Keeneland announced Sept. 24 that nine horses will be offered Nov. 3 during Book 1 of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale as part of the complete dispersal of Aaron and Marie Jones. The consignment, offered by Taylor Made Sales Agency, marks a final chapter of a celebrated breeding program that produced elite Thoroughbreds and left an enduring impact on racing.
The dispersal will feature five broodmares in foal to Candy Ride , Goal Oriented , Into Mischief , and Tapit , and four weanlings by Into Mischief, Nyquist , and Tapit.
"The Joneses' broodmare band, though small, has had an immense effect on the Thoroughbred industry," Taylor Made vice president of operations Katie Taylor said. "From a band of less than 10 mares, Marie Jones produced the dams of Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Life Is Good, Preakness winner Early Voting and most recently champion Ted Noffey. The Joneses knew how to buy mares that suited the top stallions in the game, and their results have changed history.
"The loss of Mrs. Jones and the fact that these amazing mares are leaving Taylor Made is heartbreaking for our family," Taylor continued. "We are so grateful for all the blessings the Joneses have shared with us, but we look forward to seeing these exceptional mares continue to shape our sport."
Marie Jones, who died Aug. 5, and her late husband Aaron were among Thoroughbred racing's most successful breeders and owners. Together, they bred such horses as Racing Hall of Famer Ashado; 2004 champion sprinter and sire Speightstown; 2025 champion 2-year-old colt Ted Noffey; and 2010 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Drosselmeyer. The Joneses also enjoyed tremendous success as owners, campaigning such horses as 2000 champion older mare Riboletta and grade 1 winner and successful sire Forestry. He was purchased for $1.5 million at the 1997 Keeneland July Sale of Selected Yearlings.
The Jones family's success has long been intertwined with both Taylor Made and Keeneland. Among Taylor Made's earliest major clients, the Joneses sold Ashado, Speightstown, Ted Noffey, and Drosselmeyer as yearlings at Keeneland with Taylor Made.
Mares in the November Breeding Stock sale are:
- Cara's Time, a 5-year-old stakes winner by Not This Time who is carrying her first foal by Into Mischief. Out of the Macho Uno mare Zindra, she is from the family of grade 2 winner Next.
- Enchanted Ghost, an 11-year-old stakes winner by Ghostzapper in foal to Candy Ride. A half sister to grade 2 winner Selflessly, dam of stakes winner Gratefully, she is out of Uniformly Yours, by Grand Slam. Enchanted Ghost is from the family of Irish champion Negligent and grade 3 winner River Seven.
- Golden Curl, a 10-year-old stakes-winning daughter of Curlin in foal to Tapit. She is out of the winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Hailey d'Oro.
- Sheza Smoke Show, a grade 3 winner by Wilko and the dam of grade 1 winner Princess Noor. Carrying a member of the first crop of grade 1 winner Goal Oriented, the 15-year-old mare is out of stakes winner Avery Hall, by A. P Jet.
- Sweet Kisses, a 9-year-old stakes-placed winner and two-time stakes producer in foal to Into Mischief. The daughter of Carpe Diem is carrying a full sibling to stakes winner Donut God. A half sister to grade 2 winner and grade 1-placed Shancelot , Sweet Kisses also produced stakes winner Hammond. She is out of stakes winner True Kiss, by Is It True.
Weanlings in the Jones dispersal are two colts by Into Mischief, out of Sheza Smoke Show and Sweet Kisses, and two fillies—a daughter of Nyquist out of Enchanted Ghost and a daughter of Tapit out of Golden Curl.
During Book 1 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Sept. 14-15, Taylor Made sold five horses in the Jones dispersal for $2,675,000. The group's most expensive yearling was a colt by Into Mischief, a full brother to Ted Noffey. He sold to Whisper Hill Farm for $700,000.
"Aaron and Marie Jones built a breeding program that has had a remarkable and lasting influence on our sport," Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. "Their success over the years speaks to the quality and vision behind the program. We are honored to celebrate that legacy at Keeneland and to present buyers with the opportunity to carry it forward through this dispersal."
The online catalog for the November Breeding Stock sale is scheduled to be available Sept. 29. The auction will run nine sessions from Nov. 3-11, with the stand-alone Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale Nov. 12.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
