Love to Shop Tops Second Day of Keeneland Sale at $700K
The hammer dropped at $700,000 to Pin Oak Stud for multiple graded stakes-placed Love to Shop during the second session of Keeneland's January Sale Jan. 14. She joins Monday purchases Pretty Birdie and Delahaye as the co-sale topper. The 5-year-old daughter of Violence was bred in Kentucky by D.J. Stable and consigned by Claiborne Farm, agent. She is the second foal out of the Uncle Mo mare Tiffany Case, making her a half sister to multiple grade 1-placed Nitrogen, who won the Ginger Brew Stakes Jan. 4 at Gulfstream Park. Love to Shop was purchased for $200,000 as a yearling at Keeneland's September Sale in 2021, by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables. "That was huge," said Jacob West, Claiborne Farm's stallion seasons and bloodstock manager. "She was a filly that was bought as a yearling for Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola. We always knew she was going to end up at a public auction to dissolve the partnership. To be quite honest, that exceeded a little bit of our expectations. She was such a beautiful filly. "This was a very rare case of putting her into a spot here where she could stand out. At the end of the day, a lot of people try to hold onto their quality horses. That is the market we're in. They get rewarded when they sell them or sell yearlings out of them, but she happened to be the prize jewel of the sale so far, in our minds, and it worked out well." Love to Shop raced three times for Todd Pletcher and was transferred to the care of Woodbine-based Kevin Attard after she broke her maiden at Belmont Park. She hit the board in all of her 10 career starts, winning a listed stakes in Canada and finishing second or third there in four graded stakes. After recently shipping into Turfway Park and coming up with a foot abscess, the mare was scratched and sent to Margaux Farm, where she was prepped coming into the sale. "Those guys have done an incredible job with her," West said. "They've had her for the last 30 days ticking her over and keeping her in light training. She shipped in to us and looked incredible. Kevin Attard had her and she looked unbelievable. "As Claiborne, we ended up just selling on one day and it worked out well," he said. "This was obviously a highlight. I think she's the co-sales topper, which is just an awesome result for everyone involved. Kudos to Kevin and his team getting her to be worth this much, and I know Mr. Repole and Mr. Viola are ecstatic. A plan came together, they don't always do that, but in this instance it did. We're just happy to hear that Pin Oak got her. She's going to a great home and she'll get every opportunity." Day 2 Statistics Day 2 produced solid trade with short yearlings and well-bred broodmares, particularly in demand. The second session saw 249 head sell for $11,013,300, with an average of $44,230 and a median of $20,000. Eighty-two horses failed to meet their reserve, resulting in an RNA rate of 24.8%. Last year's second session saw 218 horses change hands for a total of $14,574,200, including private sales, that produced an average of $66,854. The median was $30,000. The RNA rate was 20.7%, representing the 57 horses who failed to meet their reserve. Keeneland's January Sale saw a change in format for 2025, decreasing from four sessions to three. Book 1 took place Jan. 13, with Book 2 Jan.14-15. "One thing about today, you can't really combine the numbers from last year and today, because of the fact that it was a blended day," said Keeneland's vice president of sales, Tony Lacy. "A lot of consignors sold all their stock today. It's not one that we can really compare apples to apples until we see the numbers tomorrow evening." A filly by Justify (Hip 578) and a filly by Golden Pal (Hip 641) brought $300,000 apiece to become the session's top-priced yearlings. Stoneriggs Farm bred and consigned Hip 578, who sold to D.J. Stables/VBS, agent. Hip 641 sold to Rock Bloodstock, from the consignment of Clarkland Farms, which also bred the filly. Hip 599, a short yearling by red-hot sire McKinzie, was the highest-priced yearling colt of the session at $260,000. He was sold to Rag's Bloodstock from the Warrendale consignment. He was bred in Kentucky by Offshoot Farm. Abrogate (Hip 513), a 6-year-old daughter of Outwork, sold for $310,000 to Woods Edge Farm. The stakes-winning mare was offered in foal to Good Magic and consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for STH. She was bred in Kentucky by Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm. "I think there is a sensitivity in the marketplace to quality," said Lacy. "The market is a little more discerning and it's not as forgiving. People want stock that make financial sense, and if they see that it's a little short of that, they move on. It's selective, but fair." Pin Oak Stud led the buyers on Day 2 with its purchase for $700,000, and Taylor Made Sales Agency was the leading consignor with 38 head selling for $1,762,000. Keeneland's January Sale concludes Wednesday beginning at 10 a.m. ET, with Hips 891-1322 set to go through the ring. As of Tuesday evening, Keeneland has reported 119 outs. "Today was more of Book 1 and Book 2 blend, that's when you saw a little bit of a shift in the average and medians," he said. "We would hope that we keep steady with last year or in around those figures. I think we will have less of a blended environment tomorrow than we had today."