LEXINGTON, Ky. — Miss Exclusive, an Unbridled’s Song mare from a powerhouse Juddmonte Farms family in foal to Noble Mission (GB), sold for $750,000 to Marette Farrell, agent for Greg Goodman’s Mt. Brilliant Farm & Ranch, to headline Wednesday’s third session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
During the second day of the two-session Book 2, Keeneland sold 231 horses for $33,856,000 for an average of $146,563 and a median of $130,000. There are no comparable figures from last year.
“Book 2 was a good solid book from start to finish,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell said. “The quality of mares was excellent, and the foals were unbelievable. Seeing local farms such as Mt. Brilliant, Stone Farm, WinStar and Dixiana buy horses to replenish their stock results from the success of the September Yearling Sale and means people are reinvesting in broodmares, which is good and healthy for our industry.
“Also the Australian market is very active at the moment,” Russell continued. “Their participation has been a lot stronger than we anticipated. American mares have always been popular in Australia. The Japanese market has continued to be strong even with a different clientele in Book 2. It’s nice to see these legacy markets we’ve worked with over the years continue to participate here.”
Through the first three days of the 12-day sale, a total of 574 horses have sold for $125,227,000 for an average of $218,166 and a median of $150,000.
Mill Ridge Sales, agent, consigned Miss Exclusive, a 6-year-old mare out of North American champion grass mare Intercontinental (GB), by Danehill. A two-time graded stakes winner at Keeneland, Intercontinental is a full sister to French and English highweight and leading sire Dansili (GB), North American champion Banks Hill (GB), Canadian Horse of the Year Champs Elysees (GB) and multiple Grade 1 winner Cacique (IRE). She is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Heat Haze (GB) and Grade 3 winner Deluxe. All are Juddmonte homebreds.
“She is from a lovely family, and those mares are collectors’ items,” said Garrett O’Rourke, manager of Juddmonte’s Kentucky farm. “We are lucky to have enough of them to pass one on. Every now and then mares like this have to find another home, and it is great when they go to very good homes. I am delighted for people like the Goodmans to have jewels like this.”
“We really liked her. We’d been looking at her for a few days,” Greg Goodman said. “We have tried to buy some of the family from Juddmonte (at other sales) and we got outbid. We’ve wanted to be in the family for a long time and get a mare like this out of that family. You always get good mares here; we were glad to buy her. The Noble Mission is a great cross, but I haven’t figured out who I’m going to breed her to next. But we will breed her here, keep her here and hopefully get some good racehorses out of her. It’s definitely been a strong market and I had to pay more than I thought I’d have to, but we’re excited to have her in the family now.”
Noble Mission is a full brother to Frankel, Juddmonte’s undefeated European champion and leading sire who stands in England.
Purple H Bloodstock went to $600,000 to acquire Spindle, a 5-year-old Hard Spun mare in foal to Quality Road. Consigned by James M. Herbener Jr., agent, she is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Long Haul Bay and a full sister to stakes winner Midnight Transfer. Her dam, the Grade 3 winning French Deputy mare French Satin, is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and sire Lion Heart and Grade 3 winner Connemara.
Theogony, an 8-year-old stakes-winning daughter of Curlin in foal to Quality Road, sold for $500,000 to Mountmellick Farm. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent, she is out of the graded stakes-placed Tale of the Cat mare Upcoming Story and from the family of Group 3 winner Old Star (ARG).
“She is a beautiful mare,” David Fennelly of Mountmellick said. “She is absolutely stunning. Her conformation is amazing. We love Quality Road, and she’s by Curlin, one of the most accomplished stallions in the industry. So we really wanted this mare badly. And we are so happy to get her. We are very excited about having one in our roster of horses who will come back to Keeneland to sell again as a weanling or a yearling.”
Moyglare Stud of Ireland paid $460,000 for Homeland Security, a 4-year-old daughter of Smart Strike who won the Zagora Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 28. Cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect, she is from the family of champion Farda Amiga, European Horse of the Year St. Jovite, and Grade 2 winners Lac Ouimet and Salem Drive. Her dam is the Giant’s Causeway mare Forever Beautiful.
“She’s a very nice individual (with a) lovely pedigree that traces back well,” Moyglare’s Fiona Craig said. “We’ll figure out what to do with her along the way. She may go down to Florida and (we’ll) try her in a couple more races so we’ll see how we get on.”
Consigned by ELiTE, Homeland Security also won the River Memories Stakes at Belmont this year.
“This is our exact model and why we launched ELiTE: to take racing and broodmare prospects right off the track and send them to public auctions,” ELiTE President Bradley Weisbord said. “This is what we believe we know best. We are in this market every day. We manage hundreds of racehorses around the country. One of our best relationships is with Chad Brown and Seth Klarman of Klaravich Stables (respective former trainer and owner of Homeland Security). It helped that she won her last start. She is in top form.”
The session’s top-priced weanling is a Tapit colt sold to Solis/Litt for $380,000. Hidden Brook, agent, consigned the colt, who is out of the Candy Ride (ARG) mare Sweet Dreams, a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Strike Charmer (who sold Monday for $700,000 to Marette Farrell, agent for Mt. Brilliant). The colt is from the family of champion Gold Beauty, English Horse of the Year Dayjur, Grade 1 winner Maplejinsky and Grade 2 winner The Prime Minister.
“He was a lovely colt that checked all the boxes,” Jason Litt said. “The breeders bred a beautiful colt, and we are very happy to have him. We’ll take him back to the farm, let him grow up and decide (what to do with him) from there.”
A weanling filly by Into Mischief sold to Spendthrift Farm, where Into Mischief stands, for $360,000. Consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent, she is out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Spring Fling and from the family of Grade 3 winner Swept Away and stakes winners Cash Refund, Early Return and Gladyousawme.
“She’s a beautiful weanling – it’s what you hope to see when you look at Into Mischiefs,” Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey said. “Right shape, very correct, athletic, great mover – all the standard stuff – just a really well-made weanling. Going through the sale, she was my pick of all the Into Mischiefs so we were happy to get her for that price.”
Ben Glass, agent for Gary and Mary West, paid $350,000 for a weanling colt by Quality Road. Consigned by Hidden Brook, agent, he is out of the Tiznow mare Lazy Susan and from the family of Grade 1 winners Lazy Slusan and Last Full Measure.
“Weanlings are bringing yearling prices; they are tough to buy,” Glass said. “I saw him for the first time here at the sale and went back to look at him about six times. We really like Quality Road. We bought three (yearlings) in September (at Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale) and got outbid on a bunch.”
Stone Farm was the session’s leading buyer with the purchase of two horses for $890,000. Stone paid $450,000 for Assertive, a 4-year-old daughter of Blame in foal to Into Mischief, and $440,000 for My Dear Venezuela, a 5-year-old daughter of Wildcat Heir in foal to Arrogate.
Denali Stud, agent, was the leading consignor with sales of $2,594,000 for 21 horses.
The November Sale continues through Friday, Nov. 16, with all sessions beginning at 10 a.m. The entire sale is streamed live at Keeneland.com.
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