An Exciting Weekend For Two Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency Grads!
It was a great weekend for the Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency as ACCREDIT (KEESEP06 $160,000) WON the [G2] Churchill Downs Stakes and PIONEEROF THE NILE (KEESEP09 $290,000) finishes a strong second in the [G1] Kentucky Derby!
Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency Graduates In Good Contention For 2009 Classic Races
It could be another good year for the graduates of Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency. Both Stardom Bound (FTNOV08 $5.7 million) and Pioneeerof the Nile (KEESEP07 $290,000) are on track for the 2009 Kentucky Oaks and 2009 Kentucky Derby, respectively. Pioneerof the Nile won last weekend's Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita easily, while Stardom Bound followed up her 2008 Breeder's Cup win with a heroic win in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks.
Azeri Offered at Keeneland January Sale
Azeri, 2002 Horse of the Year and three-time champion older mare, in foal to 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, highlights Keeneland’s January Horses of All Ages Sale, to be held Jan. 12-17, 2009.
Azeri is one of only six fillies ever to win Horse of the Year honors, and the only female to earn three Eclipse Awards as champion older mare (2002, 2003, and 2004). During four seasons of racing, Azeri won 17 of 24 starts, including 14 graded stakes, and amassed earnings of $4,079,820. Among her 11 Grade 1 victories were wins in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Apple Blossom Handicap (three times), Vanity Handicap (twice), Milady Breeders’ Cup (twice), and Juddmonte Spinster Stakes.
John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency will consign the 10-year-old daughter of Jade Hunter for the Allen E. Paulson Living Trust.
“Azeri is truly a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ mare, and the fact that she is in foal to Ghostzapper, another Horse of the Year, makes her even more special,” said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland’s director of sales. “Keeneland has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with the Paulson family, and we are honored to have the opportunity to offer Azeri in the January Sale.”
BETTER THAN HONOUR SETS WORLD RECORD PRICE
by Deirdre Biles
Even though we're in the midst of a global financial crisis, a special horse can still bring a jaw-dropping amount.
Better Than Honour, the dam of back-to-back Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winners Jazil and champion Rags to Riches, set a world Thoroughbred auction record for a broodmare or broodmare prospect Nov. 2 when her price soared to $14 million during the Fasig-Tipton November select mixed sale in Lexington.
The last horse in the sale ring, Better Than Honour was purchased by Michael Moreno’s Southern Equine Stables, which had owned a 70% interest in her prior to the auction. John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms had owned the other 30%. The mare, which is not in foal, was sold because Southern Equine and Sikura were dispersing their joint holdings. The former is more interested in racing, and the latter is more interested in commercial breeding.
“There was no strategy, just take her home,” Moreno said. “She is the best mare in the world, and we’re in this thing for the long-term. You can’t build a long-term operation without blue hen mares, and she’s it. She’s a Picasso; you can’t sell a mare like this.”
A 12-year-old daughter of Deputy Minister and the grade I-winning Blushing Groom mare Blush With Pride, Better Than Honour won the 1998 Demoiselle Stakes (gr. II) and she was the 2007 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. In addition to Jazil (by Seeking the Gold) and Rags to Riches (by A.P. Indy), she has produced 2008 Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) winner Casino Drive (by Mineshaft).
“You don’t plan these kinds of things out; you let it evolve,” Moreno said. “I think we had live bids up to $12 million or $13 million. We had no reserve on her, so we just kind of went into the process and let it pan out. Honestly, anybody that bid on her in the early stages probably realized they were bidding for fun because she was going to bring obviously a world record for any broodmare that ever went through a sale. We just need another Rags to Riches, and we’ll be in good shape.”
The previous record, established in 2007, was held by Playful Act, who had brought $10.5 million at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale from Sheikh Mohammed’s bloodstock manager John Ferguson. Better Than Honour is the second-highest-priced Thoroughbred ever sold at public auction, behind only The Green Monkey, which went for $16 million at the 2006 Fasig-Tipton Florida select sale of 2-year-olds in training.
