Fresh off an upset win over division leader Midnight Bisou in last Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Santa Anita, BLUE PRIZE was the headline attraction at Tuesday’s Fasig-Tipton November Sale in Lexington, Kentucky.
A six-year-old bred in Argentina, Blue Prize garnered a final bid of $5 million from Larry Best’s OXO Equine. She was offered as a racing or broodmare prospect as Hip No. 98 from the consignment of Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services, agent for Merriebelle Stables.
Bringing into the sales ring a record of 19-8-6-3, $2,598,613, Blue Prize was a Group 1 winner and classic-placed in Argentina. She’s made a larger mark in her adoptive land, taking two editions of the Spinster (G1) at Keeneland in addition to her Breeders’ Cup triumph. Her other stakes wins include three graded events at Churchill Downs: the Falls City H. (G2), Fleur de Lis H. (G2), and Locust Grove (G3).
By Pure Prize, Blue Prize is out of Blues for Sale, an Argentinean Group 2 winner by Not for Sale.
Others bringing $2 million or more Tuesday night:
*Multiple Grade 1 winner PHOTO CALL, sold to Katsumi Yoshida for $2.7 million. Offered in foal to Quality Road on a May 4 cover, the eight-year-old by Galileo was consigned by Denali Stud, agent.
*SHAMROCK ROSE, the 2018 champion female sprinter, sold to Mike Shannon, agent, for $2.5 million. Consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent, she was offered as a broodmare prospect.
*MIA MISCHIEF, winner of the Humana Distaff (G1) in May and the $120,000 Dream Supreme at Churchill Downs on November 1 most recently, was gaveled down to Stonestreet Stables for $2.4 million. ELiTE, agent, consigned the four-year-old who was offered as a racing or broodmare prospect.
*Multiple Grade 1 winner SEPARATIONOFPOWERS, a four-year-old by Candy Ride, sold to Hunter Valley Farm for $2.1 million. She was also offered as a racing or broodmare prospect by ELiTE.
*2018 Canadian Horse of the Year WONDER GADOT was obtained for $2 million by K I Farm. Bluewater Sales, agent, consigned the four-year-old broodmare prospect by Medaglia d’Oro.
BAFFLED, the dam of hot freshman sire Constitution, was the first seven-figure offering of the session, bringing $1.8 million from Don Alberto Corporation. The 14-year-old mare was consigned by Denali Stud, agent.
Offered in foal to Medaglia d’Oro on a May 21 cover, Hip 95 has reared Group 2 winner Boynton and Grade 3 winner Jacarda in addition multiple Grade 1 winner Constitution, whose own offspring include Champagne (G1) winner Tiz the Law, Nashua (G3) scorer Independence Hall, Sorrento (G2) vixen Amalfi Sunrise, and Sanford (G3) winner By Your Side.
By Distorted Humor, Baffled is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Emcee, Group 2 winner Surfer, and the stakes-winning producer Spring Party.
BELVOIR BAY, who captured the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) over males last weekend, sold for $1.5 million to Mike Shannon, agent. Sporting Hip 96, Belvoir Bay was consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent, as a broodmare prospect.
Winning the Turf Sprint in a course-record :54.83 for five furlongs at Santa Anita, Belvoir Bay improved her career mark to 28-12-6-2, $1,699,731. It was her 10th stakes win overall and fifth graded. Previous victories in the latter category included the Monrovia (G2), Senator Ken Maddy (G3), San Simeon (G3), and Torrey Pines (G3). Belvoir Bay also placed second in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) at Meydan last March.
A six-year-old bred in Great Britain, Belvoir Bay is by Equiano and out of Path of Peace, a Rock of Gibraltar half-sister to Group 2 winner Please Sing.
Others bringing $1.5 million or more were:
*Chilean Horse of the Year and 2018 Beldame (G1) winner WOW CAT for $1.7 million by White Birch Farm, whose proprietor, Peter Brant, co-owned the five-year-old daughter of Lookin at Lucky. ELiTE consigned the racing or broodmare prospect.
*Stakes winner SWEET N DISCREET, the dam of Jessamine (G2) winner Sweet Melania carrying a Liam Map’s foal on a May 10 cover, sold to Mt. Brilliant Farm, Marette Farrell, agent, for $1.6 million. The nine-year-old by Discreet Cat was offered by Lane’s End, agent.
*The multiple Grade 1-winning VASILIKA, who narrowly missed capturing the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) last Saturday, was gaveled down to Katsumi Yoshida for $1.5 million. The five-year-old is by Skipshot and sold as a racing or broodmare prospect.
*LAFFINA, the dam of multiple Grade 1-winning juvenile filly Bast, sold to Eaton Bloodstock for $1.5 million. Offered by Taylor Made, agent for BlackRidge Stables, the seven-year-old by Arch was offered in foal to Ghostzapper on an April 11 cover.
At the conclusion of trading Tuesday night, Fasig-Tipton reported 128 horses sold for $68,011,000 a decline of 24 percent over last year when 140 horses grossed $89,473,000. The average declined 16.9 percent, from $639,093 to $531,336, while median was off 8.4 percent, from $327,500 to $300,000.
Full results can be viewed at fasigtipton.com.
