International racing prospects see Book 4 of November Sale end on strong note

Book 4 closed out on a strong note on Tuesday at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, as racing prospects joined weanlings and broodmares in the ring for the first of two sale sessions to feature horses of racing age.

A total of 241 horses changed hands Tuesday for gross receipts of $7,613,900 (£5,930,735/€6,921,795), a 2.7 per cent decrease over last year. The average was up 6.2 per cent to $31,593 (£24,610/€28,720) and the median was up 17.7 per cent to $20,000 (£15,580/€18,180).

At last year's session, total receipts for 263 horses sold came to $7,821,100 with an average of $29,738 and median of 17,000.

Fifty-five horses went unsold at the conclusion of the seventh session this year, representing an 18.6 per cent RNA rate. A total of 61 horses went unsold last year for a rate of 18.8 per cent.

Through Tuesday, a total of 1,653 horses have been sold at Keeneland November for receipts of $181,131,300 (£141,089,510/€164,666,465).

View full Keeneland November Sale results

Topping the sale on Tuesday was the last horse through the ring, a two-year-old racing prospect consigned as Hip 2761G by Indian Creek, agent. Entered in the supplemental catalogue, the Liam's Map colt, Liam's Legend, was bred in Kentucky by Mark Stansell out of the Cherokee Run mare Indian Legend and is a half-brother to stakes winner Kenda. He was purchased by Khalid Mishref on a final bid of $325,000 (£25,3240/€295,455).

"I have no option except to Dubai, but mainly he will end up racing in Saudi Arabia for the long term," said Mishref. "But for the time being, at two years old, there's the United Arab Emirates Derby. That's what we are shooting for.

Khalid Mishref (right): 'Saudi Arabia right now, they're booming'Credit: Keeneland photo

"He will suit the track back in Saudi Arabia very well and also I like the distance. He won already, at two years old, he won at a mile and an eighth. He will go, that's what we are targeting, eight furlongs, nine furlongs, ten furlongs."

With the inaugural $20 million Saudi Cup set to debut February 29 next year, Mishref said should everything go smoothly with Liam's Legend, the colt could one day be targeted towards a start in the world's richest race.

"Saudi Arabia right now, they're booming," said Mishref, who also owns a piece of two current Saudi Cup hopefuls in Gronkowski and Math Wizard. "They're going the right track. They'll have the big Saudi Cup on February 29, which is their biggest race at $20 million for four-year-olds and older. Who knows? It might be this horse if he stays in Saudi Arabia for one more season, he might be a potential for (2021), so we have to build up."

Two lots earlier, Shedaresthedevil, a two-year-old bay filly by Daredevil, was picked up by Flurry Racing Stables for $280,000. Consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent, the filly (Hip 2761E) was bred in Kentucky by Winstar Farm out of the Congrats mare Starship Warpspeed.

Shedaresthedevil was third in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar and placed second in the Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

"I thought that was fair for a horse that can be stakes quality," said Clay Scherer, who signed the ticket for the new owner. "She's already a proven stakes runner and she'll leave to go to Brad Cox here soon. She'll go to Hot Springs for the winter.

"Keeneland does a great job bringing racehorses ready to go. They offer a great ready-made product, so why not strike?"

Bloodstock agent David Ingordo, who was also active during the final hour of the horses of racing age session, said that purchasing racehorses at this time of year requires buyers to evaluate individuals to really strategize on what makes the most sense for the future of the horse.

"Obviously they have to go and perform. A lot of these mares and different things, or weanlings, or short yearlings, or whatever breeding stock—they're kind of there. Very quickly we're going to find out if we're right or wrong here. You have to do your homework, you've got to know what you're looking for. Buying a racehorse isn't just like, 'Oh, I found one. Let's do it.' You want to make sure if you buy it for X price, that you have some room to maneuver to place it properly.

David Ingordo: 'When you're buying racehorses you're trying to manage it like a puzzle piece'Credit: Keeneland photo

"We buy and sell horses privately. We sold a horse the other day to New York because he'd done what he could here. In New York he has starter (conditions), he has another (option) ... You're moving them where they belong. When you're buying racehorses you're trying to manage it like a puzzle piece and put it where you can immediately hopefully do some good with it."

The most expensive mare sold for the day was Hip 2,688, an unraced daughter of the late Pioneerof The Nile named Indian Gardens. Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, agent, the three-year-old dark bay was offered in foal to Maclean's Music and purchased for $205,000 by Betz Thoroughbreds.

Bred in Kentucky by Hal J. Earnhardt, Indian Gardens is the sixth foal out of two-time champion Indian Charlie mare Indian Blessing. A five-time Grade 1 winner who was named champion two-year-old filly in 2007 and champion female sprinter in 2008, Indian Blessing earned just shy of $3m from 16 starts. She is also the dam of Ten Blessings, who placed third in the Malibu Stakes.

"She stood out in Book 4," said bloodstock agent Donato Lanni on behalf of Hill 'n' Dale Farm. "We just wanted her to be a star today, let her be in Book 4 and let her be a star. She's beautiful. There's still a lot of people shopping for mares, young mares.

"She was out of a champion mare and she was beautiful. She sold herself."

The second-highest priced mare of the day was Hip 2,397, a daughter of Malibu Moon purchased for $180,000 by Arch Bloodstock, agent for Sandra Sexton. Named Moon Over Matter, the five-year-old was bred in Florida by Hardacre Farm and consigned by Brookdale Sales, agent for Hardacre.

Out of the Point Given mare Prettyatthetable, Moon Over Matter is a half-sister Grade 2 winner Pomeroys Pistol. She produced a filly by Tiznow in 2019 and was offered in foal to Twirling Candy .

Tom Bozarth of Arch Bloodstock said the active family was particularly alluring for Sexton, who already has a broodmare band of around 30 mares. In particular, Pomeroys Pistol has a two-year-old Pioneerof The Nile colt named Thousand Words who was sold by Brookdale for $1m to the Albaugh Family and Spendthrift at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The colt recently broke his maiden on debut in late October at Santa Anita.

"We were just glad to get her," said Bozarth. "We bought her for Sandra Sexton. Sandra likes Twirling Candy and we like the family. There's a lot of upside with the two-year-old coming up and we're looking for those types of horses to put in her broodmare band."

The top weanling on Tuesday was Hip 2,598, a Kantharos filly consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent. Bred in New York by Adrian Regan and Fergus Galvin, the filly is the first foal out of the Warrior's Reward mare Cassidy's Reward. She was purchased for $160,000 by Pink N Blue Stable.

"We were really drawn to the cover sire more than anything," said Galvin, who purchased Cassidy's Reward for $50,000 from Indian Creek at last year's Keeneland November sale. "She was a resident New York mare when we bought her. I sent her back up to my father-in-law, who is John McMahon, and he foaled her out. She's now back in Kentucky back in foal to Kantharos."

Galvin said that while the market continued to play strong with pinhookers and end-users looking to purchase quality weanling stock, the propensity of buyers to land on the same horses had made selling in the middle market a more pronounced challenge.

"It's the old saying—it's very polarized," said Galvin. "She (Hip 2,598) was the star of our show for this current book and that's what people are all gravitating towards. It's definitely very tough underneath the ones that don't appeal to the majority of people. There's a lot of weanlings that are not making stud fee. That's the times we're living in right now. But it's good. You bring a good one like her up, everybody's there."

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