Son of Smart Strike brings $1 million at Keeneland

Hip 351, a Smart Strike ridgling, topped Tuesday's third session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale  (Keeneland/Coady Photography) A Smart Strike ridgling offered by Greenfield Farm (B.D. Gibbs Farm) provided Keeneland's September Yearling Sale with its third seven-figure offering in as many sessions when George Bolton bought the March 17-foaled Kentucky-bred for $1 million on Tuesday. The fourth registered foal from his Grade 3-winning dam, Ask Me No Secrets (Seattle Slew), the yearling was cataloged as Hip No. 351. "He's a beautifully bred horse, and he's a stallion prospect," said Bolton, who said he bought the horse on behalf of himself and an undisclosed partner. "He's nice; he looks like he can go far, and we've had a lot of luck with the sire." Bolton was a minority partner in two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, also a son of Smart Strike.

The lightly-raced Ask Me No Secrets compiled a mark of 6-3-1-1, $211,828,

scoring her signature win in the 2002 Oaklawn Breeders' Cup S. (G3). She also

placed third in that year's La Canada S. (G2). The half-sister to Group 1-placed

Royal Tryst (Kingmambo) counts as a second dam the six-time Canadian stakes

winner In My Cap (Vice Regent), a full sister to 1989 Arlington-Washington

Lassie (G1) heroine Trumpet's Blare. This is also the family of 2000 Jockey Club

Gold Cup (G1) winner Albert the Great (Go for Gin).

Bob Baffert signed the ticket for Hip 228, a Stormy Atlantic colt  (Keeneland/Coady Photography) A Bernardini son of a half-sister to 1997 champion sprinter Smoke Glacken (Two Punch) brought $550,000 from Shadwell Estate Company. The April 18 colt was offered by Sweezey and Partners, agent for Whisper Hill Farm, and toured the ring as Hip 467. The Kentucky-bred is the second registered foal out of Grade 3-placed stakes winner Capote's Crown (Capote), who, in addition to Smoke Glacken, counts as a half-sister the Grade 2-winning Smokey Glacken (Forestry), the Grade 2-place Argyle Pink (Sky Mesa), and the dam of Grade 2 winner and Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) runner-up Crown of Thorns (Repent), most recently second in the August 28 Pat O'Brien S. (G1).

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, acting as agent, was the final bidder at

$500,000 on Hip 228, a Stormy Atlantic full brother to the Grade 1-placed Coast

Guard and a half-brother to the stakes-placed Garlfine (Belong to Me). Consigned

by Dromoland Farm, agent, the son of Vassar (Royal Academy) is from the family

of Irish highweights Henrythenavigator (Kingmambo), Sequoyah (Ire) (Sadler's

Wells), Listen (Tirol) and Saffron Walden (Sadler's Wells), German highweight

Dolphin Street (Bluebird), and Grade/Group 1 winners Beethoven (Ire) (Oratorio

[Ire]) and Insight (Fr) (Sadler's Wells). Further back, this female family

produced 1969 juvenile colt champion Silent Screen (Prince John).

The colt previously sold for $200,000 at Keeneland January.

Another buyer who went to $500,000 was Melnyk Racing Stable, who

secured a Malibu Moon colt offered by Taylor Made Sales Agency as Hip

414. The January 31 Kentucky-bred is the first registered foal out of

the unraced Be My Prospect (Forest Wildcat), a half-sister to the

multiple Grade 3-placed stakes winner Away (Dixieland Band), herself the

dam of Grade 2 winner and ill-fated Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Eight

Belles (Unbridled's Song). Be My Prospect also counts as half-siblings

the stakes winner Rich Kind (Exploit) and stakes-placed Fiddler's Find

(Dixieland Band).

The yearling's fourth dam, 1967 champion older mare Straight Deal (Hail to

Reason), is the ancestress of Grade 1 winners Desiree (Raise a Native), Adored

(Seattle Slew), Qualify (Danzig), Scorpion (Seattle Slew) and Alwajeeha (Dixieland

Band) as well as noted sire Belong to Me (Danzig).

A three-quarter sister to current Grade 2 winner Shared Account (Pleasantly

Perfect) was the session's highest-selling filly. Hip 400, a daughter of

Pleasant Tap, was consigned by Valkyre Stud (Catherine J. Parke), and was

snatched up by Skara Glen Stables for $475,000.

The March 31 Kentucky-bred is out of Silk N' Sapphire (Smart Strike), who has

produced the Grade 3-placed Mark of Success (Mt. Livermore) in addition to

Shared Account, who counts wins in the 2009 Lake Placid S. (G2) and 2010 All

Along S. (G3). Most recently, Shared Account finished second by a head in the

July 31 Diana S. (G1). She previously finished second in the 2009 editions of

the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) and Garden City S. (G1).

This female family is also responsible for Grade 2 winners Sapphire N' Silk

(Pleasant Tap), Shaniko (A.P. Indy), Smooth Air (Smooth Jazz), Justwhistledixie

(Dixie Union), Penny's Reshoot (Turkey Shoot) and Pok Ta Pok (Full Pocket).

On Tuesday, 204 yearlings grossed $27,292,000, a decline of 16.8 percent from

the corresponding session a year ago when 229 head brought $32,718,000. The

session average was down 6.4 percent, from $142,873 to $133,784, while the

median was down 2.5 percent, from $100,000 to $97,500.

After three days of selling, $71,597,000 has been grossed from the sale of

331 horses, a drop of 21.7 percent from 2009 when 451 yearlings had brought

$91,474,000. On a brighter note, the sale has seen its average increase 6.6

percent, from $202,825 to $216,305, while the median has held steady at

$150,000.

The auction continues Wednesday and runs through September 26, with the lone

dark day being Saturday. All of the remaining sessions will start at 10 a.m.

(EDT) daily.

For complete results, as well as live video of the sale, log onto

keeneland.com.