Jeweled Princess Tops F-T July Breeding Stock Sale

Robert Slack grew up without electricity or running water on a small farm in Northern England. "We didn't have a road to the farm, because we didn't have a car, so we were pretty poor. However, we did have two Thoroughbreds, so we had our priorities right," Slack said with a chuckle July 12, after purchasing the top-priced mare at the Fasig-Tipton July Breeding Stock Sale. Slack went to $225,000 to add Hip 448, the Cairo Prince filly Jeweled Princess, to a band of about 50 broodmares kept at his new Stoneriggs Farm near Paris, Ky. The mare consigned by Gainesway on behalf of Walking L Thoroughbreds was offered in foal to Gun Runner. Jeweled Princess brought top price at the inaugural July Breeding Stock Sale, which preceded the July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale at Fasig-Tipton's Newtown Paddocks near Lexington. Gross receipts for the sale totaled $2,012,000, with 44 horses sold from 51 offered for an average of $45,727 and a $31,000 median. "It was interesting, I guess I probably would have missed the market a bit," said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning Jr. "I was surprised with how some of the in-foal mares sold and the broodmare prospects sold. Some of the mares with foals at their side didn't bring a little more money, but it's a significant commitment. We have seen that be an area of weakness in the marketplace whether that's November, January, or February. It's still there even if you sell a foal at the side, because you have to carry that mare, you have to breed that mare. The caring costs are not cheap, it costs money to get from point A to point B. "It happened late—there wasn't an enormous push for it," he added of the fledgling sale. "It's hard to push until you have some idea. When we encourage an owner or consignor, we have to believe. Every time you walk a horse through the ring, we take it personally. (Still), in the grand scheme of things it was encouraging." As to whether Fasig-Tipton will continue to offer a breeding stock sale at this unique place on the calendar, the jury is still out, according to Browning. "We will continue to have discussions internally and with our customers," he said. The new sale certainly worked out for the connections of Jeweled Princess. "It was a new idea of Fasig-Tipton's, a 'Do you think this would fly?' kind of scenario," Gainesway's Brian Graves said of offering the mare in July instead of in late autumn at the traditional breeding stock sales. "With the popularity of the horse, the way it was going, it's something that could work. I think if you have something of quality like that, it has a chance to go well, either in July or November." Slack, who shopped the sale accompanied by Stoneriggs general manager Martin Keogh, said he thought the price was fair for Jeweled Princess, who was bred in Kentucky by Mary Reynolds out of the Scat Daddy mare Jersey Jules. Jeweled Princess won the listed She's All In Stakes at Remington Park in 2020 when trained by Kenny McPeek. Stoneriggs bought one other horse at the sale, the Liam's Map filly War for Peace (Hip 426), offered in foal to Lord Nelson and a $45,000 buy from Candy Meadows Sales, agent. Out of the black-type-placed winning Speightstown mare That Voodoo Youdo, War for Peace is a half sister to 2018 With Anticipation Stakes (G3T) winner Opry, a son of Declaration of War currently racing for Cheyenne Stables and Gaillardia Racing and trainer Todd Pletcher. "I thought (Jeweled Princess) was the nicest mare in the sale," Slack said. "I told Martin here that I wanted to buy two gray mares out of the sale and fortunately we got them both. (War for Peace) was not quite as expensive, but you have to pay for good merchandise so it's all good, we're very happy. You can't steal good horses. Everyone sees them. And we thought she would have brought at least that. There was an opportunity today, while we're in the mood, let's do it. "We're excited to have one in foal to Gun Runner because we never bred to him this year. We bred to a lot of other good horses but unfortunately we never got to him." Slack, who made his fortune in the real estate business in South Florida and whose holdings in that arena bring in more than $2 billion annually, is building the Stoneriggs band on 417 acres in Bourbon County on the corner of Spears Mill and Winchester Road. "It used to be Kilflynn Farm, and before