November Mixed Sale - The Blood-Horse · November Mixed Sale. ... 3-time stakes winner in 2007 and graded-placed since the catalog! ... Marla Bickel (Director), Jill Thompson

KEENELAND’S AUCTION TEAM

THE MARKET FOR OLDER MARES

BUYING WEANLINGS

AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE REPOSITORY

November 5-19, 2007

November Mixed Sale

A previous division of spectacular Xalapa Farm in Bourbon County. Known as the “Creek House”, this property sits behind an enclosure of 19th century

stone walls with wooden gates. It over looks Stoner Creek and you can hear the water fall as you splash in the infinity pool overlooking all of the original Xalapa Farm!

This house was professionally renovated with an addition in 2002. The square footage of over 4000 sq.. ft. offers the grace and comfort of modern day living with the rural appeal of old European design. Sitting on 5 acres and listed at $875,000.

Call Jane Allen Offutt • (859) 421-5222, [email protected]

Bruce D. Gibbs, Owner6902 Russell Cave Rd. • Lexington, KY 40511(859) 299-9155 • Fax (859) 299-7457Email: [email protected]

(B. D. Gibbs Farm, LLC)

GREENFIELD FARMSELLING AT KEENELAND

BELONG TO MEEDDINGTONEL CORREDOREMPIRE MAKEREXCHANGE RATE

FIRST SAMURAIFLATTERFOREST CAMPHOLY BULLINCLUDEIT’S NO JOKE

KAFWAINMR. GREELEYPOSSESONGANDAPRAYERWAR FRONT

SELLING MARES IN-FOAL TO:

SELLING MARES BY:BRAHMSBROAD BRUSHCARSON CITYCOX’S RIDGEDANZIGDISTORTED HUMORFOREST WILDCAT

FUSAICHI PEGASUSGENERAL MEETINGGIANT’S CAUSEWAYGONE WESTKRIS S.MT. LIVERMOREPINE BLUFF

PULPITSILVER DEPUTYSTORM CATSUMMER SQUALLTIZNOWUNBRIDLED’S SONGYES IT’S TRUE

SELLING WEANLINGS BY:BELONG TO MECRYPTOCLEARANCEEDDINGTON

FOREST WILDCATFRIENDS LAKEGRAND SLAM

HARLAN’S HOLIDAYSTEPHEN GOT EVENWANDO

FEATURING THE DISPERSAL OF THE STAN E. FULTON RACING STABLE

STALLIONS • CHAPEL ROYAL • DEHERE • FUSAICHI PEGASUS • GIANT’S CAUSEWAY • GRAND SLAM • • HOLD THAT TIGER • JOHANNESBURG • LION HEART • MONASHEE MOUNTAIN • MULL OF KINTYRE • POWERSCOURT •

• ROYAL ACADEMY • SCAT DADDY • TALE OF THE CAT • THUNDER GULCH • VAN NISTELROOY •

• ASHFORD • ASHFORD • ASHFORD • ASHFORD • ASHFORD • ASHFORD • ASHFORD • ASHFORD • ASHFORD •

}Soundness and ability are keyand POWERSCOURT fulfills both

criteria. He started 21 times,including 14 times at Grade 1 level,

and won over $1,900,000. I also think his progeny will befavored by the new synthetic surfaces which look likebeing the future of racing here.~HALL OF FAME TRAINER JOHN NERUD, WHO SENT TWOMARES TO POWERSCOURT IN 2007

}Syntheticsurfaces willrevolutionizethe racing industry on a global scale.~Michael Dickinson

}As we get more synthetic surfaces, we willbe able to utilize our grass horses more. It will be a big benefit to racing.~Carl Nafzger, Talkin’ horses, The Blood-Horse, 24th March 2007.

WatchmakerWatchmakerWatchWatch

Mike Watchmaker’sweekly divisional rating

TURF MALES

1 - PowerscourtAll three of his U.S. races were huge

2 - LeroidesanimauxWin machine was super in Atto Mile

3 - SingletaryLoved his win in the Oak Tree Mile

Quote of the day“If I could train anyhorse in the world,I would trainPowerscourt.”

Dale Romans, trainer of Dubai World Cup favourite[and ultimate 3-length winner] Roses In May after seeing Powerscourt gallop on the Nad al Sheba dirt.Thoroughbred Times Today, March 24, 2005

Ashford Stud, P. O. Box 823, Versailles, Kentucky 40383, U.S.A. Contact: Aisling Duignan, Dermot Ryan, Charlie O’Connor or Andre Lynch: Tel: 859-873-7088. Fax: 859-879-5756.E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.coolmore.com

• ASHFORD • ASHFORD • ASHFORD •• ASHFORD • ASHFORD • ASHFORD •

By sire of sires SADLER’S WELLS and out of Lancashire Oaks-Gr.3 winner RAINBOW LAKE.

1st Arlington Million-Gr.1 (by 3 L.), 1st Tattersalls Gold Cup-Gr.1 (by 6 L.), 1st Great Voltigeur S.-Gr.2 (at 3), 2nd Racing Post Trophy-Gr.1 (at 2).

21 sons of SADLER’S WELLS(RIGHT) have sired Gr.1 winnersincluding the top-class sires EL PRADO (U.S.A. champion sire),GALILEO, MONTJEU, IN THEWINGS, FORT WOOD, BARATHEA etc.

