The vibrant trade that marked the start of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in Book 1 continued into Book 2 during the sale's third session Sept. 15, and bloodstock agent Donato Lanni—who signed for nine individuals during the first two days of the catalog—showed no signs of slowing down Wednesday.
Lanni picked up six yearlings for his clients, who have shelled out cumulative receipts totaling $9.79 million for 16 horses through the sale's third session.
Among the most expensive tickets of the day for Lanni were the back-to-back purchases of Hips 465 and 466. The agent went to $825,000 on behalf of Susan Chu's Baoma Corp. for Hip 465, a bay filly by Quality Road out of the multiple stakes-winning Into Mischief mare My Miss Chiff, a half sister to stakes winner Silvercents, consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for the filly's breeder Town & Country Horse Farms.
"She was just a really strong, good Quality Road," said Taylor Made's Duncan Taylor. "She moved good, was just really special-looking."
Lanni, who was conducting his bidding from the press box, indicated that Bob Baffert will train the filly in Southern California.
"She's been very lucky with fillies," Lanni said of Chu. "She's a fun owner. She's lucky. She and (husband) Charlie are really game. They let us buy nice fillies and this one looks like the type. She's very supportive; great people to work for. The filly was real quiet, well made; everything we wanted."
Before the ink had dried on the previous ticket, Lanni secured Hip 466 for the partnership of SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables—known as "the Avengers"—with a final bid of $850,000.
Consigned by Summerfield (Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck), agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised, the chestnut colt by Curlin is out of the graded stakes winner My Wandy's Girl, by Flower Alley. The colt hails from the family of stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Saguaro Row and graded stakes-placed Choctaw Ridge.
"(We're) looking for two-turn classic types," said Lanni. "He's by Curlin and he looks like a good, fast, sound horse. He looks like he has a lot of speed. He will fit the team and the program; (he's) just want we want. Really happy to get him. The good horses cost money, that's just the way it is."
The colt's dam, My Wandy's Girl, earned $638,710 in a stellar 15-win racing career. She notched her biggest victory in the 2014 Barbara Fritchie Handicap (G2) at Laurel Park. She is also a group 1 winner in Puerto Rico and was named champion 3-year-old filly in Puerto Rico.
Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings acquired My Wandy's Girl for $700,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale where she was consigned by Denali Stud. The mare was represented by the promising 2-year-old colt My Prankster (by Into Mischief), a stylish 10-length maiden special weight winner at Saratoga Aug. 21 in his career bow for owners Robert and Lawana Low and trainer Todd Pletcher. The colt was a $600,000 acquisition for the Lows at last year's Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase.
"A very well-bred horse and by Curlin, a stallion we really admire, and out of a mare who looks like she has the potential to be a very good mare at this point," said Tom Ryan of SF Bloodstock, who shared that the colt will be trained by Baffert. "We definitely noticed the 2-year-old winning as well as he did. We admired him last year at the yearling sale. And this colt looks like a very nice two-turn colt."
Lanni struck for "the Avengers" on three other yearlings Wednesday.
He bought Hip 560, a $440,000 Twirling Candy colt bred and consigned by Clearsky Farms, agent. The bay colt is produced from the unraced Malibu Moon mare Sunset Starlet, a full sister to grade 1-placed Conquest Eclipse and a half sister to stakes winner and grade 3-placed Bear'sway. This is also the family of multiple grade 1 winner Colonel John, an earner of $1,779,012, and grade 3 winner Comical.
He went to $675,000 for Hip 573, a colt by Uncle Mo out of multiple graded stakes winner Tasha's Miracle, by Harlan's Holiday.
Bred in Kentucky by Budget Stable, the dark bay or brown colt is from a female family loaded with black type. Tasha's Miracle won the 2007 Sorrento Stakes (G3) at Del Mar, as well as the following year's Harold C. Ramer Sr. Handicap (G3T) at Santa Anita en route to lifetime earnings of $398,452 for owners Budget Stable and Team Valor International. This is also the family of grade 2 stakes winner Concord Point and stakes winner Praetereo, an earner of $715,319.
Hip 607, a bay colt from the first crop of Good Magic , commanded a final bid of $775,000 from Lanni. Bred and consigned by Woods Edge Farm (Peter O'Callaghan), the colt is produced from the stakes-winning Scat Daddy mare Allanah.
On behalf of Fletcher Racing Operations, Lanni went to $450,000 for Hip 687, a colt by Justify , late in the session. Consigned by Denali Stud, agent, and bred in Kentucky by Reiko Baum and Michael Baum, the bay filly is out of the unraced Storm Cat mare Egyptian Queen, making her a half sister to grade 2 winner Global View (by Galileo). It is also the family of multiple graded stakes winner A. P. Warrior (by A.P. Indy).
Lauren Gash and Byron King contributed to this report.
