Inglis Digital USA once again proved itself to be a vibrant marketplace for fall trade Oct. 28, closing its second auction of the month, the October (Late) sale, with a strong draft from consignor Paramount Sales, led by the $260,000 broodmare Aqaareb.
Aqaareb, an 8-year-old daughter of top broodmare sire Bernardini, went to Imad Al Sagar's Blue Diamond Stud, which has bases in England and the U.S. Her first foal to race is a placed Nyquist colt named Amjaad who will race in the Dubai barn of trainer Doug Watson during the upcoming U.A.E. racing season, and she has had ensuing foals by Street Sense , Good Magic , and Cody's Wish .
The mare was offered in-foal to Yaupon , who heads into this year's Breeders' Cup with a comfortable lead in the freshman sire race by earnings (over $2 million) and stakes winners (six).
Aqaareb is herself out of the stakes-winning Unbridled's Song mare Muhaawara, making her a half sister to grade 3 winner Shagaf, and a half sister to stakes-placed Munqad and stakes producers Gharbeya and Mahasen. Her second dam is the multiple grade 1 winner Habibiti, putting her in the extended family of Breeders' Cup Marathon winner Eldaafer.
Tuesday's sale-topper displayed just how far-reaching the list of buyers can go when a horse is offered with Inglis Digital USA.
"It's a great, easy-to-use platform," Blue Diamond Stud general manager Ted Voute said about buying with Inglis Digital USA. "Mr. Al Sagar in Kuwait had picked out this beautiful Bernardini mare himself, and was following the action online. I was able to bid from the comfort of my home in the United Kingdom. We were approved a credit limit easily this morning. Inspection of the mare by Cian Gahan, our farm manager at our Stonreath division (in Paris, Ky.), was very easy and informative. It was a very slick transaction."
Glen Hill Farm secured the second- and third-highest-priced offerings of the day, going to $70,000 for the broodmare Azm, and landing the racing/broodmare prospect She's Fire for $60,000.
Azm, a 10-year-old mare by Tapit , marked a homecoming to the Glen Hill operation, which originally bred her in Florida before selling her as a weanling for $1.1 million. Her dam, Marketing Mix, was a multiple grade 1 winner, and one of the signature runners for the Glen Hill stable in the early 2010s.
Paramount Sales consigned Azm, as agent. Along with sale-topper Aqaareb, the Paramount consignment sold eight horses for a combined $470,000.
"We were optimistic about our consignment going into this sale with such a quality group," said Paddy Campion, account manager at Paramount Sales. "When the catalog went live, we were really encouraged at the level of interaction from buyers, and now we could not be more pleased with the outfits that stepped up to get these mares.
"From entry to sale, working together with Inglis Digital USA was a pleasure," Campion continued. "We would like to thank the buyers, and wish them the very best of luck."
She's Fire, a 4-year-old Flameaway filly, has been a standout on all-weather surfaces, tallying a victory in the Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile Stakes at Presque Isle Downs in 2023, and coming into Tuesday' sale off a front-running allowance optional claiming win at the same track on Oct. 23.
In total, four of her five career wins came over the synthetic at Presque Isle, and she has earned $223,955 on the racetrack, most recently competing for owner Divine Light Healing Ministries and trainer Kevin Rice. The filly was made available for inspection with consignor Gail Rice at Grand Oaks Training Center in Reddick, Fla.
Bred in Kentucky by Bill Adair, Phyllis Adair, and Connie Brown, She's Fire is out of the winning Flatter mare My Wish List. Grade 1 winners A Phenomenon and Seattle Meteor can be found in her extened family.
"Glen Hill Farm is excited to buy a couple of horses from the Inglis Digital USA platform," said owner Craig Bernick. "She's Fire is likely to head to Australia, as she's a 2-year-old stakes winner and will cross with most of the stallions down there.
"Azm is a mare that we bred and sold as a foal, and we are thrilled to have her back," Bernick continued. "She's in foal to Oscar Performance, who is perhaps the best turf sire in the U.S., and we may breed her right back to him next year if the foal is nice."
In total, Tuesday's Inglis Digital USA October (Late) sale saw 43 horses change hands for a combined $720,500.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