Watch out for his firstweanlings at Keeneland

November

T H E B L O O D - H O R S E I N S I D E R ’ S G U I D E6

Contents

Insider’sGuide

Keeneland November Sale Preview By Ron Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Million-Dollar Sales Team By Leslie Deckard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17The Weanling Market By Amanda H. Duckworth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

An Inside Look at the Repository By Esther Marr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Investing in Older Mares By Deirdre B. Biles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Commentary: My Last Dance By Deirdre B. Biles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

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Keeneland: At a Glance ..................................................................................................... 10

November Broodmare Sire Statistics ................................................................................. 32

COVER PHOTO BY ANNE M. EBERHARDT

T h e B l o o d - H o r s e

Statistics Powered by

for subscription information, visitmarketwatch.bloodhorse.com

A Triumphant Partnership

MILLFORDWATERFORD

PO Box 4351 Midway, Kentucky 40347

859.846.4705|www.waterford-millford.com

The Lands of Victory

Keeneland Breeding Stock Sale

845 MAJESTIC DY (Dynaformer – Delicacy, Pleasant Colony). Multiple SW/graded-placed dam of DELICATE DYNAMITE ($328,649), 3-time stakes winner in 2007 and graded-placed since the catalog! In foal to APTITUDE, LBD 3.4.

846 2/4/07 filly by STORMY ATLANTIC – Majestic Dy, by Dynaformer. By STORMY ATLANTIC, currently 10th leading general sire with progeny earnings over $5.3 million.

962 SISTER STAR (’01, Langfuhr – Little Irish Nut, by Irish Tower). At 2, winner and stakes-placed in the NOW G3 Pocahontas S.; at 3, won Churchill Downs’ Regret S.-G3, etc. By the sire of 2007 G1SWs and broodmare sire of 3 juvenile SWs in 2007, including Matron S.-G1 winner PROUD SPELL. In foal to HENNY HUGHES, LBD 2.21.

2223 Waterford Express (IFT BADGE OF SILVER)2224 Five Star Day - Waterford Express – F. 1/29/072243 A Real Nor’easter (IFT MULL OF KINTYRE)2315 Delivery Day (IFT WHYWHYWHY)

2316 Harlan’s Holiday - Delivery Day – F. 2/19/072321 Don’t Ruffle Me (IFT E DUBAI)2489 Eurosilver - Petite’s Dowery – F. 4/14/072505 Malibu Moon - Clever Rache – C. 4/29/07

4203 Unbridled Emotion (IFT CACTUS RIDGE)4238 Yonaguska - A Real Nor’easter – F. 2/3/074244 Victory Gallop - Awesome Joy – F. 1/26/074319 Ecton Park - Don’t Ruffle Me – C. 4/23/07

4360 Stephen Got Even - Hometown Cat – F. 4/26/074491 Rose Russe (IFT CANDY RIDE [Arg])4492 Rosie the Riveter (IFT ARTIE SCHILLER)

4914 The Real Thing (IFT SOTO)4992 Cactus Ridge - Captive Number – F. 3/5/075053 Hometown Cat (not mated)5056 Hot Deb (IFT WHYWHYWHY)5061 Flatter - Jessica Dance – C. 1/30/07

5071 Laugh Last (IFT TWO PUNCH)5072 Leary Lass (IFT CACTUS RIDGE)5086 Albert the Great - Miss Power Puff – F. 4/27/07 5124 Sevasmoke (IFT DEVIL HIS DUE)

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2007 BARN #34

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2007 BARN #27

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2007 BARN #5

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2007 BARN #22

MacKenzie (Mack) Millerand Dr. R. Smiser West

Continuing a Tradition of Success

UPDATE!

The Complete Dispersal of Bloodstock

Owned in Partnership By

Mr. and Mrs. MacKenzie Miller and Dr. and Mrs. R. Smiser West

T H E B L O O D - H O R S E INS IDER ’S GU IDE8

A weekly publication of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing

EDITORIAL STAFFEditor-in-Chief: Dan Liebman

Managing Editor: Evan I. HammondsCreative Director: Suzanne C. Dorman Art Director: Beth S. McCoy

Executive Editor Digital Media: Eric Mitchell

Bloodstock Sales Editor: Deirdre B. Biles. Features Editor: Lenny Shulman. News Editor: Tom LaMarra. Assistant News Editor: Darlene Fleming. Senior Correspon-dent: Steve Haskin. Contributing Editor: Kimberly S. Brown. Senior Staff Writers: Ryan T. Conley, Leslie Deckard, Ron Mitchell, David Schmitz. Staff Writers: Amanda Duckworth, Esther Marr, Claire Novak, Jason Shandler. Chief Photographer: Anne M. Eberhardt. Copy Editor: Diane I. Viert. Editorial Production: Patricia Ranft. Editorial In-tern: Sarah Flannery. Digital Media: Chris Dawahare, Scot Gillies, Mark Hoard, Gordon Lester, Sarah Martin, Peter Menner, Kimberly Reeves, Jason Russo, Jack Shinar, Adam Spradling, Christine Wittmer. Photo Library: Judy Grunwald. Artists: Russell Johnson, Dana Kelley, Anne Kindl, Alexandra Sieckowski, Brian Turner, Mary K. White, David Young. Research Production: Cindy L. Brice (Manager), C. Mark Cooper (Coordina-tor). Editorial Research: Kerby J. Collins, Linda Varney Manley, Julia Quattrocchi, Mary J. Schweitzer, Linda Turner. Administrative Assistant: Debbie B. Tuska. Corre-spondents: Debbie Arrington, Barbara J. Bayer, Murray Bell, Ric Chapman, Joe Clancy Jr., Scott Davis, Linda Dougherty, Tracy Gantz, Richard Griffiths, Nick Hahn, Avalyn Hunter, Jeff Johnson, Karen Johnson, Bob Kieckhefer, Michele MacDonald, Sandra McKee, Gary McMillen, Jennifer Morrison, James Platz, Mark Popham, Tom Precious, Margaret Ransom, Jerry Shottenkirk, Paul Volponi, Gary West, Raymond V. Whelan, Jon White, Robert Yates.

