Racing Age Prospects Star as Book 4 Concludes

LEXINGTON, KY – A bevy of sought-after racing prospects provided a lively ending to Tuesday's final Book 4 session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, with the last offering through the ring, the 2-year-old Liam's Legend (Liam's Map), bringing the day's highest price of $325,000. The recent Keeneland maiden winner was purchased by Khalid Mishref from the Indian Creek consignment. Indian Gardens (Pioneerof the Nile) was the day's highest-priced broodmare when selling for $205,000 to Betz Thoroughbreds and a filly by Kantharos was the top-priced weanling when selling for $160,000 to Pink N Blue Stable.

Through the two Book 4 sessions, Keeneland sold 489 horses for $14,906,100. The average of $30,483 dipped 2.3% from the 2018 Book 4 average of $31,202, while the median of $20,000 increased 5.3% from $19,000 a year ago. In 2018, 478 Book 4 horses sold for a total of $14,914,500.

“There is good demand,” Gainesway's Michael Hernon said of the November market, which enters its second week Wednesday. “The weanlings are in high demand and mares are value right now, in my opinion. There seems to be a bit of feeding frenzy for the good weanlings who are good physicals and who vet cleanly. And conversely, mares seem to be relatively the value plays at this time.”

During the two Book 4 sessions, 183 weanlings sold for $5,374,900 for an average of $29,371 and a median of $20,000. In last year's Book 4, 181 weanlings sold for $5,572,600 for an average of $30,788 and a median of $20,000.

“It's very polarized,” Hunter Valley Farm's Fergus Galvin said after selling the book's top-priced weanling Tuesday. “She was the star of our show in the current book. And that's what people are gravitating towards. It's definitely very tough underneath the ones that don't appeal to the majority of people. There are a lot of weanlings who aren't making the stud fee, but that's the times we are living in. But if you bring a good one like her up, everybody's there.”

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continues through Sunday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

Liam's Legend Heads to Middle East

Saudi owner Khalid Mishref, who has already partnered up on a pair of horses heading for the big races in the Middle East early next year, added one more bullet to his stable Tuesday at Keeneland, going to $325,000 to acquire 2-year-old Liam's Legend (Liam's Map) (hip 2761G). The twice-raced colt broke his maiden going nine furlongs at Keeneland Oct. 26 for Niall Brennan, Mike Ryan, and Mike Anderson.

Mishref obtained a 30% interest in Math Wizard (Algorithms) prior to the colt's fifth-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. A week earlier, it was announced Mishref had acquired an interest in G1 Dubai World Cup runner-up Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}) from Phoenix Thoroughbreds.

Mishref, who did his bidding Tuesday alongside advisor Bruno DeBerdt, plans to ultimately campaign Liam's Legend in Saudi Arabia, with hopes that, down the road, the colt could earn a spot in the Saudi Cup.

“He will go to Dubai, but he will end up racing in Saudi Arabia for the long term,” Mishref said. “It looks like he will suit the track back in Saudi Arabia very well. And also I like the distance he won at–1 1/8 miles as a 2-year-old–that is what we will plan for him, to run at 8-10 furlongs. Right now, Saudi Arabia is booming, they have the big Saudi championships on Feb. 29, which is the world's biggest race at $20 million for 4-year-olds and over. Who knows? If he stays in Saudi Arabia for one more season, he might be in contention for next year.”

Mishref also purchased a mare at the Keeneland November sale, going to $275,000 to acquire Crafty's Way (Giant's Causeway) (hip 577).

Liam's Legend, a $180,000 Keeneland September yearling last year, RNA'd for $195,000 at this year's OBS April sale. He was consigned to Tuesday's sale by Indian Creek.

Shedaresthedevil to Join Cox Barn

Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) (hip 2761E), third in this year's GII Sorrento S., will be heading south for the winter after bloodstock agent Clay Scherer made a final bid of $280,000 to acquire the juvenile filly on behalf of Staton Flurry's Flurry Racing Stables during Tuesday's racing age portion of the Keeneland November sale.

