COOLMORE made a substantial addition to their broodmare ranks when they acquired Prank, a half-sister to the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes winner Mo Donegal for $1.6 million at Monday’s opening session of the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale.

Prank was joined in that seven-figure territory by the $1 million mare Curlin’s Voyage, a Canadian champion who is carrying a member of the first crop of foals by 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline. The two seven-figure sales, the first at the January Sale since 2019, were the highlights on a day of increases in gross sales and average price. However, the median fell by a fifth.

Topping private sales at $1.2 million was the stakes-placed Star Act, dam of the undefeated 2023 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Just F Y I. In foal to Life Is Good, she was purchased by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa and Determined Stud.

“We have to be very happy,” Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. “Today’s numbers were pretty much on par for most of the day compared to last year, which was a very strong sale. There was great diversity among buyers; the top 15 horses sold to 13 different interests. Quality was very much to the fore.

“Generally young mares sold really well, and probably for more than people thought they would. Yearlings by the right sires with the right physicals were difficult to buy. Buyers found the buying to be very competitive from all angles.

Tom Wachman

“It was good to see Tom Wachman bidding for his grandfather [John Magnier]. It’s nice to see the next generation rising to the top. It was great to see Eclipse Thoroughbreds getting rewarded for bringing fillies to the market. It was nice to see the Japanese and European buyers travelling here for a short sale. That is encouraging and something to build on. Lots of positivity out there.”

“We had a couple of real highlights today,” Keeneland’s director of sales operations Cormac Breathnach said. “Demand for yearlings was strong; we sold 22 six-figure yearlings today versus 17 this day last year. Quality is selling really well; I was really pleased with the depth of the buyer bench. There were a lot of different people signing tickets in the ring and a lot of important buyers from America but also internationally.”

Millionaire ladies lift trade on opening day

PRANK, a four-year-old daughter of Into Mischief out of the Pulpit mare Callingmissbrown, was consigned by Gainesway as a broodmare prospect, being knocked down for $1.6 million.

“She’s a lovely filly, a very good race filly, bought for the Coolmore partners,” said Tom Wachman, the 19-year-old grandson of Coolmore’s John Magnier and an accomplished show jumper who signed the docket. “I would say she goes to Justify. He is a phenomenal stallion.”

“She was a real talent,” Gainesway general manager Brian Graves said. “She broke her maiden [by 9¾ lengths] at Saratoga. She got injured and wasn’t able to make it back, but she had the brilliance the people want, the type that if you pass that on to your foals they could be Grade 1 winners. The day she broke her maiden, you would have said she’s the best two-year-old in America, colt or filly. Her figures were among the fastest at Saratoga in six years, and those horses were Grade 1 winners, so the ability was there.

“She went to a smart operation who knows what they’re doing. That was a fair bit more than we thought she would bring today. We wish the buyers all the luck, and we are very appreciative.”

Supplemented

K I Farm paid $1 million for Curlin’s Voyage, who is in foal to Flightline. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa and supplemented to the sale, the seven-year-old is out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Atlantic Voyage and from the family of Grade 1 winner Stormello. Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa was Monday’s leading consignor, selling 20 horses for $2,937,000.

The leading buyer was Steven W. Young, who as agent for Ramona Bass and her family purchased three horses for $2,025,000. Young reported the mares will be bred to Grade 1 winner Annapolis, who was bred and campaigned by Bass Racing and was recently retired to Claiborne Farm.

The agent paid $750,000 for Bridlewood Cat, an eight-year-old stakes-placed winning daughter of Street Sense in foal to Tapit. Out of the Bluegrass Cat mare Ithinkisawapudycat, she is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Sweet Loretta and from the family of Canadian champion Spring In The Air.

Young also paid $650,000 for Kaling, a four-year-old Grade 1-placed winning daughter of Practical Joke. She is out of the Indian Charlie mare Proud Indian and from the family of Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks winner Summerly. At $625,000, Young’s third purchase was the supplemented Juniper’s Moon, a Grade 3-placed winning daughter of Galileo out of Grade 1 winner I’m a Chatterbox, by Munnings.

Lope De Vega

WM Bloodstock spent $450,000 for Capital Structure, a Grade 3-placed winning daughter of Lope De Vega in foal to Uncle Mo. The seven-year-old mare, who is out of stakes winner Moi Meme, by Teofilo, is a full-sister to stakes winners King Vega and King Of Conquest.

Bringing $375,000 from Milan Bloodstock was the opening session’s top-priced yearling, a colt by Curlin out of Grade 1 winner A Z Warrior, by Bernardini. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa, he is a half-brother to stakes winners Justa Warrior and Key To My Heart, and from the family of Grade 2 winner Jojo Warrior and Grade 3 winner E Z Warrior.

Pope makes another important acquisition

MANDY Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm paid $700,000 for Sebago Lake, a five-year-old mare by Tapit in foal to Justify, to record the highest price during Tuesday’s second session of the Keeneland January Sale. Supplemented to the auction, Sebago Lake was consigned by Eaton Sales.

In contrast with Monday’s session, Tuesday’s turnover fell 29% and the average was down 13%, while the median was 25% lower than in 2023.

Sebago Lake, a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Family Way, is from the family of Irish champion and sire Caravaggio. Her dam is Susie’s Baby, by Giant’s Causeway. “She’s a beautiful mare, in foal to the right horse,” Eaton managing partner Reiley McDonald said. “We’re really pleased with it. They got a good buy; seller got a good price – a fair exchange.”

On Tuesday, two horses sold for $430,000 each. Cherry Knoll Farm paid the amount for a yearling colt by Not This Time from the family of Grade 1 winner Ask the Moon. He is out of the winning Unbridled’s Song mare Dalsaros. “That was a great sale,” Warrendale’s Hunter Simms said. “He was a horse that ticked all the boxes for everybody. All the top people were on that horse coming up here. He was well-received. We are very honoured to sell a horse like that and best of luck to all the connections.”

Candy Ride

Resolute Bloodstock paid $430,000 for a yearling filly by Candy Ride consigned by Stone Farm. Out of the Union Rags mare Rags Pauline, the filly is from the family of Grade 2 winners Keen Pauline and Doneraile Court. “She was absolutely stunning,” said Gavin O’Connor, buying for John Stewart. “We’ll probably keep her right now; she screams racehorse. She’s just a fabulous filly.” Resolute Bloodstock acquired four horses for $703,000 to lead buyers during the session.

Stone Farm’s Lynn Hancock said. “She came up here and showed great. She didn’t turn a hair. She was very popular. She’s got a great walk. She moved well, showed well. I think she had all the right people on her. It’s hard not to be happy with that.”

Canadian champion

P B Bloodstock spent $400,000 to acquire a yearling colt by Justify from the family of Canadian champion and Grade 1 winner Negligee and English Horse of the Year Zilzal. “From the first time we saw him at the barn, we knew we had to have him – he was our star horse for the day,” buyer Jenny O’Callaghan said.

Shadai Farm paid $400,000 for multiple Grade 3 winner Dolce Zel, a French-bred five-year-old daughter of Zelzal out of Dolce Attesa, by Dr Fong. She is a half-sister to French stakes winner Pure Zen and from the family of Grade 1 winners Musical Romance, Rigoletta, Battle Of Midway and Pattern Recognition.

Lane’s End Farm was Tuesday’s leading consignor with sales of $1.69 million for 18 horses. Book 2 of the sale took place on Wednesday and Thursday. When the hammer fell for the final time, turnover in the ring was $38,330,300 for 831 horses, down 16% from last year. The average price of $46,126 dipped 2% from 2023, while the median declined 21% from $19,000 to $15,000.