SPECIAL PROJECTS Special Projects: Jacqueline Duke (Editor), Rena Baer, Billie Ruth Brownell, Tom Hall, Jeannie Putney.

ADVERTISING SALES AND SERVICESAdvertising Director: Ralph Weickel

Regional Sales Managers: Shirley Dievert, Kristi Gwyne Heasley, Jim Hurst, Harry H. Miller, Kirk Nixon, Shelley Partridge. Online Sales: Leslie Neilson. Sales Support: Shawnne Carter, Annalee Dellapina, Jennifer Fisher, Lisa Kindel, Ellen Lambertus.

CORPORATE MARKETING SERVICESMarketing Director: Robert Bolson. Promotions Manager: Ashley Runyon. Sales Execu-tive: Bret Walker. Account Executive: Amanda Ramey. Chief Copywriter: Paul Gregory. Copywriter: Lesley Bowen.

BUSINESS AND OPERATIONSBusiness & Administration: Janet Landry (Business Director), Hallie Baker (Person-nel Director), Kristle Statham (Corporate Project Director), Mary Baxter, Susan Cobb, Steve Cole, Germanus Dickerson, Pat Gault, Julie Gray, Patsy Isaac, Kevin Michel, Bill Morton, Rodney W. Williams. Production: Rachel Thomas (Director), Forrest F. Begley, Jeff Burkhart, Lisa G. Coots, Steve Sheridan. Circulation: Marla Bickel (Director), Jill Thompson (Manager), Monica Marrs (Audience Development Manager), Jennica Hannah, Tabitha Knox, April Mitchuson, Jennifer Neal, Tonya Turner, Lauren Walker, Michelle Wertz. Technology: Luther Andal (Director), Michael A. Gallenstein, Paul Barlow, Courtney V. Bearse, Dawn Garner, Ashley Greer, Eric Helmbock, Greg Hillis, Jon McKinney, Gretchen H. Sheridan, Dennis Vice.

TELEPHONE DIRECTORY Subscription services: 800-582-5604 Subscription services fax: 859-276-6743 Classifieds: 859-276-6777 Editorial: 859-276-6757 Advertising: 859-276-6797 Publisher: 859-276-6709 Production: 859-276-6764 Fax: 859-276-4450 Receptionist: 859-278-2361

E-MAIL DIRECTORY Editorial: [email protected] Publisher: [email protected] Advertising: [email protected] General: [email protected]

Circulation: [email protected]

PUBLISHED BY BLOOD-HORSE PUBLICATIONS President and Publisher: Stacy V. Bearse Vice President-Finance & Technology/Treasurer: Charles E. Manson Jr. Corporate Secretary: Ellen A. KiserBoard of Trustees: Stuart S. Janney III (Chairman), G. Watts Humphrey Jr. (Vice Chairman), Antony Beck, William S. Farish Jr., D.G. Van Clief Jr.

A PUBLICATION OF THETHOROUGHBRED OWNERS AND BREEDERS ASSOCIATION

President: Daniel J. MetzgerDirector of Industry Relations and Development: Andrew Schweigardt. Director of Market-ing and Communications: Erin Halliwell. Membership and Education Coordinator: Allison Yaw. Controller: Carl Gough. Executive & Financial Assistant: Helen Proffitt. For membership information: P.O. Box 910668, Lexington, Ky., 40591-0668. (859) 276-2291. www.toba.org, [email protected]: Bill Casner (Chairman), Tracy Farmer (Vice President), Reynolds Bell Jr. (Secretary), E. Duncan Taylor (Treasurer). Trustees: Josephine Abercrombie, John Amerman, Antony Beck, James G. Bell, Reynolds Bell Jr., Gary Biszantz, Nadia Sanan Briggs, Gilbert G. Campbell, Bill Casner, Dr. John Chandler, Case Clay, William S. Farish Jr., Tracy Farmer, H. Greg Goodman, Lucy Young Hamilton, Seth W. Hancock, B. Wayne Hughes, Roy Jackson, Stuart S. Janney III, Richard Klein, Michael Levy, Jeffrey B. Lewis, Tom Ludt, Richard Mandella, Robert McNair, Leverett S. Miller, J. Michael O’Farrell Jr., Dr. J. David Richardson, Dermot Ryan, Tammy Samuel-Balaz, Frederick J. Seitz, Samantha Siegel, E. Duncan Taylor, Peter Vegso, Peter Willmott, and Jack Wolf. Trustee Emeritus: Penny Chenery.

A Blood-Horse Publication

Copyright © 2007 by Blood-Horse Publications

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to— The Blood-Horse, Box 911088, Lexington, KY 40591-1088.

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At a Glance

PRESIDENT AND CEO: Nick Nicholson

VICE PRESIDENT: Harvie B. Wilkinson

TREASURER: Jessica A. Green

SECRETARY: J. David Smith

SALES DIRECTOR: Geoffrey G. Russell

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF SALES: Thomas J. Thornbury

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS: R. James Williams

CATALOG SERVICES: Mary McGaughey, Anita Turner

HEALTH CERTIFICATES: Karen D’Ambruoso

JOCKEY CLUB CERTIFICATE SERVICES: Jennifer Nethery

SALES ACCOUNTING: Suzy White, Sherry Sheets

SALES MARKETING ASSOCIATE: Chauncey Morris

PUBLICITY: Julie Balog, Amy Gregory

AUCTIONEERS: Ryan Mahan, Scott Caldwell, Cris Caldwell, Justin Holmberg, Tommy Assiter

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TUNNEL

DETENTION BARN

GRANDSTAND&

DINING ROOMS

SALES PAVILION

to KEENELAND LIBRARY

SHOW RING

LOADINGCHUTES

STABLEOFFICE

CLUBHOUSE

GENERAL OFFICES

GIFT SHOP

SHUTTLEAREA

BLACKSMITH

TRACK KITCHEN

Keeneland November Mixed SaleDATES: Monday, Nov. 5, through Monday, Nov. 19

LOCATION: Keeneland, Lexington, Ky.

