KEEJAN Results Remain Consistent

By Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis

Figures remained relatively steady as Book 1 of the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale concluded Tuesday in Lexington with a total of 375 horses sold for $26,651,600. Last year's Book 1, which was bolstered by the $2.2-million sales topper Up (Ire) (Galileo (Ire) and her $800,000 War Front yearling, saw 452 horses sell for $27,798,400. The 2016 Book 1 average was up 15.56% from $61,501 last year to $71,071 this year and the median increased 16.67% from $30,000 to $35,000. With 157 RNAs, the buy-back rate was 29.51%–largely unchanged from last year's rate of 29.15%.

The results were in line with expectations, according to Keeneland's Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell.

“When you talk about mixed sales, you never know where the sessions will fall,” Russell remarked. “Last year, the second day was stronger than the first day and this year, the first day was stronger than the second day. Overall, it comes out pretty much comparable, so it's good.”

Tuesday's session, which grossed $13,020,400 from 193 horses sold, was topped by Canadian MSW Roan Inish (Elusive Quality) (hip 578), who was purchased by Evelyn Benoit's Star Guitar, Inc. for $500,000. Consigned by Headley Bell's Mill Ridge Sales, the dark bay is out of Canadian champion Inish Glora (Regal Classic) and sold in foal to Arch.

The session two average was $67,463, which was a 10.13% increase from last year's average of $61,255, and the median rose 16.67% from $30,000 to $35,000. There were a total of 68 buy backs on day two for an RNA rate of 26.05%, which was a slight increase from last year's buy back rate of 25.53%.

“We sorely lacked the top two prices of last year, which we knew going in with the withdrawal of the mare in foal to War Front [Peace Burg] and the mare in foal to Tapit [Yearly Report],” Russell said. “You take out those two horses from last year and it was pretty much a consistent and comparable session. Average was up. Median was up. Some of the yearling buyers have been saying it's very difficult out there because when they think they have stumbled across something nobody else has, they find out they are one of many. You can't hide a good horse, never could, never will.”

The legendary Virginia Kraft Payson caused some sparks during Monday's session when buying three horses from the Sarah Jane Leigh dispersal for a total of $1.7 million, including session-topper Summer Solo (Arch). Another racing luminary stepped back into the spotlight during Tuesday's session when Preston Madden sold the second highest priced horse of the day in Veracity (Distorted Humor) (hip 653), who sold to Mike Ryan for $460,000.

“It was great to see Mrs. Payson,” Russell remarked. ” It's good to see her back and to see that she wants to add some more mares to her broodmare band. Preston, he is a legend and proves that the man can still do it. He bought the yearling very well and obviously got top dollar today, so it was great to see Preston and great to see him here today in the flesh.”

Buyers and consignors alike continued to call the market selective.

” As everyone has said, when you bring something up here that everybody wants, then you realize good money,” commented Bell. “You just have to think in terms of, if you were a buyer would you want to buy it? So you have to be realistic about value.”

Ryan called the market solid.

“If you have what they want, you get paid,” Ryan said. “There is plenty of money for quality. People are very astute and very shrewd. They know what they want and they are prepared to step up and buy the good stuff.”

Book 2 of the Keeneland January sale kicks off Wednesday at 10 a.m. and the sale continues through Friday.

Guitar Lessons for Roan Inish

Evelyn Benoit has been busy buying mares to support her young stallion, Louisiana stalwart Star Guitar (Quiet American), during the first two sessions of the Keeneland January sale and, through bloodstock agent James Keogh, she made her biggest splash Tuesday afternoon when going to $500,000 to acquire the multiple stakes-winning mare Roan Inish (Elusive Quality) from the Mill Ridge Sales consignment.

“She is a tremendous supporter of racing in Louisiana,” Keogh said of Benoit. “It's her passion. And she loves Star Guitar. His first crop is 2-year-olds this year and people are speaking very well of them. So she is very excited. She just wants to give him every opportunity.”

Star Guitar was a four-time Louisiana Horse of the Year and retired as the state's all-time leading money earner. He captured 22 stakes wins during five years on the racetrack. The 11-year-old stallion stands for $4,000 at Clear Creek Stud in Folsom, Louisiana.

Benoit's Star Guitar, Inc. was also the name on the ticket for Checkupfromzneckup (Dixie Union) (hip 16, $230,000) and Penelope Plum (Badge of Silver) (hip 181, $270,000).

