Simply the Best as OXO Equine swoops for sale's highest-priced foal

While the pace slowed somewhat on the third day of Keeneland’s 12-session November breeding stock sale, trade overall remained up slightly over 2018 figures at the close of Book 2 on Friday, with weanlings and international buyers continuing to be significant factors in the action.

A chestnut filly by Curlin proved the session leader, drawing $775,000 from Larry Best’s OXO Equine and ranking as the most expensive weanling sold in the first four days of the November sales in Kentucky, including the single-session Fasig-Tipton auction.

Even though Best had left the sale grounds when the filly stepped into the Keeneland ring, he made his presence known by having Taylor Made Farm’s Frank Taylor bid on the filly for him while they were connected by telephone.

“She’s a nice filly; we loved her. She has a great walk—everything we wanted,” said Taylor, who advises Best and helps oversee horses the owner, a finance specialist who is involved with several medical technology ventures, boards at Taylor Made.

Even though he is still relatively new to racing and breeding and recently was honoured with the 2019 “New Owner of the Year Award” during the Thoroughbred Owner Conference at Santa Anita Park, Best already casts a long shadow over sale rings involving all ages and types of bloodstock.

Including the Fasig-Tipton sale and he first three Keeneland sessions, Best spent a total of $9.285 million on ten horses, with $5 million of that sum on Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Blue Prize, one of a just a handful of mares he owns as he begins to get more involved in breeding.

Best’s weanling purchases included a $750,000 Curlin colt at Keeneland and a $700,000 Uncle Mo filly at Fasig-Tipton, but Friday’s Curlin filly was the leading light by price. Produced by the Giant’s Causeway mare Fly to the Stars, the filly is a half sister to Grade 3 winner The Tabulator and is from the family of Grade 1 winner and sire Bellamy Road.

Before he left Keeneland, Best had said he was seeking high-quality weanlings because the most outstanding yearlings were becoming overly expensive to purchase at auction.

Following the Curlin filly, a pair of mares offered by Warrendale Sales as agent for Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Stud were the next highest sellers, with Arthur Hoyeau, agent, signing a $585,000 ticket for Slewfoundmoney and China Horse Club acquiring Daveron for $550,000.

Hoyeau said Slewfoundmoney, a 15-year-old by Seeking the Gold who is in foal to Into Mischief, was bought for a “new client” and would stay in Kentucky.

"She's in foal to a hot sire and she's been a very good producer, a consistent producer, so she ticks a lot of boxes," Hoyeau said of the mare who has produced two stakes winners, including multiple graded winner and Grade 1-placed millionaire Awesome Slew, as well as two additional stakes-placed runners.

German-bred Daveron—a multiple graded winner and Grade 1-placed daughter of Black Sam Bellamy out of a full sister to Dalicia, dam of Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom—also will stay in America, said China Horse Club’s racing and bloodstock manager Michael Wallace.

The 14-year-old mare has produced graded winners March to the Arch and Global Access from her first five foals of racing age and is in foal to Uncle Mo from a February mating.

"She’s off to a great start (as a producer) and she could obviously run herself, and she’s got a great cover,” Wallace observed. “Not much to not like, really. She puts out a good foal (and) you’re out on one hit. It’s a bit of a no brainer.”

Wallace said Daveron would be China Horse Club’s last purchase in America this year. Including two weanlings bought in partnership with WinStar Farm’s Maverick Racing, China Horse Club acquired ten horses overall at the November sales for a total of $5.715 million.

Three of the China Horse Club purchases were young Galileo mares in foal to Triple Crown winner Justify.

Oliver Sangster said the well-bred Multilingual would be heading back to EuropeCredit: Keeneland photo

One of the most international pedigrees featured in Friday’s Keeneland session came from Juddmonte Farms in the form of seven-year-old Multilingual, a daughter of Dansili who is a half sister to top sire Kingman and who is in foal to Frankel’s brother Noble Mission.

Consigned by Mill Ridge Sales, Multilingual was sold for $525,000 to Oliver Sangster, who said he was acting on behalf of his father, Ben Sangster.

"She’ll go back to Europe," Oliver Sangster said of Multilingual, whose dam, Zenda, won the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and is a half sister to Oasis Dream. He also expressed surprise that he was able to succeed in the bidding.

"To be honest, we thought she’d make a bit more," he said. "Her half brother is making waves back in Europe and looking like the real business as a sire. It’s a beautiful old Juddmonte family and she’s just a lovely mare.”

Also gaining raves was a gray weanling filly from the first crop of Juddmonte’s champion Arrogate who elicited a final bid of $425,000 from McMahon and Hill Bloodstock. Consigned by Gainesway for Bonne Chance Farm, the filly is a half sister to 2015 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Wavell Avenue.

"We bought her for ourselves to pinhook," said Michael McMahon. "Jamie Hill and I organize a pinhook every year to do high-end fillies and colts and she certainly fits the bill.

"This filly will sell really well next year,” he added, saying that he has been particularly impressed with the first weanlings by Arrogate. “I think he’s got a very real chance to be a super sire.”

McMahon also praised the first weanlings by 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner. To date, Gun Runner and Arrogate are leading the stallions with first crop weanlings; the former has had eight sold for an average of $344,375 while the latter has had four sold for an average of $311,250.

Trade in Kentucky was as vibrant as the surroundingsCredit: Keeneland photo

Meanwhile, Keeneland reported that 634 horses were sold in the first three days of the November sale, encompassing a single-session Book 1 and the two-day Book 2, for a combined $139.307 million, up 4.76 per cent from the first three days in 2018. Average price was up nearly 1 per cent to $219,727, while median was steady at $150,000.

During the third session, 11 fewer horses were sold than in 2018 and turnover dropped by 10 per cent to $31,527,500, with average price falling 5.72 per cent to $135,894.

"I thought we had a good cross section of international and domestic buyers," said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland director of sales operations.

"The foal market was very strong today, spread between both end users and prominent pinhooking partnerships. I thought it was a good day and finished out Book 2 very well."

Read Michele MacDonald's other stories from this week here...

Breeders loving Justify

Clarkland Farm reinvest after selling $8.2m filly

Take Charge Brandi tops Keeneland Book 1

John Sikura reveals exciting plans for historic Xapala

Breeders' Cup winner Blue Prize lights up Fasig-Tipton

Kent auctioneer hangs up his gavel