Nat Rea has announced he will completely disperse the Thoroughbred bloodstock holdings of his Regis Farms during the upcoming Keeneland November sale. The dispersal, which will be handled by Three Chimneys Farm, will be comprised of 41 horses, including 15 broodmares, six weanlings, and 20 horses of racing age. All will be offered without reserve.
“I have shifted all my business focus to oil,” Rea explained. “I see great opportunity in that business today. I'm passionate about both industries, and love the horses, but I can't devote my time to both, so I had to make a choice.”
Highlighting the dispersal are 2015 GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up and 'TDN Rising Star' Shook Up (Tapit), Canadian Horse of the Year Sealy Hill (Point Given), in foal to Medaglia d'Oro, graded stakes winner Seduire (Elusive Quality) and stakes winner and graded stakes placed Donworth (Tiznow). Also selling will be the unraced 3-year-old Bijou (Street Sense), a $1.45-million Keeneland January yearling of 2013 and a half-sister to Grade I winners Certify and Cry and Catch Me.
After retiring from Martinrea International, the multi-billion dollar auto parts company he founded, Rea turned his attention to the Thoroughbred industry in 2012. He purchased the former Hopewell Farm in Woodford County in 2013 and renamed the property Regis Farm. Plans for the property are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Of the decision to entrust the dispersal to Three Chimneys, Rea said, “My relationship with Goncalo Torrealba is why I chose Three Chimneys as my agent for this dispersal–I'm impressed with what he and his team are doing at Three Chimneys Farm. I told him I had decided to sell all of my equine interests and my farm, and within a week Three Chimneys structured a deal that was a win/win on every level. I am not certain who else would have been able to so fluidly construct such a seamless deal. As part of the agreement, all of the great staff at Regis Farms will remain fully employed going forward, which was extremely important to me. I will miss the business and sincerely wish buyers the best of luck with their purchases from our consignment.”
“We are honored to act as agent for the Regis Farms dispersal,” said Case Clay, Chief Commercial Officer of Three Chimneys. “Mr. Rea has accumulated an outstanding group of horses with high-quality pedigrees and physicals to match, and they fall into various categories and price points, so there will be something for everyone. Three Chimneys will catalog over 90 horses in November including this outstanding group, so we will be busy preparing for November.”
The Keeneland November sale will run from Nov. 2 through 14.
“Keeneland is very appreciative that Nat Rea has selected the November Breeding Stock Sale as the venue for his dispersal,” Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason said. “Mr. Rea could not have chosen a better time to offer his bloodstock at Keeneland as our hosting of the Breeders' Cup just prior to the auction will only enhance what we anticipate to be a strong and broad market.”
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