“She is looking for mares that cross well physically and on paper with Star Guitar,” Keogh explained. “Roan Inish was her pick of the sale–she just had to have her.”

Of the mare's final price tag, Keogh added, “It was considerably more than we thought we'd have to spend on her, but when Mrs. Benoit sets her mind on something, it's very hard to stop her. The nice mares are proving harder to get. So it was a stretch, but she's a lovely, lovely mare and we're delighted to have her.”

Bred by Robert Costigan and trained during her racing career by his daughter Carolyn, Roan Inish (hip 578) won the 2009 Princess Elizabeth S. and 2010 Woodbine Oaks. She was third in the 2010 Queen's Plate.

The 9-year-old mare is a daughter of Inish Glora (Regal Classic), who was named Canada's champion grass mare in 2004 and 2003 while racing for Costigan. Roan Inish's half-brother In Equality (Quality Road) was recently third in the GIII Jerome S.

The sale was bittersweet for Mill Ridge's Headley Bell, as the Costigans disperse their bloodstock.

“I was delighted by the price, but it's sad,” Bell said. “This wasn't an announced dispersal, but the Costigans are lovely people from Canada and they are selling their bloodstock. They are fine people–people you'd want to be in the business.”

In addition to Inish Glora and Roan Inish, Costigan also campaigned 2006 Canadian Horse of the Year Arravale. @JessMartiniTDN

Roan Inish a Family Affair for Costigans

Robert Costigan and his daughter Carolyn, who have campaigned a pair of Sovereign Award winners in the last 15 years, have begun dispersing their bloodstock and were in the headlines at Keeneland Tuesday with the session-topping sale of their Woodbine Oaks-winning homebred Roan Inish (Elusive Quality).

“She's always been very dear to our hearts–she's the best racehorse I ever had,” Carolyn Costigan said after watching Roan Inish bring $500,000 during the second session of the January sale. “She was a pleasure to work with. She is an example of my dad's breeding program. My dad has been very successful breeding from a small number of horses from [2009 Prince of Wales S. winner] Gallant to Roan Inish. It is nice to see someone else–more than one bidder–recognize that. So you know you are getting some vindication for the program that you've had.”

The Costigans involvement with racing began innocently enough.

“It was a father/daughter infatuation with racehorses,” Costigan recalled. “Dad said he was going grocery shopping, but he and I went off to the races instead. We may or may not have remembered to pick up some groceries on the way home.”

“We got involved in horses in a big way,” she continued. “I was studying economics at school and my dad saw the Darley Flying Start and asked if I would be interested in doing that and I said, 'Hell, yeah.' I did Flying Start from 2005-2007 and before that I did the Irish National Stud course.”

Carolyn Costigan became the first female trainer to win the Woodbine Oaks when Roan Inish, a daughter of the family's two-time Sovereign Award champion turf mare Inish Glora (Regal Classic), won the race in 2010.

Costigan relocated the family's stable to Ireland a few years ago.

“I know people generally come in this direction, from Europe to North America, but I wanted to see what it was like to train in Europe,” she explained. “I knew it was a big gamble, but we are not afraid to roll the dice. We tried it and it didn't pan out. And that's fine. Sometimes gambles work and sometimes they don't. That's the nature of a gamble. I was there for a year. I had a stable of four horses and I trained on The Curragh. It was risky, but I don't there is a better place in the world to train a racehorse. So now I can say that I did that.”

At 34, Costigan decided it was time for a change of direction and the chance to try something new.

“I am going to get out of the business completely,” she confirmed. “When I told my dad I wanted to go do something else, he said, 'If that's the case, sell the horses.' So all of the horses are going to be sold at different junctures.”

Expected to be offered at upcoming sales are the 16-year-old Inish Glora, who is scheduled to be bred to Bernardini this spring, as well as Costigan's 2006 Canadian Horse of the Year Arravale (Arch). Roan Inish's Candy Ride (Arg) colt is in training in Ocala and will be offered at a 2-year-olds in training sale this spring.

Costigan is keeping her options open for the next phase of her life.

“Maybe I'll come back later on in life as an annoying owner,” she laughed. “I am looking forward to this thing they call the weekend and there is this other thing they call a Bank Holiday–I haven't had one of those in a while. I am going to move back to Vancouver where I grew up. My dad has recently acquired CFA designation–he is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He will be providing independent investment research and I am going to help him with that.”

