Nereid sells for $1.3 million at Keeneland's opening session

Last updated: 1/7/13 7:36 PM

Nereid sells for $1.3 million at Keeneland’s opening
session

Nereid, whose signature win came in the 2011 American Oaks, was purchased by Baumann Stables
(Keeneland Photo)

Grade 1 heroine NEREID (Rock Hard Ten) topped Monday’s first session of the
Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale when bringing a $1.3 million bid from
Lane Seliger of Baumann Stables. Runner-up in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive on
September 29 in her career finale, the five-year-old was consigned by Winter
Quarter Farm, agent, as a broodmare prospect.

Nereid, who was first sold for $190,000 as a Keeneland September yearling,
ranked among the leading three-year-old turf fillies of 2011. A dead-heat winner
of the Grade 1 American Oaks, the John Shirreffs trainee capped her sophomore
season with third-place efforts in both the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and Grade 1
Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. Nereid raced five times in 2012, including a
pair of fourths in the Grade 3 Wilshire and Grade 2 Royal Heroine Mile before
her second to Marketing Mix in the Rodeo Drive.

Retired with a record of 11-3-2-2, $303,800, Nereid was cataloged as Hip No.
110. The dark bay is out of the winning Belong to Me mare Dowry, who is herself
a half-sister to stakes scorers Malibu Win (Malibu Moon) and The Herc (Lord
Carson) as well as the stakes-placed Mighty Clever (Clever Trick) and Dixie Mon
(Maria’s Mon).

Nereid hails from the family of Grade 3 winners Belong to Sea (Belong to Me)
and S. S. Stone (Birdstone). Her fourth dam is Sun and Snow (*Hawaii), the Grade
2 Kentucky Oaks queen of 1975.

Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings went to $800,000 to secure once-beaten
Grade 2 star POTESTA (Macho Uno), whose promising career was ended prematurely
by injury. Offered by Three Chimneys Sales, agent, the four-year-old broodmare
prospect sported Hip 134.

Potesta, a $75,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling, was unraced as a
juvenile. Since finishing second in her career debut for Mike Mitchell last
March, the dark bay won all three remaining starts. Potesta romped by 11 1/2
lengths in a Hollywood Park maiden, punching her ticket to stakes company, and
promptly outdueled the more experienced Eden’s Moon in the Grade 2 Hollywood
Oaks. Next seen in the September 2 Torrey Pines, she dominated by 7 1/2 lengths
in a track-record 1:34.86 for one mile over Del Mar’s Polytrack.

Potesta went to Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings
(Keeneland Photo)

Plans called for Potesta to try older distaffers in the Grade 1 Zenyatta
Stakes en route to the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic. Unfortunately, she
suffered a condylar fracture to her left front leg while galloping out from a
six-furlong work at Hollywood Park on September 14. Potesta underwent surgery at
Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center to save her life.

Potesta, who bankrolled $192,400 from her 4-3-1-0 line, is a half-sister to
Peruvian classic-placed Kabu (Buddha). Produced by stakes victress Katzen
(Furiously), they descend from the same female line as multiple stakes heroine
and Grade 2-placed Morris Code (Lost Code), Grade 3 winner Expect an Angel
(Valid Expectations) and Grade 2 diva Enumerating (Turn and Count).

The very next horse in the ring was PRINCESS ARABELLA (Any Given Saturday),
another exciting filly whose racing career ended early. The undefeated stakes
winner, carrying her first foal to Tapit on an April 22 cover, was snapped up by
Summer Wind Farm for $725,000.

One of the top contenders for last season’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, the Bob Baffert pupil blitzed maiden and entry-level allowance rivals at Santa Anita,
then aired by eight lengths in the March 25 Sunland Park Oaks. Princess Arabella
was subsequently diagnosed with a ligament injury and made a quick start to her
new life as a broodmare. She was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent,
as Hip 135.

Princess Arabella had failed to attract much attention during her first trip
to the Keeneland sales pavilion, where she RNA’d for $47,000 as a September
yearling. A half-sister to multiple Grade 3-placed stakes winner Dyna’s Lassie (Dynaformer),
Princess Arabella is out of the winning Tortuga Lady (Thunder Gulch), who is in
turn a full sister to 2001 Kentucky Derby runner-up Invisible Ink.

The session’s top yearling was a $300,000 Distorted Humor colt purchased by
Regis Farms. Entering the ring late in the day as Hip 354, the Ontario-bred
chestnut was offered by Cara Bloodstock (Bernard McCormack), agent.

The February 2 colt is the first registered foal from Endless Journey (A.P.
Indy), a full sister to Grade 2-winning sire Jump Start. The yearling’s second
dam, Grade 2-placed Steady Cat (Storm Cat), is in turn a full sister to Grade
3-placed stakes victress Apollo Cat. His third dam is Hopespringsforever (Mr.
Prospector), who is a full sister to Group 1 hero and renowned sire Miswaki.

On Monday, 201 horses were sold for a total of $15,331,400, a 10 percent
increase from the $13,932,200 grossed by 209 sellers at last year’s opener. The
average accordingly rose 14.4 percent, from $66,661 to $76,276. The median,
however, dipped 6.3 percent, from $32,000 to $30,000.

The five-day sale runs through Friday, with sessions beginning daily at 10
a.m. (EST).

For complete results and live video of the auction, log onto
keeneland.com.
Updates will also be posted on Keeneland’s
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at #keejan.