“I thought that was fair for a horse that can be stakes quality, she's already a proven stakes runner,” Scherer said. “She'll go to [trainer] Brad Cox soon. She'll go to Fair Grounds and then Hot Springs [Oaklawn Park] when they open.”

Shedaresthedevil, consigned Tuesday by Hunter Valley Farm, was a debut winner at Churchill Downs for Glencrest Farm and trainer Norm Casse. Third behind Amalfi Sunrise (Constitution) for Glencrest Farm and Qatar Racing Limited and trainer Simon Callaghan in the Sorrento, the bay filly was fourth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf S. at Del Mar and was most recently second in the Oct. 13 Anoakia S. at Santa Anita.

A $100,000 Keeneland November weanling in 2017, Shedaresthedevil RNA'd for $20,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“Keeneland does a great job bringing racehorses ready to go to the sale,” Scherer added. “They offer a great ready-made product. We've had success here.”

Combatant Heads West to Sadler

Bloodstock agent David Ingordo, who purchased subsequent GI TVG Pacific Classic winner Higher Power (Medaglia d'Oro) on behalf of Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler out of this year's Keeneland April sale, will look to repeat that success with Combatant (Scat Daddy). Ingordo purchased the 4-year-old ridgling for $220,000 Tuesday at Keeneland.

“He fits the profile of what we bought over the last few years at these kinds of sales,” Ingordo said.

The 4-year-old Combatant was second in the GIII Southwest S. and third in the GIII Rebel S. and GII Mathis Brothers Mile last year for Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing and trainer Steve Asmussen. On the board in 11 of 22 starts, he has three wins and earnings of $648,498.

“Steve has done a great job taking care of him, he vetted very cleanly, and he has a lot of run left in him,” Ingordo said. “He has probably been a little unlucky with the surfaces, it looks like. He might want some fast turf, so we'll send him out west and see what we can do with him.”

Indian Gardens Blooms at Keeneland

Indian Gardens (Pioneerof the Nile) (hip 2688) became the first Book 4 horse to break through the $200,000 mark when selling for $205,000 to Bill Betz's Betz Thoroughbreds Tuesday at Keeneland. The 3-year-old unraced mare sold in foal to Maclean's Music. Out of champion Indian Blessing (Indian Charlie), she is a half-sister to Grade I-placed Ten Blessings (Smart Strike) and was bred, like both of those runners, by Hal Earnhardt.

“She stood out in Book 4,” said Donato Lanni of Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, which consigned the mare. “We just wanted her to be a star today-we put her in Book 4 so she would stand out. There are still a lot of people shopping for young mares. She's pretty and she sold herself. She's out of a champion and she's beautiful.”

Moon Over Matter to Sexton

Moon Over Matter (Malibu Moon) (hip 2397) will be joining Sandra Sexton's broodmare band after bloodstock agent Tom Bozarth acquired the mare for $180,000 early in Tuesday's seventh session of the Keeneland November sale. The unraced 5-year-old mare, in foal to Twirling Candy, was consigned by Brookdale on behalf of Amy Tarrant's Hardacre Farm.

“Sandra likes Twirling Candy and we like the family,” Bozarth said after signing the ticket on the mare. “There is a lot of upside with the 2-year-old coming up. We are looking for those type of horses to put in her broodmare band. We are just trying to improve the broodmare band.”

Out of Prettyatthetable (Point Given), Moon over Matter is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Pomeroys Pistol (Pomeroy), whose Pioneerof the Nile colt sold for $1 million at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Now named Thousand Words, the 2-year-old broke his maiden for trainer Bob Baffert and Albaugh Family Stables and Spendthrift Farm at Santa Anita Oct. 26.

Moon over Matter, who RNA'd for $90,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September sale, is carrying her second foal. She produced a filly by Tiznow this year.