TIME: Daily sessions begin at 10 a.m.

NUMBERS: Catalog includes 2,684 broodmares, 2,323 weanlings, 403 horses of racing age, four stallions, and one breeding right

ADDRESS: 4201 Versailles Road

PHONE: (859) 254-3412; (800) 456-3412

SALE RESULTS: www.keeneland.com

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Subscribers, create your FREE account at BloodHorseNOW.com. Enter your customer ID (found on your magazine label) and create your login and password.

We have exclusive auction reports. These are the auction statistics you need to stay ahead of the competition. There’s more than 20 charts and 26 pages of data and analysis in the Data Digest from this year’s Keeneland September yearlings sale. And it’s all free for subscribers on BloodHorseNOW.com.

Inside you’ll fi nd:• Results for all sires • 1st, 2nd, and 3rd crop yearling sires • Regional and international sires • Top sires by average and median profi t • Broodmare sire lists • Five year sale comparison • Top consignors and buyers • Top colts and fi llies • Price range breakdown • And more…

Visit BloodHorseNOW.com and look for this icon in Auctions:

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Keeneland September

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A World of

Keeneland Association, Inc.P.O. Box 1690 Lexington, KY 40588-1690 4201 Versailles Road Lexington, KY 40510859 254-3412 800 456-3412 Fax 859 288-4348 www.keeneland.com

Make plans to attend the world’s largest Thoroughbred auction

of its kind with weanlings, mares and racing and broodmare prospects.

The Keeneland November 5-19 Breeding Stock SaleSessions begin at 10 a.m. daily.

Possibilities.


When Rio de La Plata rolled to an impressive victory Oct. 7 in the group I Prix Jean-Luc Legardere Grand Criterium at

Longchamp racecourse near Paris, it pro-vided Keeneland Association the kind of publicity that you can’t buy.

After all, the Rahy colt, out of the

Ahmad mare Express Way, was initially sold as a weanling for $65,000 at the 2005 Keeneland November breeding stock sale before going through the sale ring two more times and eventually becoming part of the world-renowned Godolphin Racing stable.

No doubt, buyers will be on the lookout

for more colts like Rio de La Plata when Keeneland conducts its marathon mixed sale from Nov. 5-19. And with 2,323 wean-lings among the record 5,415 horses con-signed to the sale, there will be more foals than ever for buyers to consider.

The sale also consists of 2,684 brood-mares, 403 horses of racing age, four stal-lions, and a stallion breeding right.

Keeneland hopes to improve on last year’s auction in which 3,146 horses were sold for a total $313.8 million, second only to the 1999 gross receipts of nearly $317.7 million when 3,461 horses changed hands.

Among the milestones set during the 2006 sale were: Keeneland sale record price for a horse in training, $6.1 million paid by Aaron and Marie Jones for Half Ours; Keeneland record price for a wean-ling filly, a daughter of Gone West—Is-lington, by Sadler’s Wells, purchased by M.A.B. Agency for $2.4 million; and North American weanling record price of $2.7 million paid by Nobutaka Tada for a Montjeu—Elbaaha, by Arazi, colt. The sale-topping broodmare was grade I winner Madcap Escapade, in foal to Pul-pit, who was purchased by Hill ‘n’ Dale Bloodstock, agent, for $6 million from the Claiborne Farm, agent, consignment.

The November sale record price of $9 million was established in 2005 when John Ferguson Bloodstock bought dual champion Ashado on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.

This year’s auction includes dispersals from the Sangster family’s Swettenham

Selling in a Strong Market

T H E B L O O D - H O R S E I N S I D E R ’ S G U I D E

Sale Preview

By Ron Mitchell

November sale outlook is positive off of the strength in September’s middle market

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A Montjeu—Elbaaha colt brings the North American weanling record price of $2.7 million

15T H E B L O O D - H O R S E I N S I D E R ’ S G U I D E

Stud and Stan Fulton as well as reduc-tions from the Mabee family’s Golden Eagle Farm and Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs.

The number of top racemares con-signed to this year’s sale are too numer-ous to mention, but it includes champion Fleet Indian, who is being sold in foal to

Storm Cat. Owner Paul Saylor said earlier this year that fetal sexing determined the daughter of Indian Charlie is carrying a colt.

Keeneland sales director Geoffrey Rus-sell said it would be a daunting task to try to pick out individuals that could top the sale.

“The catalog is very strong from start to finish and is highlighted by some spectac-ular mares that should have great interest worldwide,” Russell said while painting the sale canvas with a broad stroke.