that it used to be part of Arthur Hancock's Stone Farm," Slack said. "When Arthur refers to 'the magic field,' that is the field right on the corner that we have. "We have about 50 mares right now. I keep telling Martin every time we buy another one, 'Martin, you know what we call her? Job security.' "I've been shopping in Kentucky for a long time but we've moved up a little in the world; we have a little more to spend these days. Mr. Martin Keogh here is my trusted representative, runs the farm out in Paris, and does an outstanding job, so we feel very comfortable with him taking care of all these wonderful mares." The farm is a private commercial breeding operation, "and if we get one that doesn't sell for some reason, we'll race it," Slack said. "We do have about 8-10 at the track." Stoneriggs is hoping to recoup some of their expenditure July 13 during The July Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected yearling sale in Kentucky. "We have a Mendelssohn filly we're pretty proud of that will sell tomorrow," Keogh said. "She's a very nice filly." The dark bay or brown daughter of Mendelssohn is consigned by Machmer Hall Sales, agent, as Hip 15. She is the first foal out of the Mineshaft mare Doritza, from a family that goes back to Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Volponi. Colonial Creed Goes Full Circle for Partners Doug Branam went to $175,000 to buy out his partners on the second highest-priced mare of the day, the multiple graded stakes-placed Colonial Creed, a daughter of Jimmy Creed offered as a broodmare prospect. Consigned by South Point Sales Agency, Colonial Creed is out of the Scat Daddy mare Neverthesame, making her a half sister to 2016 Busher Stakes winner Mo d'Amour. It is also the family of Line of Duty (IRE), winner of the 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T). Colonial Creed was third in the 2019 Summertime Oaks (G2) and 2021 Megahertz Stakes (G3T) when trained by Richard Baltas in California. Andre Lynch, agent, signed the ticket. "It's come full circle," said South Point founder Mike Recio. "I had her as a yearling. David Meah put together a partnership of Richard Baltas, Doug Branam, and Jerry McClanahan. She went out to Rich and he has done a phenomenal job with her. She came up with a little injury so we decided to try this new sale. "Andre signed the ticket on behalf of Doug and his son in law Pat. She's going to go home and be a part of Doug's broodmare band. They haven't said yet who they will breed her to but being from the Scat Daddy/Distorted Humor line, there are a lot of things we can do with her. The family is getting better and better." Too Much Prada to Elkstone Group Stuart Grant's The Elkstone Group picked up the 8-year-old Too Much Bling mare Too Much Prada for $150,000 Monday, and the March 17 Violence filly by her side—along with the mare being back in foal to the son of Medaglia d'Oro—sweetened the deal. "What really led me to her was the (filly) by her side, a beautiful filly only three months old, just gorgeous," said Grant, who bought the mare for his farm in Maryland. "She has another Violence in the belly. We have a couple of shares to Violence. We are hoping she can keep producing these beautiful Violence foals, and we hope to send her back to Violence next year." Consigned by Stuart Morris, agent, for the Far From Over/Fountain of Youth dispersal that inspired the creation of the July Breeding Stock Sale, Too Much Prada was bred in Texas by Hall's Family Trust out of the Authenticate mare Kimbell's Prada, and won black-type stakes at Retama Park and Sam Houston Race Park in 2015-16 while racing for her breeders and trainer Danele Durham. Another mare in foal to Violence, Medea (IRE), was also purchased by Grant, who privately bought the 12-year-old Danehill Dancer daughter consigned by Indian Creek, agent, as Hip 402 for $40,000. Medea won the 2014 Eatontown Stakes (G3T), has produced multiple stakes-placed Sunny Dale (by Medaglia d'Oro), and is from the family of multiple grade 1 winner High Yield. Grant attended the sale in person and, while eyeing horses in the back ring, said he was happy to be in the thick of the action. "It's great being back," he said. "We bought a couple horses of racing age at Keeneland a few months ago, we did that online. So it's nice to be here. Both for the sales and seeing the horse flesh, but it's also great to see everyone in the industry again."