Costigan continued, “I have loved the business and I wouldn't change a day of it. It's been a great experience. I really enjoyed the time I had in the racing industry and Roan Inish was central to that. But I'm looking forward to trying something new with my life.” @JessMartiniTDN

Ryan Gets to Truth of the Matter

Bloodstock agent Mike Ryan, bidding on behalf of an unnamed client, struck late in Tuesday's second session of the Keeneland January sale to acquire Veracity (Distorted Humor) for $460,000. It was the second-highest price during the session.

The 5-year-old broodmare prospect (hip 653) was consigned by Doug Arnold's Buck Pond Farm on behalf of Preston Madden. She is out of multiple graded stakes winner Yell (A.P. Indy) and is a full-sister to stakes winner Cheery and a half to Grade I-placed Chide (Blame). It is also the family of Wild Applause, Sea Hero, Eastern Echo and Blare of Trumpets.

“The pedigree is exceptional,” Ryan said after signing the ticket. “She was a really, really good-looking Distorted Humor with as good a page as you could get. These kind of families don't come on the market very often. It's a Claiborne family all the way through–Glowing Tribute, Wild Applause. It's one of the top four or five families in the country, I would say.”

Of his client, who is just getting into the game, Ryan added, “He bought some yearling fillies this year. He wants to develop a quality program and he's in it for the long haul. She could be a foundation mare and that's what he is looking for. We knew we would have to reach for her. These kind don't fall through the cracks–everybody sees them. But she was pretty special.”

Veracity was bred by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider and was purchased by Madden for $150,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. A maiden winner, she made five trips to the post.

Madden was among the first to congratulate Ryan on the purchase.

“There is nothing better bred in this sale than the one you bought, thanks a lot,” Madden told Ryan.

Madden admitted Veracity's final price tag was unexpected.

“I'm not only happy [with the price], I was extremly pleasantly surprised. I paid $150,000 for her as a yearling and I raced her and she won. So I thought she would bring $150,000. Occasionally you have to be lucky in this game and I've been lucky all my life, including today.”

While Madden still maintains a small racing stable, his family's legendary Hamburg Place, which produced six GI Kentucky Derby winners, is no longer home to any horses.

“I don't have stallions anymore,” Madden said in explaining the decision to sell Veracity. “I don't keep horses at Hamburg Place anymore–I have 1,000 acres with no horses on it. Why don't I have horses there anymore? Because I've already done that–I've done it forever. I am intersted in racing horses, but I don't breed horses anymore.”

Of his racing stable, Madden said, “I've got half a dozen in training. What are we doing? We are having a good time. And Mike Ryan was very nice to enhance my day.” @JessMartiniTDN

'Pharoah' Date for Conquest Harlanate

Canadian juvenile filly champion Conquest Harlanate (Harlan's Holiday) is in line for a date with Triple Crown hero American Pharoah after selling to Toshiyuki Shimokobe's Shimokobe Farm for $450,000 early during Tuesday's second session of the Keeneland January sale.

“Mr. Shimokobe purchased about four mares in November,” commented Nobu Araki of Polo Green Stable, who signed the ticket on behalf of Shimokobe. “This mare is going to stay here in the United States and go on to be bred to American Pharoah. We are all set up. I just got off the phone with him and he was very excited. He really wanted this filly and I'm glad we got it done.”

Araki said it was possible the mare could be sent to Japan after being bred.

“He has a lot of mares in the States already going to American Pharoah, so he might take her home,” he explained.

Shimokobe's November purchases included Innate Grace (Pulpit), Genisa (Storm Cat), Jealous Cat (Tapit) and Secret Asset (Awesome Again).

Conquest Harlanate (hip 387), who sold for $75,000 as a yearling at the 2013 Keeneland January sale, brought $120,000 at that year's Keeneland September sale.

Racing for the Conquest Stables of Ernie Semersky and Dory Newell, the bay filly won the 2014 GII Natalma S. and GIII Mazarine S. and earned the Sovereign Award as Canada's leading juvenile filly that season. On the board in four of six starts, she retires with three wins and earnings of $269,853. She was consigned Tuesday by Lane's End.

“Physically, she has a great head and a beautiful face and she has a great shoulder,” Araki said of Conquest Harlanate. “She looks more like a turf horse to me, but that's what we like. She just has the class and she is a beautiful filly.”