He said there has been an increase in the number of weanlings—foals of 2007—offered because breeders want to take ad-vantage of the bull market that has been seen in equine auctions over the past sev-eral years. While the yearling sales this

Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale SHARES, SEASONS BROODMARES WEANLINGS BREEDING RIGHTS OTHERS TOTALS Year No. Sold Average No. Sold Average No. Sold Average No. Sold Average No. Sold Gross Average

2006 1,669 .... $119,210 1,195 ... $71,392 1 .......$45,000 282 ....$104,691 3,146 ... $313,798,800 ....$99,7452005 1,538 .... $123,255 1,087 ... $62,348 3 ....... $1,167 191 ....$168,510 2,816 ... $289,602,900 ..$102,8422004 1,621 .... $122,826 1,127 ... $52,539 — ............. — 125 ....$170,938 2,873 ... $279,680,200 ....$97,3482003 1,527 .... $109,681 975 ... $61,847 — ............. — 112 ......$73,991 2,614 ... $236,070,900 ....$90,3102002 1,411 ...... $96,906 864 ... $49,502 — ............. — 102 ......$75,754 2,377 ... $187,230,000 ....$78,7672001 1,401 ...... $93,459 1,063 ... $43,244 — ............. — 41 ......$64,134 2,505 ... $179,533,600 ....$71,6702000 1,751 .... $127,067 1,379 ... $53,736 11 ... $277,273 134 ......$39,618 3,264 ... $301,904,800 ....$92,4951999 1,762 .... $115,641 1,432 ... $61,634 — ............. — 267 ......$96,057 3,461 ... $317,666,000 ....$91,7841998 1,783 ...... $94,590 1,420 ... $57,387 — ............. — 174 ......$83,274 3,377 ... $264,632,700 ....$78,3631997 1,683 ...... $86,522 1,210 ... $49,347 1 ... $125,000 118 ......$71,879 3,011 ... $213,807,300 ....$71,0091996 1,501 ...... $73,031 1,209 ... $44,874 — ............. — 116 ......$58,790 2,826 ... $170,691,800 ....$60,4001995 1,573 ...... $57,091 1,179 ... $38,676 2 .....$122,500 101 ......$51,238 2,853 ... $140,577,300 ....$49,2741994 1,320 ...... $60,767 1,060 ... $33,436 6 .........$4,367 108 ......$49,779 2,488 ... $121,030,700 ....$48,6461993 1,118 ...... $48,633 863 ... $37,218 28 .......$56,568 85 ......$38,445 2,066 ..... $89,759,000 ....$43,4461992 1,069 ...... $47,069 793 ... $25,939 9 .......$27,889 62 ......$31,435 1,924 ..... $72,835,200 ....$37,8561991 1,075 ...... $49,086 806 ... $32,782 1 .........$8,000 102 ......$36,673 1,983 ..... $82,930,400 ....$41,8211990 1,449 ...... $47,109 974 ... $26,505 14 .......$26,050 122 ......$54,651 2,545 ... $100,744,000 ....$39,5851989 1,327 ...... $77,782 755 ... $42,455 13 .....$122,446 140 ....$130,712 2,222 ... $153,569,500 ....$69,1131988 1,207 ...... $63,393 547 ... $26,693 14 .......$10,557 76 ......$19,379 1,830 ..... $92,589,400 ....$50,5951987 1,034 ...... $66,089 495 ... $27,160 29 .........$6,517 67 ......$55,333 1,596 ..... $85,487,400 ....$53,5641986 1,198 ...... $79,379 444 ... $40,341 17 .........$9,759 63 ......$89,346 1,705 ... $118,675,800 ....$69,6051985 1,185 .... $120,681 397 ... $31,113 23 .......$83,848 63 ......$46,349 1,645 ... $158,278,600 ....$96,2181984 1,118 .... $120,250 267 ... $35,136 27 .......$89,744 51 ....$118,349 1,436 ... $149,857,100 ..$104,357

Madcap Escapade sells for $6 million at the Keeneland November sale

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Insider’s Guide Sale Preview

year have experienced an overall decline in numbers, there is still stiff competition for horses, especially in the middle price ranges.

Also, Russell hopes the solid results from the large September sale at the Lex-ington auction house will carry over into November. The September sale gross of

$385 million represented a 3.7% decline from the previous year and the average price fell 9.9% to $101,347. There was considerable strength within the middle market and just below the top, so those numbers were skewed by a drop at the very top of the market where the gross and average declined 20.5% and 23.6%, respectively.

“The buoyancy of the September sale always seems to role over into the Novem-ber sale, and we hope that the strength of September will carry forward,” Russell said.

While the weanling market is sure to attract its share of pinhookers—buying young horses for future resale—Russell said the sale continues to attract the at-tention of end-users trying to buy future racing prospects at a price lower than they would have to pay once the individuals became yearlings.

“We have a strong commercial market for foals, and expect a good mix of pin-hookers and end-users,” Russell said. “It’s a good market.”

LURE OF THE DISPERSALSCertainly, for the general public to have

access to the private breeding stock of such successful breeding and racing programs as Swettenham Stud and Golden Eagle Farm via dispersals are a strong sales lure, as are the horses being offered by Stan E. Fulton Racing Stable and a reduction of Frank Stronach’s breeding empire.

Swettenham was the original breeding and racing entity created by Robert Sang-ster, who later teamed with partners to create Coolmore Stud and its American entity, Ashford Stud.

Since Sangster’s death three years ago, Swettenham Stud has continued to oper-ate under the management of his sons

Guy, Ben, and Adam Sangster. Earlier this year, it was announced that Sangster’s heirs and his three other children have “decided to restructure their bloodstock interests” by dispersing some 250 horses at sales in the U.S., England, Ireland, and Australia. The sons plan to continue in racing and breeding worldwide.

Golden Eagle, found-ed by the late John Mabee and his wife, Betty, is also dispers-ing, with the heirs plan-ning to continue in the business on a reduced level. The Mabees, who have been honored with three Eclipse Awards as leading North Ameri-can breeders, are con-

ducting a dispersal as part of a downsiz-ing. Betty Mabee and her son, Larry, hope to reduce their equine holdings from 282 horses to about 25 horses.