STORM CAT FILLY TOPS OPENING SESSION AT SARATOGA
by Pete Denk and John P. Sparkman
Yearlings by A.P. Indy and Storm Cat, the top two North American commercial stallions of the last decade, each brought seven-figure final bids on opening night of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of selected yearlings on Monday.
Of the 85 horses that went through the ring at the Humphrey S. Finney pavilion in Saratoga Springs, New York, 60 were reported as sold for total receipts of $18,160,000, an 8.6% decline from last year’s first session when 76 horses sold for $19,867,000.
Average price increased 15.8% to $302,667 while median improved 13.3% to $235,000. The buy-back rate increased from 21.6% a year ago to 29.4% in 2008.
Team Valor International bought the session-topping $1.5-million Storm Cat filly, out of Totemic, by Vanlandingham, from the consignment of Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent. Bred in Kentucky by Strategy Bloodstock, the filly is a full sister to Irish Group 3 winner Cherokee and stakes winner Art Museum, and she is a half sister to Grade 2 winner Lil’s Lad.
“I've only ever seen one better filly at public auction, the sister to Roman Ruler and El Corredor that John Sikura sold [at the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale],” said Team Valor owner Barry Irwin. “She's got the most awesome body, so athletic looking and her front legs are good.
“To be honest, I thought I had no shot to get her. The way I look at it, where are you going to find another one like her? I bought a couple of cheaper ones earlier, but I wish the order had been different. I probably wouldn't have bought them if she'd been first. It is stretching my bankroll a little bit.”
Pete Denk is sales editor for Thoroughbred Times
John P. Sparkman is bloodstock editor for Thoroughbred Times
KEENELAND JANUARY NEWS
Keeneland January opens with $2.7-million Irish Cherry on top
photo by Z
by Pete Denk
Mike Moreno’s Southern Equine Stable purchased Irish Cherry for $2.7-milllion to top the opening session of the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale in Lexington.
The 14-year-old Irish Open mare, believed to be carrying a colt by Ghostzapper, has five foals of racing age, including multiple Grade 1 winner Spun Sugar and 2007 Hill ‘n’ Dale Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) winner Daaher.
It was the highest price at the Keeneland January sale since Desert Stormer, winner of the 1995 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), sold for $3.6-million in 2002.
Despite selling 7.6% fewer horses then during the opening session last year, total sales increased 12.4% to $21,325,900. Average price jumped 21.6% to $109,364, compared with last year’s corresponding session, while median remained stable at $55,000.
The buy-back rate of 33% increased from 27.5% last year and, despite the other gains, was a troubling sign for many consignors and commercial breeders.
“I think it’s a very discerning market,” said Keeneland’s Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell. “Perceived quality is selling very, very well, but there’s a little bit of polarization there. The top end is strong, and then there’s a weakness throughout the rest.
“It comes back to the comments we’ve made over the past year about overproduction. That was clear again today.”
Bred in Kentucky by the Spears-Olsson Breeding Syndicate, Irish Cherry is out of the winning Ancestral (Ire) mare Eston. On the track, she won six of 14 starts, including two stakes races at Woodbine, and earned $147,280.
Irish Cherry was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent, on behalf of the partnership of Mike Abraham and Pierre and Leslie Amestoy. The Amestoys own Lobo Farm in Paris, Kentucky.
“These are the kinds of mares Southern Equine has been after the last couple, three years,” said Southern Equine’s trainer Eric Guillot, who signed the ticket. “When you look at what her produce record is, I don’t think many broodmares who have produced multiple Grade 1 winners have been offered at public auction lately.”
The January sale was the first auction conducted under the Kentucky sale industry’s steroid ban, which allows buyers to request a steroid test at the time of purchase. Keeneland reported no requests.