Out of Allison's Pride (Dixieland Band), the 4-year-old is a half to stakes-placed Penobscot Bay (Is It True) and from the family of Grade I winner Clear Choice.

Of the final price tag, which topped early returns at Keeneland Tuesday, Araki added, “It was a little over what we expected to pay, but he really wanted her. We were thinking about $350,000 up to $400,000, but if you have to have them, you have to pay a little more.” @JessMartiniTDN

Mother Ruth Hits a 'High' Note

After losing out on Monday's $700,000 session-topper Summer Solo (Arch) to a determined Virginia Kraft Payson, Highland Yard LLC's Lindsay LaRoche got his turn in the limelight Tuesday when securing Mother Ruth (Speightstown) for $420,000. Consignedby Lane's End, Agent, as hip 522, the dark bay is carrying a foal by champion Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song).

“She was all class, perfect conformation, perfect walk,” commented LaRoche, who did his bidding out back beside his bloodstock agent Dominic Brennan, who also breaks all of the Highland Yard babies at his Ocala farm. “Hopefully it traces through to her babies. She's got the 2-year-old at the farm we talked to and they love her. Hopefully she will run well and we will have a good broodmare here.”

As for losing out on Summer Solo Monday, LaRoche said, “I don't think I want to bid against people named Morgan, Ford or Kraft anymore. It was too much for us and this one we love so we will see how we do.”

Racing in California for Zayat Stables and Bob Baffert, Mother Ruth, who Zayat purchased for $425,000 as a FTNAUG yearling in 2007, won three stakes and earned $289,943 in her three-year racing career.

A $190,000 RNA at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton November sale, the dark bay RNA'd for $320,000 while carrying a foal by Bodemeister two years later at the Keeneland November sale. The resulting foal, now a 2-year-old named Yuvetsi, brought $420,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. She is also responsible for a yearling colt by Violence.

“She will go to McCauley Farm to have the baby,” LaRoche offered. “We sell some, we race some. We tend to keep the fillies and sell the colts. We are just building up a bit of a broodmare band. We want to get seven or eight quality broodmares. We think we did that here.”

Highland Yard has about five broodmares, who reside at McCauley Farm in Kentucky, and a few yearlings in Ireland. LaRoche also has six, soon to be seven, horses in training with either East Coast-based conditioner Christophe Clement or Golden Gate-based O.J. Jauregui.

“We have a few other good broodmares,” La Roche remarked. “One is All Due Respect and we sold her Speightstown fily for $225,000 [at FTKOCT]. She's got a stunning Awesome Again [filly] we think will sell well.”

The northern California resident added, “We won our first graded stake [the GIII Modesty H.] this year with [Clement-trained] Walk Close, a Tapit filly. She's good looking. We think she is going to go to Medaglia d'Oro this year. We might still race her in one more graded stake, but we will see.” – CDeBernardisTDN

West Helps Repole Build His 'Empire'

Jacob West, who became Three Chimneys's Director of Bloodstock earlier this month, signed the tickets on three Empire Maker mares on behalf of New York-based owner and breeder Mike Repole. Picking up Flying Train (hip 423) for $230,000 earlier in Tuesday's session of Keeneland January, West stood in the doorway of the pavilion as he put in the winning bid of $300,000 for Team (hip 624) and was back at it just three hips later to take home Thisonesforricky (hip 627) for $180,000.

“These horses were purchased on behalf of Mike Repole and they will all be bred to Uncle Mo,” West said. “Mike's team is Jim Martin and Eddie Rosen. Eddie's the pedigree guru and Jim Martin's the racing guru. He's the one that tracks all the race records and I'm the one who does all the physicals. At the end of the day, Mike's got the call, but we are the ones that kind of work together. Jim and Eddie do all the heavy lifting.”

The Repole team was specifically seeking Empire Maker mares because leading 2015 freshman sire Uncle Mo's first starter and winner was Repole homebred Outwork, who is out of an Empire Maker mare.

“Uncle Mo's first winner is out of an Empire Maker mare, a horse by the name of Outwork, who broke his maiden here at Keeneland [Apr 23],” West remarked. “They thought really highly of him. He had some juvenile issues, but he's coming back. He's back with Todd [Pletcher], so he's back up and going and they are really high on him.”

