FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 732-747-8060 $ TDN Home Page Click Here BUOYANT MARKET AS BOOK 2 OPENS SET FOR OAKS GLORY The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale by Emma Berry continued Thursday with the first of two Book 2 Making just her fourth racecourse appearance, sessions and a competitive day of selling that largely Set Square (Aus) (Reset {Aus}) ran out the decisive mirrored last year=s corresponding results. A pair of winner of Thursday=s G1 Crown Oaks at Flemington weanlings stole the spotlight, with Brian Graves, with Saturday=s G2 Wakeful S. heroine Thunder Lady bidding on behalf of Clear Ridge Stables, going to a (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) running on gamely from a session-topping $850,000 for a difficult draw to take second. The winner was colt by War Front. The supplemented for the youngster was consigned by race to the tune of John Mayer=s Nursery Place. A$55,000 with her Earlier in the day, agents Alex trainer Ciaron Maher Solis and Jason Litt went to confident of her $750,000 to secure a filly by ability to see out the Malibu Moon from the 2500 meters of the VanMeter Sales consignment. Classic. AObviously the top end of the AShe=s been so foal market is very strong,@ progressive that we reported Keeneland=s Director of decided to make a Sales Geoffrey Russell. AIt was Set Square Racing and Sports late nomination,@ said great to see those two horses Maher, a former jump break loose. Last year, our jockey with training stables at Caulfield and highest price was $410,000 in Warrnambool who recorded his first group 1 victory at this session and to have two the 2007 Spring Carnival when Tears I Cry (Aus) Session-topping hip 842 Keeneland photo horses tie that and then two (Lacryma Cristi {Ire}) won the Emirates S. more above that just showed AShe=s really thrived this preparation,@ he continued. how the sale has continued on from the strength of AEvery time we=ve put a saddle on her or trialled her and Book 1.@ raced her, she=s just got better. I train lots of stayers A pair of mares attracted matching $450,000 final and jumpers and she has really shown me that she=s a bids for industry stalwarts. Barbara Banke=s Stonestreet natural stayer. To me there was no question that she Thoroughbreds purchased I=m Mom=s Favorite (Indian would get the trip.@ Crown Oaks cont. p14 Charlie), while Mandy Pope=s Whisper Hill Farm acquired Hummingbird Hill (Tapit). During yesterday=s session, 271 horses sold for $29,701,000. The session average dipped just 0.78% to $109,598, while the median was off 5.6% at $85,000. The buy-back rate was 19.8%. Cont. p3 (718) 978-8200 www.mersant.com Sponsors of the following stats for the: KEENELAND NOVEMBER SALE CUMULATIVE 2014 2013 Catalogued 857 800 No. Offered 697 623 No. Sold 544 497 RNAs 153 126 % RNAs 22% 20.22% No. $1m+ 18 14 High Price $3,900,000 $4,000,000 Gross $125,553,000 $114,700,500 Average (% change) $230,796 (n/c) $230,786 Median (% change) $125,000 (-10.7%) $140,000 IN THIS ISSUE CO-PUBLISHERS President: Barry Weisbord [email protected] @barryweisbord Vice President: Sue Finley [email protected] @suefinley Solis/Litt Dig Deep at KEENOV BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Director of Business Development: Gary King [email protected] The bloodstock agent team of Alex Solis and Jason Litt accounted for the second- highest priced offering of Thursday’s EDITORIAL session at Keeneland, extending to [email protected] $750,000 for a beautifully balanced filly by Editor-in-Chief: Jessica Martini Malibu Moon--Life Lesson (Unbridled’s Managing Editor: Alan Carasso Song) from the consignment of VanMeter Racing Editor: Steve Sherack Sales, agent. Solis and Litt, who have Racing Analyst/Social Media Director: Brian DiDonato Associate Editor: Justina Severni much to do with the success of Shared Assistant Editor: Christie DeBernardis Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}), saw off a Assistant Editor: Heather Likins determined foe in the form of Stonestreet’s John Moynihan for the filly. ADVERTISING Hip 690 Keeneland photo [email protected] Director of Advertising: Alycia Borer Page 6 Art Director: Lia Kusch Sr. Ad Coordinator/Dir. of Distribution: Sarah K. Andrew Advertising Designer: Amanda Crelin War Front Mare to Go Advertising Assistant: Amanda Foster Nichola Henry: Social Media Strategist ‘Var’ Away CUSTOMER SERVICE Guard the Lines (War Front), a full-sister to GISW Data [email protected] Link, is to ultimately end up in South Africa and Director of Customer Service: Vicki Forbes ultimately a date in the breeding shed with multiple South African champion Variety Club (SAf) (Var) after Grant INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Knowles, bidding on behalf of Klawervlei Stud, went to $400,000 for the 3-year-old filly. Consigned by Claiborne Director of IT: Robert Williams Farm, agent, hip 624 was sold carrying to Horse of the [email protected] Grant Knowles Year Curlin. Keeneland photo WORLDWIDE INFORMATION International Editor: Kelsey Riley Page 7 [email protected] Power Up Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing: Sean Cronin Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing: Tom Frary Tomorrow’s racing at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne features the G1 [email protected] Darley Classic over a straight six furlongs and the G1 Emirates S. at the mile distance. In the Darley Classic, Slade Power (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) faces a 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 • Red Bank, NJ 07701 formidable challenge from Lankan Rupee (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}), while 732-747-8060 | 732-747-8955 (fax) The Cleaner (Aus) (Savoire Vivre {GB}) will look for an elusive G1 win in the www.thoroughbreddailynews.com www.thetdn.com Emirates. Page 15 TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 11/7/14 • PAGE 3 of 21 • thoroughbreddailynews.com 800 Salty Romance i/f Tiznow 325,000 (m, 13, Salt Lake--Checkerspot, by Affirmed) Consigned by Lane’s End, Agent Purchased by Gainesway THURSDAY’S TOP FIVE WEANLINGS Lot Sex Sire Dam Price ($) 842 colt War Front Stone Hope 850,000 KEENELAND NOVEMBER B-Nursery Place (KY) THURSDAY’S TOP SIX MARES Consigned by Nursery Place, agent Purchased by Clear Ridge Stables Hip Name Status Price ($) 690 filly Malibu Moon Life Lesson 750,000 642 Hummingbird Hill i/f Blame 450,000 B-T.F. VanMeter & Ricky Stivers (KY) (f, 4, Tapit--Shop Here, by Dehere) Consigned by VanMeter Sales, Agent III Consigned by Claiborne Farm, agent Purchased by Solis/Litt Purchased by Whisper Hill Farm LLC 522 colt Union Rags Brush of Fortune 290,000 651 I’m Mom’s Favorite i/f Union Rags 450,000 B-Grade I Bloodstock, Halcyon Farm & W.S. Farish (KY) (f, 4, Indian Charlie--Charming Toutsie, by Storm Cat) Consigned by Lane’s End, agent Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent LXXXVIII Purchased by Walnut Hill Bloodstock Purchased by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC 483 colt Medaglia d’Oro X Star 270,000 624 Guard the Lines i/f Curlin 400,000 ($170,000 i/u ‘13 FTKNOV) (f, 3, War Front--Database, by Known Fact) B-Goldin Australia Pty. (KY) Consigned by Claiborne Farm, agent Consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent Purchased by Mayfair Speculators Purchased by McMahon & Hill Bloodstock LLC, agent 727 Miss Emilia i/f Orb 350,000 633 colt Kitten’s Joy Hitch Village 250,000 (m, 5, War Front--Wonder Woman, by Storm Cat) ($40,000 i/u ‘14 FTKFEB) Consigned by Claiborne Farm, agent B-Machmer Hall, Carrie & Craig Brogden (KY) Purchased by Royal Oak Farm, agent Consigned by Select Sales, agent 773 Pulpit Angel i/f Tiznow 350,000 Purchased by Chester Valley Farm (m, 6, Pulpit--Golden Tiy, by Dixieland Band) Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent CXLI All horses in the TDN are bred in North America, Purchased by Don Alberto Corp unless otherwise indicated TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 11/7/14 • PAGE 4 of 21 • thoroughbreddailynews.com KEENELAND NOVEMBER Nov. 4 & 5 11 a.m. Nov. 6-14 10 a.m. And the Beat Goes On... Through three sessions, Keeneland has sold 544 horses for $125,553,000--up 9.5% from a year ago when 497 had sold. The average of $230,796 remained steady with last year=s figure of $230,786. The median is down 10.7% to $125,000. Referring to the decrease in median, Russell said, AThe upper-middle is strong. The middle-middle market is fair.@ Russell continued, ABuyers have commented that they are going over their comfort levels, but they knew that=s what they had to do to get them. As someone told me, if that=s what the market is, that=s what you have to pay. Overall, it was a very good day. Looking at how things were going, they were blowing by their reserves. It had a great buoyancy all day--let=s hope that continues.@ The Keeneland November sale continues through Nov. 14 with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m. Mayer Subs Mare, Gets $850,000 Foal... Graves, who signed the ticket under Clear Ridge These days, getting a season to War Front is a little Stables, said the colt was purchased for an undisclosed like finding a golden ticket in a chocolate bar. Rare, but partnership, and added that the colt might be resold as potentially lucrative. So when one of the best mares a yearling. from John Mayer=s Nursery Place hemorrhaged while AWar Front had the highest-priced horse [at foaling and was Keeneland September] at $2.2 million, so there=s a unable to make a chance you=ll see him back at auction,@ said Graves.