A bargain buy for Peter Pugh returned rich rewards Sept. 18 early during the first session of Book 3 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Purchased for $90,000 as a weanling at the 2020 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, a Practical Joke filly consigned as Hip 1148 by Hunter Valley Farm set the bar within the first few hours of selling on the sixth day of the marathon event when Maverick Racing and Siena Farm went to $520,000 to bring her home.
"I purchased the filly from Hunter Valley in November," Pugh said. "Practical Joke, the market is really supporting him … he is off to a great start. It's important to have the right stallions. You get one that walks in there like her—classy—you never expect this kind of result, but you're happy it happened."
Bred in Kentucky by Hunter Valley, Keith Lazarz, and Pat Barrett, the filly is out of the unraced Lookin At Lucky mare Lucky Rose, a half sister to the grade 1-producing Mr. Greeley mare Rhumb Line, the dam of multiple grade 1 winner Zazu and the grade 2-winning, grade 1-placed Flashback—full siblings by Tapit . Hip 1148 is the third foal out Lucky Rose, whose 3-year-old Mineshaft gelding Bo Rhapsody and 2-year-old Violence filly Palmach are seeking maiden victories.
"We bred her in partnership," Fergus Galvin of Hunter Valley said of Hip 1148. "The market was a little depressed last year; we thought she was going to make more. …She had a lot of play in the barns, between 12-14 scopes on her. She benefits from the sire doing so well on the track, and the wonderful market.
"Today the market is absolutely fantastic," Galvin added. "The actions in the barns the last two days have been phenomenal and it's showing up in the sales ring. It's a big relief after last year."
After signing the ticket for Maverick, the buying arm of WinStar Farm, the operation's president/CEO and racing manger Elliott Walden remarked: "Big, strong filly; love her pedigree with some high-quality fillies on the page. We are trying to get some fillies that can race, hopefully, and retire to the broodmare band."
Zazu, bred in Kentucky by Summerhill Equine, was a $285,000 purchase by Ann and Jerry Moss from Gainesway's consignment to the 2009 Keeneland September Sale. Her top wins came in the 2011 Lady's Secret Stakes (G1) and Las Virgenes Stakes (G1). She brought $2.1 million from Katsumi Yoshida when consigned by Lane's End to the 2012 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
Flashback, bred in Kentucky by Dr. William G. Andrade and Michael Hernon, was a $260,000 weanling purchase by agent Ben Glass from the Keeneland November Sale in 2010. He won the 2013 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G2) and was runner-up in that year's Santa Anita Derby (G1) and San Felipe Stakes (G2) for Gary and Mary West.
Rhumb Line sold in 2013 for $2 million to Whisper Hill Farm from Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency's consignment to The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's marquee breeding stock sale. Lucky Rose, consigned by Timber Town to the 2017 Keeneland November Sale while carrying her first foal, was a $95,000 purchase by Hunter Valley.
Maverick and Siena partnered on one other horse Saturday, a $190,000 Speightstown filly consigned as Hip 1291 by Baccari Bloodstock. From 11 total purchases at this sale, Maverick has partnered with Siena on five.