John Sikura, whose Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency is handling the Sangster disper-sal, said the sale is a rare opportunity for other breeders to have access to horses that were part of a world-class breeding operation.

“So rarely do you get to sell a group of horses for a breeder who has been at the top of international racing for 30 years. I

would expect those offerings to bring a premium and long term they will look in-expensive,” Sikura said. “There are great opportunities when one dam (of a horse) fills a (catalog) page. You are tapping into an oil well.”

Sikura anticipates a strong November sale, primarily due to the strength of the September yearling market.

“I think any mares that suit the crite-ria of being able to produce a yearling that could sell in the first four days of the Keenelend September sale have all the prerequisites buyers are looking for,” Si-kura said. “You have a very strong market (for mares that can produce yearlings) up to $300,000 and even $500,000.”

As a result, the type of mares that seem to be in vogue are “well conformed,

young mares on an early cover to the right sire,” said Sikura.

If there is any weakness, Sikura said it could occur at the very top end of the broodmare market, ostensibly due to the drop-off at the top during the Keeneland September sale. That decline was widely viewed as being a direct result of none of the offerings catching the eyes of repre-sentatives of both the Coolmore group and Maktoum family. When those two enti-ties compete for the same yearlings, prices soar.

“The question breeders will have to answer, and nobody knows, is where the market is headed for those yearlings that are bred for the very top,” he said. “Was this an aberrant year at the top? On a com-mercial basis it does give you cause to pause to wonder if there is such a thing as a $3-million yearling market horse. If people accept that as a reality, it could af-fect some of the top-end mares.”

Sikura agreed with Russell that the weanling market should be strong.

“There is great history of top fillies and future stallions who have been sold as weanlings. I think they will be highly cov-eted,” he said.

One consignor who believes there could be a downturn in the weanling market is Pat Costello of Paramount Sales.

“I will be a little worried about the wean-ling market,” Costello said. “People are being more careful with their money. I know of some syndicates that usually buy seven or eight and they are only planning to buy two or three this year.”

Overall, Costello said he sees no reason why the broodmare market

will not follow the fall yearling sale. He noted that international buyers continue to have the advantage of a weakened U.S. dollar against their own currencies.

“We will see similar input from Europe as we saw in September,” Costello said. “The middle market is really strong. At the top end, it will be down a little bit. I think at the other end, it will drop just like we saw at Ocala. There is no market for bad horses.”

With champion fillies, top international broodmares, dispersals from some lead-ing breeders in the U.S. and Europe, and a record number of offerings, the Keeneland November sale is sure to provide some-thing for everyone. If nothing else, it will serve as the bellwether for the health of the industry. B

“There are great opportunities when one dam (of a horse)

fills a (catalog) page.”JO H N S I K U R A O N T H E

S W E T T E N H A M D I S P E R SA L

“The middle market is really strong. At the top end, it will be down a little bit.”

PAT C O ST E L LO


They are involved in the Thorough-bred industry, yet they don’t neces-sarily breed, buy, raise, or consign any horses. Despite the lack of

hands-on involvement, the men that wear the green jackets inside the Keeneland sale pavilion are key players during the world’s largest Thoroughbred auctions as millions of dollars funnel through their every word and gesture. Not a horse gets bought or sold at the Central Kentucky auction house without their involve-ment.

They are the auctioneers, bid spotters, and announcers.

The green-clad men at Keeneland come from far and wide—from classic car sales to cattle auctions—to work what they refer to as the Kentucky Derby, World Series, and Super Bowl of the auction world.

“There is just something about this place,” said Keeneland senior auctioneer Ryan Mahan, who also serves on the sale company’s pre-sale inspection team and

personally saw 2,000 of the more than 5,000 yearlings that were offered during the September sale. “When you enter the doors to this place, you are walking onto hallowed ground. It’s like walking into Yankee Stadium or Lambeau Field. For us, it’s like the World Series and Super Bowl. You have to be on the top of your game.”

Mahan said the auction business is a 365-day a year job. “You really have to get to know the buyers, sellers, and the agents,” he said. “Being in the business daily, I do talk to the consignors and agents and own-ers a lot during the year, and they will prep me about what they have coming.

“One thing I have tried to be insistent

on is getting the agents to come talk to me the morning of the sale to get me familiar with what they think the horse is going to bring, who they think is interested, and who owns the horse,” Mahan continued. “I want a real comfort level when that horse walks in, because I’ve got that horse for 11⁄2 minutes and I am extremely aware they have spent two years developing this horse. It is important that they feel com-fortable with me up there. I make every attempt behind the microphone…while Keeneland is very elegant, I want people to feel comfortable; I want them to have fun.”

True Team ApproachThe Auction Team

By Leslie Deckard

Keeneland’s auctioneers, bid spotters, and announcers keep the action going

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Keeneland auction team: Key players of the world’s premier Thoroughbred sale company

(continued on page 20)

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Insider’s Guide The Auction Team

For the brief amount of time each horse is in the ring, the bid spotter must keep a spring in his step and an eye toward the crowd, whether it is a multimillion-dollar offering with a blue-blood pedigree or a horse that just barely meets its reserve on the last day of the massive September or November sale.

“You have got to stay focused,” said Mahan. “We all like to have a good time, but there is no fooling around here. When you deal in the kind of money we do, you have to maintain a high level. These guys are professionals and they stay focused all the time.”

Mahan said one of his most memorable moments on the auction stand came in 2005 when two-time champion Ashado went through the ring at the November mixed sale.

“Selling her for $9 million was great fun,” he said. “It was one of those great bidding duels. It took 91⁄2 minutes to sell her. I could tell both buyers really wanted her, and I was going to go as long as they kept bidding.”

