'She's a nice mare with a lot going for her' - Mark McStay nets $610,000 session-topper Act Now

Avenue Bloodstock's Mark McStay did just as the mare is named, Act Now, in seeing the bidding to $610,000 on day six of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale on Monday to acquire the mare in foal to City Of Light.

Her two-year-old colt Coach Prime had broken his maiden impressively three days earlier at Del Mar for Zedan Racing Stables.

Nardelli Sales consigned the eight-year-old to dissolve a partnership as Hip 2184 to the opening session of Book 4.

McStay told BloodHorse over the phone: "I purchased her for an existing client, who has been trying to buy a very nice mare to go to Justify. Her Quality Road yearling was the most beautiful horse. Act Now is a nice mare with a lot going for her."

He added: "She was purchased for a commercial breeder, and there is a chance the resulting foal might be offered in the sales down the road. He's got a lot going for ourselves."

The winning Street Sense mare was campaigned by her breeder, Colts Neck Stables, and is a half-sibling to Long Branch Stakes-placed The Right Path. Springwood and Bill Werner purchased the mare for $150,000 during the 2020 Keeneland January Sale from Ashview Farm while carrying her first foal. 

The mare has produced three foals, with the first, by Kitten's Joy, Dr Oseran, stakes-placed and her juvenile running third at the first time of asking last month at a mile on the grass and winning second time out at the same distance but on the dirt with a jaw-dropping seven and a quarter-length margin between him and the field of nine others.

Mark McStay: bought the session-topperCredit: Alisha Meeder

During the Keeneland September Sale last year, Nardelli Sales offered Coach Prime, selling to agent Donato Lanni for $1.7 million. He is now campaigned by Amr Zedan and Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

Act Now has a yearling colt by Union Rags and was mated to Lane's End sire City Of Light on a March 17 cover.

The session-topping price tag didn't surprise McStay, who said: "The market is very strong, but also selective for the good stuff."

She was one of two broodmares to sell on Monday above $100,000, and one of five individuals to break the six-figure threshold.

Najd Stud acquired the session’s highest-priced weanling by spending $155,000 for a colt by Vino Rosso consigned by Greenfield Farms. Out of the winning Distorted Humor mare Celia’s Song, he is from the family of Grade 2 winners Warbling and Mrs McDougal.

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