Consigned by Ashview Farm LLC (Bryan & Gray Lyster), Agent, Flying Train is actually a buy back of sorts for Repole. He purchased the bay for $100,000 as a yearling at the 2009 Keeneland September sale and sold her in foal to Blame for $220,000 to Ashview Farm three years later at the 2012 Keeneland November sale. Out of MGSW Flying Glitter (Glitterman), the 8-year-old is carrying a foal by champion and 2007 GI Kentucky Derby hero Street Sense (Street Cry {Ire}).

“She's an Empire Maker mare with a Street Sense in the belly, so you would think there will be a two-turn dirt horse to try and go win a Classic race,” West commented. “That's what Eddie Rosen loves. Her half-sister [2013 GIII Schuylerville S. dead heat winner] Bahnah (Elusive Quality) sold for $285,000 [Monday], so it's a live family. That's what kind of drew Eddie to her. Mike actually used to own Flying Train. They sold her and now they just got her back.”

The family and foal she is carrying are not the only things that attracted West to Flying Train, however.

“She's got a great physical,” he said. “She's a big, strong Empire Maker mare. She's really atheltic. She had a foal sell the hip before for $225,000 and there was a lot of the mare and the sire in the foal, so it looks like the best of both worlds. That is what we are hoping for with Empire Maker and Street Sense on the foal she is carrying.”

The most expensive of the trio at $300,000, Team, who was consigned by James B. Keogh (Grovendale), Agent XV, was sold in foal to Malibu Moon. Her first foal is a yearling filly by that sire's 2013 GI Kentucky Derby winning son Orb.

“She's a young Empire Maker mare in foal to Malibu Moon,” West remarked. “We are looking for two-turn horses that can go win Classic races and we kind of figure with Empire Maker and Malibu Moon we can get that. It's an extended cross of Orb because Orb is a Malibu Moon out of an Unbridled mare and Empire Maker is by Unbridled.”

West added, “She's a good size mare, had all the right pieces. She's an athletic mare. She checked the pedigree box for Eddie, had the family, and Malibu Moon was obviously a factor.”

Thisonesforricky was consigned by Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services LLC as part of the dispersal of Steven Marshall's Black Rock Thoroughbreds LLC (click here for more on that dispersal). The 7-year-old is half-sister to GISW Leave Me Alone (Bold Badgett), who is the dam of “TDN Rising Star” and GI Spinaway S. runner-up Tap To It (Tapit).

“She's an Empire Maker mare again and has a live family,” West commented. “Tap To It is under the first dam. She's got a lot of talent. I know she didn't get to display it here in the Breeders' Cup, but we know what she was up at Saratoga. These young Empire Maker mares are hard to come by.”

Thisonesforricky is carrying her first foal by Marshall's GISW Violence (Medaglia d'Oro). That foal, as well as the Street Sense and Malibu Moon, will become part of the Repole racing stable.

“Violence was a really good 2-year-old,” West said. “Mike has a lot of horses with Todd [Pletcher] and I know Todd was very high on Violence when he was there. They have been selling good too. They look like him, big, athletic horses. So, you have to be excited about that.”

West's new position at Three Chimneys Bloodstock came after seven years as Buyer Account Manager for Taylor Made Sales.

“It happened at the first of the year, just kind of heading up the director of bloodstock [at Three Chimneys],” West said of the transition. “Mr. [Goncalo] Torrealba and the board of Three Chimneys have a lot of forward divisions and they wanted to bring me in under their wing to help grow what they have.” – CDeBernardisTDN

Uncle Mo Colt to Young

Bloodstock agent Steve Young, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client, signed the ticket at $250,000 to secure hip 461, a colt by Uncle Mo during Tuesday's session of the Keeneland January sale. The yearling, bred by World Thoroughbreds Racing, is out of It's Spooky (Silver Ghost) and is a half-brother to graded stakes winner Rerun (Grand Reward). He was consigned by Warrendale Sales.

Last year's leading freshman sire, Uncle Mo's 28 first-crop winners include expected 2-year-old champion Nyquist and Young admitted the yearling's sire was a major selling point.

“I couldn't be a bigger fan of Uncle Mo right now,” Young said. “This horse is a super individual and I hope he is brave and lucky. He is a super nice baby by a very hot sire.”

Young added, “He's been bought by a man who races and I'd imagine that's what we'll do.”

Young acknowledged the market for yearlings at the January sale remained competitive.

“When you find one that you think you've found under the radar screen, usually there is someone there to bid against you.”  @JessMartiniTDN