BBA Ireland paid $2.1 million for the 10-year-old Galileo mare White Hot, the dam of the 2021 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca, in foal to leading sire Into Mischief, and she is the top lot sold in the ring after two days of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Pizza Bianca herself sold for $3 million at Fasig-Tipton on Tuesday.

White Hot is one of 11 horses sold to date for seven figures. Stakes winner Puca, who is in foal to Good Magic and carrying a full-sibling to this year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Mage, was unsold in the ring, but sold privately after the session for $2.9 million to Gavin O’Connor, agent for John Stewart, a major buyer at Fasig-Tipton. Puca was consigned by Case Clay Thoroughbred Management.

After the first two sessions of the November Sale, Keeneland had sold 333 horses through the ring for $88,768,000 (over $90 million including Puca), for an average of $266,571 and a median of $180,000. The gross is down 13% from the same period last year, as is the average, while the median declined by 5%.

Quality sells

“We were very pleased with the session overall,” Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin said after the first day of selling. “The theme of the century seems to be that quality sells, and there was very high demand for quality. The foal market was especially strong today. We had double the number of foals sell for $400,000 or more compared to last year. There was great international participation, but plenty of domestic participation as well. There was a real diversity among the buyers.”

After Thursday’s second session, Tony Lacy, Keeneland vice president of sales, commented: “It’s been a realistic and selective market today. People were specific about what they wanted to invest in. The foal market was very active. Five of today’s top prices were paid for weanlings, while mares that were young and well covered were very popular. There was a bit of softening, but that was to be expected in certain areas.”

“The market’s been really strong and kind of on a bull run for some years,” director of sales operations Cormac Breathnach said. “We had a great September Sale and yearling market this year, and that’s reflected in strong foal sales. What we’re seeing, and we haven’t had a lot of time to digest it, is possibly some more realism in mare evaluations. It’s the way the world is; it’s still a good sale.”

Nagles among the leading buyers

CONSIGNED by Stone Farm, White Hot is out of Gwynn, a Darshaan half-sister to Group 1 Derby winner Pour Moi, and she realised $2,100,000.

“She’s a Galileo mare,” said Michael Donohoe who signed on behalf of BBA Ireland. “She’s a dam of a Grade 1-winning juvenile and she’s in foal to a champion stallion. It made a lot of sense; it’s a great family. Those Galileo mares, you can see what they can do. We were very happy to get her. We’ll probably leave her here and foal her out.”

Two lots sold for $1.8 million. Summer Wind Equine paid that for the four-year-old filly Skims, a Grade 2 winner by Frankel. Consigned by Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services, she is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner War Decree and from the family of Grade 1 winner Ticker Tape.

“I’m excited about getting this filly,” Summer Wind owner Jane Lyon said. “I am a Frankel lover. When I saw this filly, I was so excited to have her.” “That was right in line with what we thought she would bring,” consignor John Stuart said. “She is from a nice family. I am really happy that she is staying right here in the Bluegrass.”

Juddmonte paid $1.8 million for Ack Naughty, dam of 2023 Grade 1 winner Practical Move and in foal to Into Mischief. The 11-year-old stakes-placed daughter of Afleet Alex was consigned by Sequel New York acting for Chester and Mary Broman. Into Mischief’s son Practical Joke sired Practical Move.

“The top end of the market is just killer strong,” Juddmonte’s general manager Garrett O’Rourke said. “It’s like people buying art or something similar in a hot market. It’s hard to put a value on them at this level, and if you want them, you have to pay for them. I’m delighted to have something really nice to bring home and add to the Juddmonte broodmare band.”

The German-bred Grade 1 winner Dalika, who is carrying a foal from the first crop of Horse of the Year Flightline, sold for $1.65 million to Pursuit of Success. Case Clay Thoroughbred Management had charge of the sale of this seven-year-old daughter of Pastorius.

Owner Paul Varga of Bal Mar Equine was sad to see her go. “She definitely gave us a great day, but it really is hard to let go of a mare like that. One great thing is I have her full-sister who is in foal, so I can still keep the family.

“A huge amount of congratulations to Albert Stall, who trained her all along. She required a ton of patience to run that much over that long a time, and he and his group did a super job. Honestly, this was great, but it’s so much more fun to watch them win on the race track.”

Irish purchase

David and Diane Nagle’s Barronstown Stud paid $1.45 million for Champagne Lady, a six-year-old stakes-placed daughter of Uncle Mo who is also in foal to Flightline. An own-sister to Grade 1 winner and sire Mo Town, she was part of the Lane’s End draft.

Grade 2 winner Interstatedaydream, a four-year-old filly by Classic Empire and winner days earlier of a listed race at Aqueduct, sold for $1.4 million to West Bloodstock, acting for Repole Stable. She is from the family of Canadian Horse of the Year Uncaptured.

West Bloodstock spent $4.4 million for five horses during the opening session. Among them was Surprisingly, a four-year-old daughter of Mastery who won the Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes this year and sold for $1 million. She is from the family of Grade 1 winners Pleasant Home, Point Of Entry and Pine Island.

Mike Repole intends to race Interstatedaydream and Surprisingly next year. “I get excited about the mares we are buying to race, while my team’s getting excited about the mares we are buying in foal. I like running and I enjoy the races. If we can keep horses around at ages four and five, they can become stars.”

Spendthrift Farm acquired the stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Tarabi for $1,050,000. The four-year-old daughter of First Samurai is a full-sister to Group 3 winner Shivaji. “Really impressive physical,” Spendthrift’s Ned Toffey said. “We are really excited to have her. That was about what we thought we would have to pay. She will be a nice addition to the broodmare band.”

Two additional horses also sold for $1 million each.

J.S. Company paid the amount for the Irish-bred Technical Analysis, who won the Listed Athenia Stakes at Belmont at The Big A on her most recent race. ELiTE consigned the five-year-old daughter of Kingman who is out of the winning Sea The Stars mare Sealife, and from the family of Rekindling.

Also bringing $1 million was Grade 3 winner White Frost, a five-year-old mare by Candy Ride, sold to Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings. She is from the family of Grade 1 winner Pharma.

Weanling

At $750,000, the sale’s top-priced weanling is a colt by Gun Runner who sold to Shadwell Racing. He is out of the winning Galileo mare Sea Hill, and from the family of Group 1 winner and French champion Groom Dancer.

“A beautiful Gun Runner, good family, very impressed,” said Jonathan Smyth on behalf of Shadwell. “A new addition to the farm and fingers crossed it goes well. I thought it was a good price. We had a budget in mind, and we were happy.”