After reaching the heights of the sport with Dornoch , winner of this year's Belmont Stakes (G1) and Haskell Stakes (G1), many of that 3-year-old's owners teamed up Sept. 12 to buy a pair of yearling colts at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, seeking follow-up success.
"They would love to come back and do that again in two years, for sure," said Megan Jones, bloodstock agent for Dornoch's trainer Danny Gargan, after purchasing Hip 875 for $850,000.
The bay son of Curlin was acquired for a partnership of owners that includes "most of the guys who own Dornoch: Belmar Racing, Randy Hill, Dean Reeves, also, and Mark Pine (Pine Racing)," she said.
The official listing of owners posted by Keeneland includes Jones/Everett/Reeves, Vekoma, Belmar, Pine, and Legendary.
Hip 875 is the first foal produced from the stakes-winning, grade 1-placed Bernardini mare Lady Kate, who Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings purchased for $1.15 million at The November Sale at Fasig-Tipton in 2021. Hip 875's second dam is Princess Haya, winner of the 2009 Canadian Stakes (G2T) on turf at Woodbine.
Stonestreet owned Curlin with partners for much of his racing career before his retirement to stud, initially at Lane's End and now at Hill 'n' Dale Farms, where he has become one of North America's top sires. Curlin's top performers this year include graded stakes winners Highland Falls, Raging Sea, Idiomatic, Crupi, and Getaway Car.
Hip 875 was consigned by Indian Creek, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised.
The sale "exceeded our expectations by a little bit," said Sarah Sutherland of Indian Creek. "He's just a really solid colt—a beautiful mover. He handled (well) at the sale. He was well received. There was a lot of activity on him, especially this morning when things really picked up. There was spirited bidding."
"He was just a beautiful specimen," added Jones. "Stepped well up underneath himself and did everything right. Bred by (Stonestreet's) Barbara (Banke) and obviously we loved that. We love the mating and the pedigree. I thought he did everything right in the back ring—just an athlete."
She said Thursday Hip 875 was the "first horse we bought today," noting a preference for the progeny of Curlin and Good Magic at yearling sales this year, one of which was purchased at Keeneland Sept. 11. That Good Magic colt, Hip 540, was acquired for $550,000 from Woods Edge Farm.
"We love Curlin and Good Magic, and we feel safe and happy there," she said.
Hours later, these same owners purchased another Good Magic colt, Hip 955, for $600,000. The Indian Creek-consigned bay, bred in Kentucky by Fifth Avenue Bloodstock, is a half brother to two stakes-placed runners, one of whom is a black-type producer.