The auctioneer continued to say that it wasn’t necessarily her final price that made her time in the ring so special, but the fact she had sold at Keeneland as a yearling before she won her seven grade I races. “She was here before she started her career and to know she came back before

she started on another chapter of her ca-reer made it very special.”

TEAM CAPTAINMahan is sort of a combination of a team

captain and coach. It is his job to keep the game in hand and the players on task, although he says he does not do much to keep his crew in line.

“These guys all know each other so well; we really don’t need to have a team meeting to go over plans,” he said of how the group prepares for each of the four auc-tions (in January, April, September, and November) held at the Central Kentucky auction house each year. “It would be like the quarterback coach reminding Bret Favre to pass the ball or something. What am I going to tell them? These guys have done this for a long time. They don’t need me to tell them what to do.”

One of the newer members of the team is auctioneer Justin Holmberg, who joined the group in 2000 at the request of the late head auctioneer Tom Caldwell.

Holmberg said he is nervous every time he goes to the auction stand. “I am usually pacing before I go on the auction block,” he said. “Mr. Caldwell used to catch me prac-ticing before I went on and he would always say that it was too late to be practicing.”

In 2005, Holmberg was on the stand when a son of Storm Cat out of grade I win-ner Tranquility Lake sold for $9.7 million. “My dad was battling cancer at the time and I knew I would not see him again,” he said. “I called him after the horse went through the ring and told him what it had sold for and told me if I had tried harder I would have gotten $10 million. That was my dad. He was an auctioneer and this is what he lived for. That will always be a special moment for me.”

CALLING THE PLAYSSitting alongside Mahan and the other

auctioneers on the stand is announcer John Henderson, who has been a mem-ber of the Keeneland team for about 20 years and who stresses that preparing for a Keeneland sale is not something that can be done overnight.

“There is a lot of preparation the day of the sale, but there is also a lot of year-long preparation,” Henderson said. “It is not just show up that day and be prepared and be knowledgeable about it. I keep sta-tistics throughout the year and do it on a daily basis to update stallions, especially in a sale like this where you have a lot of new stallions and a lot of first-crop stal-lions to be able to reference these young stallions. We keep up with all the stallion information. I think it is important to refer-ence horses that have won before the sale. Things like that are more important than what is printed on the catalog page.”

Knowing when to break into an an-nouncement about the horse as it is being sold inside the ring is something of a learned instinct, Henderson said. “You don’t want to break the rhythm,” he said. “I wait for a signal of some kind from the auctioneer. If there is an important pedi-gree update, I will say that. But sometimes the less said, the better.”

Assisting Henderson in the announc-er’s role since 2000 is Kurt Becker, who also serves as the Keeneland racetrack announcer. “One of the most important things is to pronounce the horse’s name correctly,” he said. “The consignor is counting on you to help sell their horse.”

The men who work as bid spotters carry an enormous amount of pressure on their shoulders. Buyers compete to spend what can be millions of dollars in a matter of

(continued from page 17)

The position of bid spotter carries a great deal of pressure

Senior auctioneer Ryan Mahan also serves on Keeneland’s pre-sale inspection team

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seconds. A good, active bid spotter plays an important part at a sale. He is the eyes and ears of the auctioneer, as well as the conduit between the buyer and seller. His work can make life at the podium consid-erably easier.

Each bid spotter will work one-hour shifts in the same location with a half-hour break in between shifts.

“Being a bid spotter or working for Keeneland is kind of like being in a gang,” said Steve Greathouse, who joined Keene-land in January 1999. “You are a member of a team. You are part of something. If something happens and you can’t finish your shift or something, one of the guys will step up and help out.”

The bid spotters who work the major sales are almost all grizzled veterans to whom bid spotting is second nature. Most have decades of experience, and that comes in handy when dealing with the

most covert of bidders. While some buyers don’t mind being

seen bidding large amounts of money, most try to do it discreetly. It is up to the bid spotter to watch every move of the bid-ders in his section.

Many of the sales feature regular cus-tomers whom the bid spotters know. Buy-ers also will approach their bid spotter be-fore the sale begins to tip him off on what hips they are interested in. Most bid spot-ters agree this is a good idea.

Tommy Glenn, who has been a member of the Keeneland auction team for 40 years, said it does not take long to figure out the various bidding signals of the buyers who sit in his section. “Sometimes it is a slight nod or people will turn and look me in the eye without saying a word,” he said. “I’ve had people tap their foot and others have winked.”

Fellow bid spotter Mark Harman has a simple definition of his job, and an easy way to know who is actively bidding. “My job is to make sure when people bid on horses that their bid is communicated to the auctioneer,” he said. “And to let the bidders know whether they are in or out. The pace is so quick that oftentimes the people don’t know where the bid is at.”

Harman said so much of his job is to watch people. “You can read people eas-ily,” he said. “It helps to know the type of horse the person is interested in, but any more, people are capable of bidding on a horse you might not have picked pedigree-wise because people are buying individu-als now. You really have to pay attention to what type of animal walks into the ring. And then just watch people. There is a big difference in just watching people, wheth-er they are watching passively or if they are watching actively. It is a lot of fun to look at someone and acknowledge them even before they bid. A lot of people are

surprised that you can tell they are getting ready to bid.”

Any discussion of the auction team at Keeneland would not be complete with-out a mention of the Caldwell family. Tom Caldwell, a legendary figure in the auction business, died in February 2001.

Caldwell joined the Keeneland auction team in 1957 at the urging of the late auc-tioneer George Swinebroad. He served for many years as Swinebroad’s first assistant until the latter’s death in 1975. Caldwell then took the reins of the auction team and many members of the current Keeneland auction staff credit Caldwell for getting them started in the business.

