Selling just below the top of the market during the second day of Book 2 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale were five yearlings that sold for $750,000. They were picked out by some of the most active buyers during the first four days of the sale and included the following:
Hip 818, a chestnut colt by Gun Runner out of the stakes winner and multiple stakes producer Giant Mover (Giant's Causeway). Consigned by St George Sales for phase two of Dell Ridge Farm's dispersal, the colt was bought by agent Mike Ryan and will be sent to New York trainer Chad Brown.
"He had a lot of action and a lot of big players, and he's a very nice horse," said consignor Archie St George. "Arguably the top stallion in North America and out of a good mare, he was raised by a very good farm. Des (Ryan) and Dell Ridge do a wonderful job and thank you to Chad (Brown) and best of luck to them."
The Gun Runner colt, bred by Dell Ridge, is a half brother to grade 1-placed, grade 2 winner Family Tree (Smart Strike) and to grade 2 winner Liora (Candy Ride ), who was runner-up in the 2019 Kentucky Oaks (G1).
top-priced filly
John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock went to $750,000 for Hip 829, a dark bay or brown filly by freshman sire Authentic . The filly is out of the winning Candy Ride daughter Hallawallah, who is out of 2007 champion female sprinter Maryfield. She was the most expensive filly to sell at Thursday's session.
Jim and Pam Robinson's Brandywine Farm consigned the filly who was bred in Kentucky by Bill Klislt.
"She's a very nice filly. Her greatest aptitude is her athleticism," said Jim Robinson. "She looks like a racehorse should. She has a nice walk. The bid spotters told me there were six different bidders on her."
Strong Returns continue for Gun Runner
Partners M.V. Magnier and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm picked up their sixth September yearling with Hip 865, a chestnut colt by Gun Runner who was consigned by Warrendale Sales.
"He is a big strong colt that moved so light on his feet, just a nice easy-moving horse and I think that is what drew people to him," said Hunter Simms with Warrendale. "Today has been a very strong day overall. You bring a nice horse here with the right sire power and you'll get rewarded."
Newstead bred Hip 865 in Kentucky out of the grade 3-winning Scat Daddy mare Kallio, who is a half sister to stakes winner Clear the Runway (Broken Vow). Gun Runner was represented by 16 yearlings sold Sept. 12 that brought a total of $6.1 million and averaged $381,250 for the session.
Sf RAcing Partnership Lands Justify Colt
Hip 871 is one of 10 yearlings by Ashford Stud's Justify to sell for more than $400,000 since the start of the sale. ELiTE consigned the dark bay or brown colt for WinStar Farm, which bred and raised him. Tom Ryan with SF Racing signed the ticket for the colt on behalf of a partnership that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables.
"He's a beautiful colt. We all watched Justify grow up at WinStar and it's lovely to see them produce such quality animals by what looks to be an amazing stallion," Ryan said. "We'll put him in the program with Bob Baffert and hopefully he has a bright future."
Hip 871 is out of the Colonel John stakes winner Kram, who is a half sister to multiple stakes winner Net Gain and stakes-winning stakes producer Cat Five' O.
Michael Lund Petersen purchased the final $750,000 yearling of the session, Hip 1121, a Curlin filly out of the stakes-placed winner Chatham (Maria's Mon), who is the dam of multiple grade 1 winner Air Force Blue (War Front ). The chestnut filly was bred and sold by Stone Farm.
Stocking Up For Dubai
Former Australian trainer Michael Costa, who made a spectacularly successful relocation to Dubai two years ago, was busy restocking the shedrow for Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Jebel Ali Stables during Day 4 of the September sale.
Costa bought four yearlings Sept. 12 for $1.43 million, topped by a $650,000 Into Mischief colt (Hip 762) out of grade 1 winner Dance to Bristol (Speightstown) that was consigned by Mill Ridge Sales.
He also purchased Hip 767, a $250,000 colt by Practical Joke out of graded stakes-placed Del Mar May (Jimmy Creed ); Hip 827, a $230,000 Maclean's Music colt out of the Elusive Quality winner Gypsy Lou; and, Hip 949, a $300,000 Twirling Candy colt who is a half brother to stakes-placed winner Iridescent.
Costa bought two other horses prior to Thursday, getting a Charlatan colt (Hip 144) out of graded-placed stakes winner My Miss Tapit for $475,000 out of the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment, and Hip 640, a $400,000 Army Mule colt out of stakes-placed Swap Meet from the Bedouin Bloodstock consignment.
