Champion TAKE CHARGE BRANDI (Giant’s Causeway) sold for $6 million to John G.
“I thought she was a $5-6 million mare,” Sikura said. “She’s a champion,
Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent, consigned the three-year-old filly out of
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The next horse in the ring was a close relative: a weanling War Front filly
out of Take Charge Lady. She sold for a North American weanling record $3.2
million to Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm.
“I paid a lot of money for her half-sister, I’ll Take Charge,” Pope said,
referring to her purchase of the Indian Charlie filly for $2.2 million at
Keeneland’s 2013 September Yearling Sale. “This one will go to the farm, get
raised and then race. She has a good amount of length to her for a War Front.
She (had a lot of presence). Nothing really bothered her. She seems
well-minded.”
Eaton Sales, agent, consigned the weanling.
“She is one of a kind, probably the best filly from her crop in the United
States,” said Eaton’s Reiley McDonald. “It is hard to ever put a value on any
horse of that type. There were a good five people bidding at well over $2
million. I think everybody realized her true value and I am very happy that
Mandy Pope ended up with her.”
Grade 1 winner PHOTO CALL (Galileo) brought $3 million from Crupi’s New
Castle. Denali Stud, agent, consigned Photo Call, who is out of the Rock of
Gibraltar mare Theann.
“I thought this filly was a real nice filly,” J.J. Crupi said. “We’re going
to race her for a while and then she’ll go into our breeding program, which
she’ll definitely fit. (The client) is going to race her and she’s going to go
to (trainer) Todd Pletcher. Once she gets done with her racing career, she’ll go
to our broodmare band.”
M.V. Magnier paid $2.6 million for the weanling War Front colt who is a
half-brother to Grade 1 winner Honor Code (A.P. Indy) and Grade 2 winner Noble
Tune (Unbridled’s Song). Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent, consigned the colt,
out of Serena’s Cat (Storm Cat). His third dam is Hall of Famer Serena’s Song (Rahy).
“He’s by War Front and out of a very good mare that comes from a great
American family,” Magnier said. “We’ve had a lot of luck with Serena’s Song in
the past. He’s a nice horse and comes from a great farm. We’ll bring him back to
Ashford and see what we do next summer. In fairness to the horse, he probably
deserved the ($2.6 million).”
The final horse in the ring — a weanling War Front filly out of Grade 1
winner Awesome Maria (Maria’s Mon) — sold to Willis Horton for $2 million. She
was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent.
Selling for $1.9 million to Moyglare Stud Farm was TERRIFIC (Galileo), in
foal to War Front. Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent, consigned the
four-year-old out of the Pennekamp mare Shadow Song. Terrific is a full sister
to Group 3 winner Together and a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Jan Vermeer.
Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent, consigned Group 3 winner WONDERFULLY
(Galileo), in foal to War Front and sold to Ballylinch Stud of Ireland for $1.8
million. The four-year-old out of the Danehill mare Massarra is a half-sister to
Italian highweight Nayarra (Cape Cross).
“We particularly liked this mare,” said John O’Connor, Ballylinch’s managing
director. “She’ll go back to Europe, to Ireland. I loved the look of her. She’s
got a lot of elegance, a lot of quality. She’s by Galileo and comes from a very
successful family that was developed by Prince Faisal. It’s a family of two very
important sires in Europe. I think she’s a very interesting mare and could breed
a stallion family.”
Sikura paid $1.8 million for the broodmare prospect AURELIA’S BELLE. The
four-year-old Grade 3 winner by Lemon Drop Kid out of Aurelia (Danzig) was
consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent.
The fifth horse in the ring of the session was BELLA JOLIE, dam of Saturday’s
TwinSpires Breeders’
Cup Sprint (G1) winner, Runhappy (Super Saver). Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet
Thoroughbred Holdings purchased the mare, in foal to Cairo Prince, for $1.6
million.
“I liked her looks,” Banke said. “She’s young enough and has produced a
wonderful, wonderful racehorse (in Runhappy) and that’s always a good indicator.
She has a long career ahead and we’ll take very good care of her.”
Wayne, Bryan and Gray Lyster’s Ashview Farm, agent, consigned Bella Jolie, an
eight-year-old winning daughter of Broken Vow out of the Northern Jove mare
Jolie Boutique. The Lysters bred Runhappy, Bella Jolie’s first foal.
“We couldn’t be more pleased,” Wayne Lyster said of the sale. “That’s a
pretty big deal for Ashview Farm. We’re a small farm. I run it with my two sons
and family.”
On Tuesday, 143 horses sold for $63,784,000, a rise of 17.1 percent from last
year’s second session when 138 horses sold for $54,454,000. The average
increased 13 percent, from $394,594 to $446,042, while the median rose 6.4
percent, from $235,000 to $250,000.
After two days, 279 horses have sold for $108,878,000, a rise of 13.6 percent
from 2014 when 273 head brought $95,852,000. The average has risen 11.2 percent,
from $351,106 to $390,244, while the median is up 15 percent, from $200,000 to
$230,000.
The November Sale continues through November 13. Remaining sessions start at
10 a.m. (EST). The entire sale is streamed live at keeneland.com.