No matter whether someone buys the sale topper or not, the vision is big no matter the price. So when Belladonna Racing saw an opportunity to bring home a yearling that they believe can be associated with big Saturday races, they took their shot Sept. 10 on the second day of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in Lexington.
They went to $1.3 million for the Not This Time colt (Hip 286) consigned by Glennwood Farm.
"Like the saying goes, 'You can't put a saddle on a pedigree,' so the physical was what really made him. He's always had class every time we went to look at him," said Paul Manganaro. "He looked like he had that 'it' factor in him. We want big races and we want the two-turn dirt type horses, and we think he can be that."
The ticket was signed by Cherie DeVaux, agent.
"We're looking for quality. We want to win the big races, so we know we have to go out and spend the money on real quality and that's what we're doing," said Belladonna's Bruce Fenimore. "Cherie is our trainer and David Ingordo is the bloodstock agent and Paul is our partner. We have such a great team. I have so much confidence in them. That's why it's easy for me to invest with them."
Mayberry Farm Nabs Constitution Colt
Mayberry Farm went to $1.2 million for the Constitution colt consigned as Hip 283. The chestnut was a popular choice among CRK Stable's Lee Searing's team.
"He is a beautiful horse and I had five women who scouted him out," Searing said. "How do I not buy the horse when they say this is the best horse we've found so far?"
Searing said he wasn't planning on going above the sale price for the colt, but he acknowledged he might have been swayed.
"They really wanted the horse. So when these people work so hard, you try to buy a horse," he said.
He said the colt will go to Mayberry Farm to be broken and then trained by either John Shirreffs or Peter Eurton but will remain on the East Coast.
Consignor Runnymede Farm had high praise for the son of Constitution.
"From the day he was foaled he was such a big individual. A powerful horse with a lot of bone and a great mind. If they all could be like him it would be unbelievable. They always exceed expectations," said Runnymede president Romain Malhouitre.
Not This Time Colt Draws $1.15M
SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables nabbed a son of Not This Time, consigned as Hip 324, out of the St George Sales consignment. The ticket was signed by Donato Lanni, agent for the partnership.
Despite the sire's polished pedigree, the sale price exceeding $1 million "surprised" the consignor.
"Everything has to go right, and most importantly that horse goes on and runs," said Archie St George. "He's by a phenomenal stallion. He's a lovely horse. He's a class horse with a great temperament. Not This Time is a very good stallion. They (offspring) can run long, short, dirt, turf."
Tom Ryan believes his group will only benefit from having the son from an on-the-rise sire. The bay colt will head to Bob Baffert for training.
"Physically, he was a stunning colt. I think Not This Time is proven that he's a very elite stallion at this point. He's flawless. He's a stallion that's demonstrated from lesser mares that he's elite, and with better mares and pedigrees we assume that will continue," said Ryan.
The colt is out of the Indian Charlie mare Believe in Charlie. The second dam, Zehoorr, is the mother of grade 2-placed Shamrocket.
Gun Runner Gets Sixth Seven-Figure Yearling
Three Chimney Farms' hot sire Gun Runner picked up another seven-figure yearling during the second session of the Keeneland September Sale.
Hip 319, a filly bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings out of the Flower Alley stakes winner Awesome Flower, sold for $1.05 million to Windancer Farm Holdings. The filly was consigned by Gainesway on behalf of Stonestreet.
Gun Runner ranks third on the general leading sires list by progeny earnings and is the co-leading sire by number of grade 1 winners with four as of Sept. 10. He has been represented by six seven-figure yearlings during Book 1 of the sale.
Session 2 produced five other yearlings that sold for $1 million.
They include: Hip 238, a Not This Time colt out of stakes winner Stillwater Cove (Quality Road ) consigned by Woods Edge Farm and sold to M.V. Magnier and White Birch Farm; Hip 273, a Justify colt out of the Lawyer Ron mare Undercover Justice sold by Woods Edge to China Horse Club, Maverick Racing, and Siena Farm; Hip 326, a Maxfield colt who is a half brother to 2023 champion turf male Up to the Mark sold by Gainesway to M.V. Magnier; Hip 343, an Into Mischief colt out of stakes winner Cariba (sister to graded stakes winner Cairo Memories) sold by Candy Meadows Sales to agent Mitsu Nakauchida; and Hip 368, a colt by Uncle Mo out of the stakes-placed Unbridled's Song winner Spring Eclipse that St George Sales sold to Nakauchida.
