Eaton Sales

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm LEXINGTON, KY - During a session dominated for much of the day by the short yearlings, the supplemented broodmare Sebago Lake (Tapit) jumped to the lead in the final hips when selling for $700,000 to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm. Overall, through two days of the four-day auction, 430 head have grossed $31,596,700 for an average of $73,481 and a median of $30,500. With continued strength at the top of the market, the Book 1 average dipped just 3.39% from a year ago, but...

LEXINGTON, KY- The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, which has surpassed $100-million in gross the last two years, returns with another typically glitzy renewal Tuesday at Newtown Paddocks. Bidding on the first of 271 catalogued offerings begins at 2 p.m. "We are very excited about the overall quality of the catalogue," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "I think our in-foal mares are definitely stronger than they've been in the past and we have some exceptional younger horses that are going to be offered. It's a tremendous group of young racing and broodmare...

Coolmore's Lookin At Lucky was responsible for the top-selling colt and priciest filly as the Keeneland September Sale reached its second-last day of trade Friday afternoon in Lexington. Robert Clay's Grandview Equine signed for a pair of seven-figure yearlings--colts by Into Mischief and Curlin--during the select Book 1 and 2 sessions early last week, and the operation remained focused on the task at hand all the way through Book 6, going to $120,000 for hip 3910. The Apr. 27 foal was consigned to the sale by Hill 'n' Dale at...

LEXINGTON, KY - A bevy of high-priced yearlings provided a late spark to the first Book 3 session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, but the auction--which had kept pace with its record-setting 2022 renewal during Books 1 and 2--lost a bit of its steam as it entered into its second week Saturday. A total of 289 yearlings sold Saturday for $46,697,000. The average of $163,849 dipped 7.3% from last year's Book 3 opener and the median fell 7.1% to $130,000. The buy-back rate remained steady at 22%. During the...

Perhaps it is called the Hopeful Stakes because that's the most anyone can ever be with a Thoroughbred. But if nearly any purchaser at Keeneland over the next couple of weeks would like to be contesting that race, a year from now, then one consignor might give them not just hope but something closer to confidence. Okay, so a trifecta for Eaton Sales graduates in the Saratoga Grade I last year featured only the winner, Forte (Violence), from the 2021 Keeneland September Sale. Runner-up Gulfport (Uncle Mo) and third Blazing...

One of the largest consignors in the Thoroughbred industry, Eaton Sales plans to reduce the number of horses it will offer for sale by approximately half in 2023, Reiley McDonald told the TDN Thursday, citing a renewed focus on quality versus quantity. "We have been concerned with the growing number of horses we've been selling the past few years, even though I think our staff has done it as well or better as any other large consignor," said McDonald, "but I believe we can offer our clients, buyers and the...

Jay Goodwin, formerly of Eaton Sales and previously a partner in Select Sales Agency, has been hired by Gary Broad's Walmac Farm and will join the operation's stallion sales department. "Moving into stallions wasn't something I was even thinking about, but when I spoke with Gary and heard his excitement and the plans that he has for the future of Walmac, it was something that I definitely wanted to be a part of," said Goodwin. "Although I am thoroughly excited about this exciting new opportunity, I will miss my role...

During Tuesday's session of the Keeneland November Sale, a pair of horses secured final bids of $130,000 to top the ninth day of selling. After a pair of weanlings by Vekoma led sessions earlier in the week, a colt by the Spendthrift stallion once again headed the leaderboard Tuesday. Christina R. Jelm, agent, purchased Hip 3178, who was consigned by Eaton Sales, agent. The grey is out of Gypsy Grey (Giant's Causeway), and from the family of Grade I/Group 1 winners Chief Honcho and Poet's Voice and Grade III-winner Gemswick...

MGISW Bellafina (Quality Road)'s first foal by Uncle Mo went for $1.35 million earlier in the session at Fasig-Tipton November and, as expected, the $1.6-million earner was plenty popular herself in the ring, ultimately garnering a winning bid of $4 million from Coolmore's M.V. Magnier. The 6-year-old was offered in foal to young MGISW Tiz the Law and consigned to the sale by Eaton Sales as hip 264. The Coolmore partners had co-campaigned Bellafina with original owner Kaleem Shah towards the end of her career. She was an $800,000 FTFMAR...

Separated by just one year in age, Bellafina (Quality Road -Akron Moon, by Malibu Moon) and Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo - Coin Broker {Ire}, by Montjeu {Ire}) were both $800,000 2-year-old purchases for owner-breeder Kaleem Shah. Both were brilliant juveniles on the racetrack, with one becoming a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut and the other winning a pair of Grade I contests at two, and they each went on to achieve further graded stakes success throughout their careers. Retired from racing after their 2020 campaigns, they now both have one...

KHK Racing's 2-year-old twice-raced colt Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}--Shortmile Lady {Ire}, by Arcano {Ire}), a promising debut second at Windsor in August, attained 'TDN Rising Stardom' with a wide-margin demolition at Haydock on the first of this month and repeated the dose with another imperious performance in Saturday's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef S. at Newbury. The 4-5 favourite was alert from the stalls and found a smooth rhythm in a handy third through the early fractions of this black-type bow. Tanking forward to loom large on the bridle...

KHK Racing's once-raced 2-year-old colt Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}--Shortmile Lady {Ire}, by Arcano {Ire}), who shaped with a deal of promise when posting a debut second going six furlongs at Windsor last month, was a class above his rivals in Thursday's Auction Finance EBF Novice S. over the same trip at Haydock and attained 'TDN Rising Star' status with a mightily impressive display of raw power. Swiftly into stride for an early advantage, the 1-2 favourite was untroubled from halfway and extended clear in hand to easily rout Acai (Ire)...