Market strength maintained at Keeneland as well-related pair reach $375,000

Useful American Pharoah filly Unchained Elaine was one of two individuals to reach $375,000 during another robust session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale on Friday.

The three-year-old, who won a stakes race at Gulfstream Park this year, was matched at that price by a weanling filly by Yaupon who is a half-sister to a recent Grade 2 winner.

CF Farms bought Unchained Elaine, a two-length winner of the Any Limit Stakes in March. Trained and bred by Patrick Biancone out of Grade 2-placed winner Razorback Lady, she is from the family of stakes winners Video Talc, Audio Cassette, Cassette Player, Desktop, Bubba Higgins and Danaher Steve.

"She's a gorgeous black mare, she looked particularly well, and the market certainly appreciated her," James Keogh of her consignor Grovendale Sales told BloodHorse. 

"We're very pleased, but not overly surprised with the price that she brought. She's a three-year-old stakes winner by a very important stallion. It's a good market and a good market to be selling into."

Contada Stable went to $375,000 to acquire the Yaupon weanling filly, whose half-brother Ole Crazy Bone captured the Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational at Kentucky Downs in September. Consigned by Moreau Bloodstock, the filly is out of the winning stakes-placed mare Southern Gem, by Smart Strike.

"We felt like she was a very classy filly with a lot of quality," said consignor Xavier Moreau. "With the update she had, and Yaupon's progeny being so desirable, that's why we [aimed] for this sale. But, we were willing to buy her back and take her to a yearling sale if we couldn't get what we wanted.

"It is more than we expected. We always put a low reserve, I'm a breeder and I have to sell, but I know she was going to sell for a lot more than her reserve, because we had so much interest in her. We had so much vet work and looks on her, and very knowledgeable people were after her."

The Friday session saw 270 horses going through the ring for $25,416,500, for an increase of 40 per cent from the fourth session in 2024 when 244 horses brought $18,195,500. The average of $94,135 was 26 per cent higher than last year’s $74,572. The median climbed 25 per cent from $60,000 to $75,000.

Cumulatively, 866 horses sold through first four days for $189,542,500, an increase of 32 per cent on the 800 horses which made $143,802,000 last year. The average of $218,871 is 22 per cent above last year’s $179,753 with the median of $150,000 an increase of 30 per cent on $115,000.

"Today’s session exceeded expectations, and it felt more like a continuation of Book 2 than the start of Book 3,” Keeneland vice-president of sales Tony Lacy said.

"The energy here has been tremendous, and we continue to see an incredible diversity of buyers eager to reinvest after such a strong year. There’s a real sense of optimism and momentum that’s carrying through every session and I think that’s reflective of the buyers’ confidence in the market."

Trinitas Place paid $360,000 for Calle Amada, a four-year-old daughter of Street Sense in foal to Tiz the Law. Claiborne Farm consigned the mare, a half-sister to stakes winner and Grade 2-placed Ganadora from the family of Grade 3 winners Voyagers Quest  and Golden Mystery. 

The November Breeding Stock Sale runs until Tuesday.

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