Sexton has 30 mares in her band, according to Bozarth, and the group includes Rose and Shine (Mr. Sekiguchi). Sexton and her late husband Hargus purchased that mare for $21,000 at the 2017 Keeneland January sale while she was carrying this month's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner British Idiom (Flashback).

“She breeds for the market and I think this is just another broodmare to put in the band, so we're excited,” Bozarth added.

Of the mare's final price Tuesday, Bozarth said, “When you see something that has something go on [in the family], you're going to have to step up and pay for it.”

Kantharos Filly a Score for Galvin

A filly by Kantharos (hip 2598) jumped to the top of the weanling's list at Keeneland November Tuesday when selling for $160,000 to Pink N Blue Stable, an operation which is leaving open the options to race or pinhook the New York-bred miss.

The chestnut filly was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm and was bred by Hunter Valley's Fergus Galvin, who purchased Cassidy's Reward (Warrior's Reward) with this weanling in utero for $50,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“We were really drawn to the cover sire more than anything,” Galvin said of the mare's appeal last fall. “She was a resident New York mare when we bought her, so I sent her back up to my father-in-law, Joe McMahon [at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds] and foaled her out in New York. She's now back in Kentucky and back in foal to Kantharos.”

Galvin agreed the weanling's New York-bred status provided buyers with plenty of options.

“It adds value to pretty much any horse,” he said of the state-bred designation. “You're running for a great program. You have the nice New York yearling sale up there in the summer. It's definitely an appeal for pinhookers to resell and for end-users. The buyer has options for both, I think.”

Of the weanling, Galvin added, “She's beautiful, with a great shape and a smooth mover. She really stood out among the weanlings in our barn.”

Liam's Map Weanling Top Colt Tuesday

A colt by Liam's Map (hip 2490) attracted a final bid of $145,000 from Mike McMahon Tuesday at Keeneland and the weanling is likely to resurface in next year's yearling sales.

“We really like the sire, he has two Grade I winners,” McMahon said of the colt's appeal. “[The weanling] is a scopey horse, the kind of horse who should bring good money next year.”

Liam's Map is off to a quick start at stud, with his first crop to race including this year's GI Runhappy Hopeful S. winner Basin and GI Frizette S. winner Wicked Whisper.

Of the weanling's final price, McMahon added, “It was more than we wanted to pay, but he's really a very nice horse. So a little bit more, you've got to do it sometimes.”

Hip 2490 is out of Spangled Banner (Tiz Wonderful), a half to graded winner Ladyecho (Alphabet Soup), as well as to the dam of multiple Grade I winner Curalina (Curlin).

Spangled Banner, with this weanling in utero, sold for $120,000 to Antony Beck's Gainesway and John Malone's Bridlewood Farm as a partnership to support GI Belmont S. winner Tapwrit, who began his stud career at Gainesway earlier this year, at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“This partnership went into the market last year to buy mares specifically to be compatible on pedigree and physically and within a price range for Tapwrit,” explained Gainesway's Michael Hernon. “Neil Howard and George Isaacs of Bridlewood selected 20 mares. Several of those mares were pregnant at the time and now we're selling foals on behalf of that partnership out of those mares.”

Also on behalf of the partnership, Gainesway sold hip 1611, a son of Mastery out of Pocket of Aces (Harlan's Holiday) for $120,000 and hip 2391, and a colt by Exaggerator out of Missbelle O's Tale (Tale of the Cat), for $62,000.

“These gentlemen decided to partner up and support the horse and, in addition to that partnership, Antony Beck has bred a number of mares to Tapwrit himself to try to position him to get an early start,” Hernon continued. “Some of the mares will be bred back and some will be sold. We want to help disperse product by Tapwrit into the marketplace and into breeders' hands so they get exposure to his first crop of foals. The hope is to develop increased interest in the horse and patronage back in the coming breeding season.”

Tapwrit, who was a stakes winner at two before winning the GI Belmont S. and GII Tampa Bay Derby at three, bred 154 mares in 2019. He stands for $12,500.