Stallion share in Flightline brings $2.5 million at Keeneland Championship Sale

A stallion share in 2022 world champion Flightline was knocked down for $2.5 million to Jane Lyons’ Summer Wind Equine at Keeneland’s inaugural Championship Sale on Wednesday evening. 

The winning bid for the 2.5 per cent stake in the Lane's End Farm stallion was a little short of the $4.6m raised by a similar offering shortly after his swansong in the Breeders' Cup Classic two years ago but was still a significant sum and the star turn of a boutique offering in the paddock at Del Mar.

The share was offered by an original owner of Flightline.

Steve Jackson signed the ticket for Lyons, who bred and co-owned Flightline during his racing career.

"Jane loves the horse, and I thought it was a fair price," said Jackson. "She has ten or 12 foals by Flightline now. And she has plenty of mare power. The [Flightline] foals are very nice: athletic, plenty of muscle and correct, with lots of presence."

Steve Jackson secured the Flightline share for Jane Lyons at the Keeneland Championship SaleCredit: JOHNSCHNACK.COM

Larry Sarf’s LSU Stables paid the evening’s second-highest price of $850,000 for Pandora’s Gift, the multiple Group and Graded stakes-placed filly who has been campaigned by Stuart Williams towards the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on Saturday.

"We think she has good potential; we liked the way she ran on synthetic and we liked her movement," said Sarf, who told reporters the filly will be trained by Christophe Clement.

A stallion share in Grade 1 winner Cogburn, a big contender for Saturday's Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, brought a final bid of $475,000 from Richard and Connie Snyder.

For the single-session auction, Keeneland sold five of the ten offerings for $4,325,000, for an average of $865,000 and a median of $475,000.

“We've said from the beginning we wanted to be innovative and creative, and I think this sale accomplished those goals,” said Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin. “Breeders’ Cup week is about celebrating all the champions that are running this weekend. 

"Keeneland has 58 sales graduates participating in the Breeders’ Cup. Hosting a boutique sale during Breeders’ Cup week just made sense. But we wanted to have a party with a sale, not a sale with a party. That was the intention, and we are thrilled with the results.”

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