “I really do think Indian Pride, at the end of the day, is going to be one of the greatest mares that my dad has ever had his hands on.”

Jones continued, “There is no greater compliment than Juddmonte buying your horse. Garrett O'Rourke knew how special his dam was. I remember he was one of the first people to call me when she broke her maiden at Saratoga. She was a very special filly and I think she will be a very special broodmare. That family has given us a lot of great days. I hope it gives Juddmonte a lot of great days, too.”

Indian Pride has a 2-year-old by American Pharoah, who was purchased by Gus King for $600,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. She produced a filly by Into Mischief this year and was bred back to Gun Runner. @JessMartiniTDN

Gun Runner Filly Stays in the Seltzer Family

At the end of the day, Krista Seltzer couldn't let her father's decades-long involvement with the family end Monday at Keeneland and she bid $1 million to take home the filly by Gun Runner out of Lucrezia (Into Mischief) (hip 117). Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the yearling represented five generations of horses bred by Ed Seltzer, who is in the midst of dispersing his bloodstock.

“I don't know who the partners are going to be, but yes, we bought her back,” Krista Seltzer said. “There was a lot of sentiment there and she is a lovely filly. I like to have partners where we know my dad can watch her race and enjoy watching her race. That's super important to him. He loves the family. We knew we wouldn't let her go for nothing.”

Lucrezia was a two-time stakes winner in Seltzer's colors and was second in the 2020 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. Her dam, Verdana Bold (Rahy), was a graded winner for Seltzer.

“I didn't expect that,” Krista Seltzer said of the filly's seven-figure price tag. “It was a lot of sentiment. We love all of them and it's hard to part with them and we will, but for me, for this one, just for the partners whoever they are going to be, I want my dad to enjoy the racing as if she was his.” @JessMartiniTDN

Small Pinhook Representation in First Session

We've taken a look at how Monday's pinhooks fared and attempted to analyze how the prospects as a whole performed on the day. We've loosely used a cost of $25,000 for each yearling's board, veterinary expenses, farrier work, sales prep, and sales entry fees. Obviously, this amount can vary wildly per offering depending on whether one can keep a horse on their own farm or whether one boards, as well as each horse's particular veterinary needs.

A total of 10 yearlings were consigned to Monday's first session as pinhooks. Two were outs and three were RNAs, leaving just five to represent the pinhook sector. The five sold for a total of $2.05 million from a total output of $1.69 million at original purchase. Less $125,000 for the five in combined estimated costs, that leaves a profit of $235,000 for the quintet. Three were profitable and two lost money. —JillWilliamsTDN

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