Bella Jolie a Timely Investment

Gray Lyster admits he had modest goals when he and his family claimed Bella Jolie (Broken Vow) for $5,000 at Delaware Park in 2010, but the claim could pay major dividends for the family, which owns Ashview Farm in Versailles, next week. The mare is slated to sell at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale Tuesday, just days after her first foal, Runhappy (Super Saver), starts as one of the favorites in the GI TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint.

“I saw her running and I had seen her as a yearling and, physically, I knew she was a nice-looking mare. And I followed her pedigree,” Lyster recalled of his decision to claim the then 3-year-old filly. “That was when things were pretty bad, right after the crash in 2008. There were a lot of opportunities value-wise for broodmare prospects at sales and claiming races. We picked her up for $5,000 kind of thinking she was worth $35,000. Although, at the time you didn't know what anything was worth it was such a scary market.”

The initial plan was for a short-term investment.

“The idea was to claim her and maybe to get her in foal and sell her or sell her as a maiden,” Lyster explained. “We got her back to the farm and just sort of fell in love with her physically and we liked the pedigree, so we decided we would keep her.”

The Lysters decided on GI Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver for Bella Jolie's first mating.

“It was my brother Bryan's idea to send her to Super Saver,” Lyster admitted. “We went and looked at Super Saver–we're neighbors with WinStar and we do a lot of business with them–and we thought she was a nice match. It definitely turned out to be.”

The mare's first foal turned out to be Runhappy and, while he wouldn't have guaranteed the colt would become a Grade I winner, Lyster said he was impressed with the youngster from the start.

“When they start off physically like he did, you know you have an opportunity to have a really nice racehorse,” Lyster said. “He was just always a very forward, attractive, athletic, strong horse, very racy. There are a lot of attractive, strong, racy horses that are really slow, so you never know. But we knew we probably had a good sales prospect. And that he–the quote they all use at the sales–ticked all the boxes physically.”

“Mentally, he was always the kind of colt that you like,” Lyster continued. “Which is playful and strong without being mean–the kind of colt that would get up on his hind legs as a yearling from time to time and throw his front feet around, not because he is trying to be a jerk, but just because he is playful and he is trying to be forward and be the boss. He was really nice to work with.”

Runhappy was well-received at the sales, selling for $200,000 to Jim McIngvale at the 2013 Keeneland September sale.

Runhappy, who broke his maiden with a dramatic 8 1/4-length debut victory at Turfway Park last December, officially arrived on the big stage with an 11-1 upset victory in the Aug. 29 GI King's Bishop S. He solidified his status as a leading contender for the Breeders' Cup with a front-running tally over the Keeneland oval in the Oct. 2 GIII Phoenix S.

In between those two graded victories, Bella Jolie's Lookin at Lucky colt sold for $255,000 at Keeneland September.

The early success has convinced the Lysters to offer Bella Jolie, in foal to Cairo Prince, as hip 250 during Tuesday's second session of the November sale.

“We know how fortunate we are to have an 8-year-old Grade I producing mare,” Lyster said. “It doesn't happen very often and we are really excited about her. We offer her at the Keeneland sale just because we feel like she might be pretty valuable. And our business plan, as far as Bryan, Wayne and I, is not to own mares at her value level. Selling her helps pay a lot of expenses on the farm. It's not that we don't love her. We obviously love her. But that's the reason for offering instead of keeping her for the long-term.”

Of the decision to breed Bella Jolie to first-season sire and GII Holy Bull S. winner Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile), Lyster explained, “We picked Cairo Prince before Runhappy had ever run. We had spent a lot of money on the first few years on stud fees for Bella Jolie and, without one ever starting a race, we decided to take a cut back in our price point just a touch. At the same time, I loved Pioneerof the Nile and I love the ability that Cairo Prince showed and the things that Kiaran McLaughlin had to say about him.”

Lyster added with a rueful chuckle, “In hindsight, do I wish she was in foal to Super Saver–carrying a full-sibling to Runhappy? Absolutely. But if I had hindsight in this business I probably wouldn't have to work as hard as I do.”

Bella Jolie will be followed into the Keeneland sales ring by her Exchange Rate colt.

“The Exchange Rate colt is really doing well,” Lyster said. “Normally we wouldn't offer a colt like that. We do sell some weanlings, but we wouldn't usually offer a nice colt or a younger colt like he is, but just being that we have the mare in the sale and this is a good representative, we're going to have him there, too.”

Lyster acknowledged it was a difficult decision to sell, but the timing of the auction couldn't be better.

“It's a great opportunity to sell two days after the Breeders' Cup,” he commented. “It's a seller's dream. We really like them both. We don't have to sell them, but it's one of those scenarios where they may be too valuable for us to own any more. We have to protect our herd and pay for the rest of them and for the ones that we lost quite a bit of money on.”

The Keeneland November sale gets underway Monday, with sessions Monday and Tuesday beginning at 11 a.m. The sale continues through Nov. 13 with sessions beginning at 10 a.m.