Led by matching $450,000 co-toppers Dana's Beauty (Not This Time) and Cheval de Guerre (Caravaggio), John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock purchased four lots for a total of $1.172 million at Keeneland's April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale on Friday, held following the final race of the Spring Meet. Resolute was the sale's leading buyer.
For the single-session auction, Keeneland sold 54 horses for $3,940,000, for an average of $72,963 and a median of $38,500. With sales of $1.544 million for 16 horses, ELiTE was the sale's leading consignor.
Keeneland sold 67 horses through the ring for $6,743,000, good for an average of $100,642 and a median of $70,000, at last year's auction.
“We were specifically looking for some (Royal) Ascot horses and we picked up a couple broodmare prospects that can continue to race,” Stewart said. “Keeneland always has great horses here, so it's a lot of good fun.”
The 6-year-old mare Dana's Beauty, previously owned by Magic Oaks and trained by Joe Sharp, won Turfway Park's Latonia S. Mar. 23 over Friday's GIII Bewitch S. heroine Chop Chop (City of Light). She is out of the winning City Zip mare City Siren and from the family of GI Preakness S. winner and sire Cloud Computing and GISW Halo America. Sporting a career record of 37-8-4-8 and earnings of $428,167, Dana's Beauty was consigned by ELiTE, agent, as Hip 99.
“Her pedigree works really well in our system,” said Gavin O'Connor, who signed the ticket. “(Resolute's) John (Stewart) himself loved the horse. She won nicely last time out. The long-range plans are to send her to (trainer) Mike Maker and try to just place her right. We'll probably start her fresh as a broodmare next year.”
DANA'S BEAUTY delivers $450,000 at #KeeApril! The stakes winning mare is consigned by @eliteracesales and is by Not This Time. pic.twitter.com/jfAGfDZoEX
— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) April 27, 2024
The 2-year-old colt Cheval de Guerre flashed sharp early speed and just got beat by a neck in his 5 1/2-furlong unveiling over the Keeneland turf Thursday. The first foal out of the winning Declaration of War mare Champagne Diet, he is from the family of GISWs Memories of Silver and Winter Memories. The $22,000 KEESEP yearling was campaigned by owner/trainer Eddie Kenneally and Richard Seale. The sale's final offering, he was consigned by Kenneally Racing, agent, as Hip 135.
“I'm not really surprised. I was expecting a good number for the horse,” said consignor and trainer Eddie Kenneally. “He did everything right, but was a little unlucky not to have won. He ran a good race. We had some good people on him and we're delighted to get it done. We've had a good little run with this horse in a short period of time.”
.@rresoluteracing signs the ticket for $450,000 for CHEVAL DE GUERRE, a 2YO Caravaggio colt who was a just-beaten second yesterday in MSW at Keeneland! Consigned by @kenneallyracing pic.twitter.com/UUjvWfH14k
— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) April 27, 2024
After making a huge splash at the yearling and breeding stock sales in 2023, Stewart purchased the former Shadwell Stud property in Midway, Kentucky to launch Resolute Farm.
Stewart spent $8.425 million on 13 yearlings at last year's Keeneland September sale and returned to the fall breeding stock sales at Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland where he once again opened his check book, purchasing 11 mares and weanlings for a total of $17.35 million. The list included the two-time GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper), who brought $6 million at Fasig-Tipton November.
Save the Trees (Preservationist), who stormed down the Keeneland stretch to win his career debut for the Estate of Brereton C. Jones and trainer Wayne Mackey Apr. 19, sold for $335,000 to trainer Mike Maker. Consigned by Airdrie Stud, agent, as Hip 131, the 3-year-old gelding is out of the stakes-placed Forestry mare Canopy Lane. He was previously a $23,000 KEESEP yearling.
“We liked him from day one, so we came here to buy him,” Maker said. “We were at the races the day he broke his maiden; we were impressed by that. We tried to pursue him after that, but were unsuccessful, so we came here tonight to get him.”
Meah/Loyd Bloodstock, agent, paid $310,000 for 3-year-old filly Watchtower (Demarchelier {GB}), who is unbeaten in two races this year. ELiTE, agent for Peter Brant's White Birch Farm, consigned Watchtower (Hip 79), who is out of the stakes-placed Exchange Rate mare Zloty and from the family of GSW & GISP Teeth of the Dog.
“She will go to California to (trainer) Richard Baltas,” David Meah said. “We've had a lot of success together buying horses all over the world. She's a filly who will really fit California racing. She is tailor made for the Del Mar Oaks and the American Oaks. We were pleasantly surprised with the price.”
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