Spangled Banner Tops Day 5 of Keeneland November at $1M

Near the end of the fifth session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale Nov. 7, the auction ring crackled with electric energy when Spangled Banner (Hip 1912) lit up the board for a cool $1 million. Bertie Butler struck the winning blow for the dam of impressive Champagne Stakes (G1) winner U. S. S. Valor, securing the mare on behalf of Saleh Al Otaibi's Al Ruwais Stables. Spangled Banner topped Day 5 of the sale and was the highest-priced horse to sell during the two-day Book 3 of the Keeneland November sale. Spangled Banner became the first horse in the history of the November sale to bring seven figures during the fifth session, according to Keeneland. Butler credited U. S. S. Valor's recent Champagne score as the driving force behind Al Ruwais Stables' determination to buy the mare. "That pushes you a lot. He's a very good horse," Butler said of U. S. S. Valor. "She had bred a good horse previously (Expressman), and she doesn't look her age. "She's a very nice mare and the boss wanted her; he really liked her. The update's good. I think he could be a very good horse." The 15-year-old Tiz Wonderful mare has produced five winners from six to race. In addition to U. S. S. Valor, the mare also produced the grade 1-placed Expressman (Liam's Map). Spangled Banner was offered in foal to Tiz the Law, who ranked 10th on the general sires list by progeny earnings through Nov. 6. His leading earner of 2026 is multiple grade 1 winner and Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) runner-up Fully Subscribed. Butler said he was well prepared to go into seven-figure territory for the mare. "I was speaking to two very good judges last night and they thought that's where she would land," Butler said. "You had to have a go; she's in foal to a good sire. I hope she's lucky." The Keeneland auction ring was familiar territory for Spangled Banner, who changed hands at six different Keeneland November auctions prior to Saturday's sale. She was most recently purchased through the Fasig-Tipton August Digital Sale in 2022 by Barry and Kathleen Irwin for $225,000. U. S. S. Valor was bred by Barry Irwin's Team Valor International. Spangled Banner was consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent. She was bred in Kentucky by Tim and Nancy Hamlin and is a half sister to stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Ladyecho (Alphabet Soup). She hails from the immediate family of grade 1 winner and millionaire Curalina (Curlin). Later in the session, Al Ruwais secured Wild Mint (Hip 1985), a full sister to grade 1 winner and sire Violence, for $110,000 out of the KatieRich Farms consignment. The Medaglia d'Oro mare, sold in foal to first-year sire Mindframe, has produced the grade 2-placed Tapit mare Free Look. Al Ruwais Stables led all buyers for the fifth session with its two purchases of Spangled Banner and Wild Mint. Maintaining a dominant presence from the start of the sale, Al Ruwais has secured nine horses for a total of $6,940,000 through the fifth session, landing in the top three buyers by gross at the conclusion of the session Saturday. During Day 1 of the sale, Al Ruwais purchased Eve of War, the dam of Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) runner-up The Puma for $2.4 million. Sale Statistics At the conclusion of the fifth session, a total of 251 horses changed hands for $21,617,000, including post-ring sales. The gross was down 16.8% from last year's corresponding session, which saw 269 horses sell for gross receipts of $25,968,500. The average was down 10.8% ($86,124 in 2026 from $96,537) and the median was down 12.5% ($70,000 in 2026 from $80,000). Seventy-two horses failed to meet their reserve, resulting in an RNA rate of 22.3%. Gainesway led the consignors for the fifth session, selling 39 from its draft for $3,364,000. Through five sessions, 1,119 horses have grossed $228,414,200, including post-ring sales—a 2.4% increase over the $223,025,500 brought by 1,195 head during the same period last year. Spangled Banner became the 25th horse to sell for $1 million or more during the November sale. In 2025, 18 horses brought seven figures. Tiz the Law Colt Leads Weanlings The highest-priced weanling of the fifth session was Hip 1945, a son of Tiz the Law, who brought $375,000 from Tioga Bloodstock. The colt was bred in Kentucky by OPA Bloodstock, Narola, and Grouseridge. He is the second foal of the Will Take Charge mare Teasin' Tesla, who is a half sister to the stakes-winning and graded stakes-placed Miss Southern Miss (More Than Ready). Miss Southern Miss is the dam of last year's Ellis Park Debutante Stakes winner Chopsticks (Essential Quality) and the stakes-placed Beyond Stoked (Into Mischief). Hip 1945 was consigned by Blandford Stud, agent. Leading freshman sire Golden Pal was responsible for the top-priced filly of the fifth session. Hip 1634 was purchased for $285,000 by Caitlin Dunne, agent for Wesley Ward. The team shares a strong connection as Ward trained the back-to-back Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal. The son of Uncle Mo was victorious in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) and the 2021 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T). "We actually went out to the back ring to look at a different horse, and then she walked by us, and Wesley and I about broke our necks looking at her," Dunne explained. "And he looked at me; he said, 'That's the one I want.' We didn't know she was by Golden Pal at the time. "We saw her, we fell in love with her. She vetted clean as a whistle and it was just one of those things. … Just Wesley thought she was a really, really nice physical and looks super athletic." Dunne said the original plan was to put some clients in on the filly and the breeders ended up wanting to stay in for a leg, which she said was a "massive vote of confidence." "We were super, super thrilled to get her," she said. "We love our Golden Pals. He's really stamping them and I think it's fun for Wesley to get to see their success and him be the leading first-crop sire in North America." Hip 1634 was bred in Kentucky by Springhouse Farm and is out of the Unbridled's Song mare Dawn Chorus. The filly is a half sister to the stakes-placed Blue Moonrise (Malibu Moon). She was consigned by Paramount Sales, agent. Dunne said the market has proven to be very competitive for quality horses through the conclusion of Book 3 and expects that trend to continue. "I can only kind of speak from my personal bias. Book 1 we were shopping heavily for end-user clients that wanted to go on and race the weanlings and didn't want to have to spend $2-3 million on horses as yearlings the way the market has been previously," Dunne explained. "But then, Book 2, Book 3, now we're getting into Book 4 rolling around. I'm trying to put together some pinhooks for our clients that want to do that. And it's hard; it's really hard. Trying to find horses that kind of fit that bill with all the things you want. I think that the market is still very strong. People are paying a lot of money for really nice quality horses, as they should. It's definitely been hard when you're looking for the value pick." Dunne purchased two other horses during the session, including Hip 1925, a weanling filly from the first crop of Arabian Knight, for $160,000, and Empire Magic (Hip 1651), a daughter of Good Magic offered in foal to Upstart, for $75,000. The family of Hip 1925 is also close to Ward, as the filly's dam, Sudden Fame (Congrats), is a half sister to multiple group 1 winner Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy), who was trained by Ward. The sixth session of the November sale begins at 10 a.m. ET Nov. 8, with hips 1993-2405 slated to head through the ring. As of Saturday evening, Keeneland had reported 82 outs.