The Caldwell family is still represented at Keeneland. Sons Scott and Cris continue to work the Keeneland auction stand. “I am finally becoming less nervous after 32 years of doing it,” Cris Caldwell said. “I started here when I was 18 working the floor and started selling when I was in my 20s.”

Caldwell credited his father with start-ing a lot of great auctioneers and giving them help along the course of the year, in-cluding Mahan when he was first develop-ing his voice and chant. “Scott and I were a little jealous that he would do so much for other people and just let us expose our-selves to it and find our way.”

The number of horses that are sold dur-ing the course of the day is one of the big-gest changes Caldwell has seen during his time at Keeneland. “It has thrown pres-sure on us as much as it has on the buyers and sellers,” he said. “Everything is much more condensed.”

Caldwell said the best thing about work-ing the Keeneland sales are the people in-volved. “These guys that work here love their jobs,” he said. “They feel like they are invested in how the horse sells. It is a great team effort here.” b


Insider’s Guide The Auction Team

P.O. Box 47, Sweetwater, Texas 795561-800-351-1444

Local (325) 235-4378

Arthur Maberry(325) 235-3241 nights

E O U I N E I N S U R A N C EBR OKS MABERRY,INC.O

E-mail: [email protected]

From left, Cris Caldwell, Mahan, and John Henderson

Bid spotters know many of the sales’ regular customers


In their first few months of life, horses experience dramatic changes in size, physical appearance, and/or confor-mation, making the job of selecting

auction weanlings a difficult challenge. But that hasn’t stopped people from try-ing.

Last year the weanling market expe-rienced tremendous growth, with 10.9% more horses offered and a gross increase of 26.3%. Those gains were higher than comparable numbers posted in any of the other three main auction categories—yearlings, 2-year-olds, and broodmares.

Although “buyer beware” never seemed more appropriate than when risking large sums of money on a horse that is less than one year old, many purchasers agree that selecting a weanling is not all that differ-ent than selecting a yearling.

“Obviously, you have to take into con-sideration their age. That’s a given,” said Headley Bell of Nicoma Bloodstock. “But I am still looking for much the same: a horse with presence, balance, and athleticism. I know that it is an often repeated expres-sion, but you are still looking for the same thing, just in a smaller version.”

David Greathouse of Greathouse Blood-stock and Glencrest Farm echoed those sentiments, saying: “Really, you are still looking for the same things you are look-ing for in yearlings. You want balance, and I think as far as a horse’s conformation in front, there are certain things you know will come back in your favor, and there are certain things that won’t go in your favor in looking at a foal. I think most of your foals already have the good hip and neck, or there is some form of it there. You just have to hope you can see some things that everybody else doesn’t see.”

Last year’s Keeneland November mixed sale showed that people are not afraid of paying large amounts of money for wean-lings that have both the pedigree and the physical attributes horsemen desire. A Montjeu—Elbaaha colt broke the North

American record for a weanling at auction when he sold for $2.7 million to Japanese bloodstock agent Nobutaka Tada, who purchased the colt in the name of Globe Equine Management from David C. Par-rish Jr.’s Indian Creek, agent.

At the same sale and from the same consignment, a Gone West—Islington filly became the most expensive weanling of her sex ever sold at Keeneland when Marc-Antoine Berghgracht, a bloodstock agent based in France, paid $2.4 million for her. He bought her in the name of

M.A.B. Agency for Spanish real estate de-veloper Alberto Abajo.

Before last year, the North American auction record for a weanling was the $2.5 million Magic of Life brought at the 1985 Newstead Farm dispersal conducted by Fasig-Tipton Kentucky. The British Blood-stock Agency bought the Seattle Slew filly, who went on to win the Coronation Stakes (Eng-I). The former North Ameri-can record for a colt came in 2003 when Carpocrates, a son of Storm Cat out of the grade I-winning Thunder Gulch mare

Growth AreaBuying Weanlings

By Amanda H. Duckworth

What to look for when entering the weanling auction marketA

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This Gone West—Islington filly set a world record last November, selling for $2.4 million


Insider’s Guide Buying Weanlings

Spain, sold for $2.4 million to Dromoland Farm from Three Chimneys Sales, agent.

“At the end of the day, everybody likes a similar kind of horse, whether it is in Eu-rope or America,” said Peter O’Callaghan of Woods Edge Farm. “We all like a strong, well-developed horse that is correct, ath-letic, and is a runner. Maybe there are some things that Irish and English train-ers and agents can live with as opposed to the Americans, and vice versa, but that is purely personal preference. I think in gen-

eral they are looking for close to the same thing in the physical attributes.”

More and more, the physical animal has become more important than his or her pedigree. Because of that, it adds an-other wrinkle to purchasing weanlings since they can and do go through dramat-ic growth spurts.

“The pedigree does you no good if the physical isn’t there,” Greathouse said. “It is well documented in our recent sales. They just have to have what they consider the perfect, beautiful horse that vets well and walks great. If they have pedigree and don’t fall into that criteria, it normally is not much help. Your market has dictated sort of what you try to buy.”

That is where experience becomes in-valuable, because while some faults are forgivable, others are not.

“You have to be fairly critical of them when they are weanlings,” said blood-stock agent Ben McElroy. “Obviously, there are certain flaws they might have that through experience of raising horses you have seen horses overcome or get a lot better. Then, there are certain things you can’t live with. If a weanling toes-in pretty good as a weanling, he probably is going to toe-in pretty good as a yearling. Whereas if a weanling toes-out a bit, as the chest broadens out there is a chance he might get a bit better by the time he is a yearling.”

Another area where experience comes in handy is family history. Certain fami-lies are known for their growth patterns or problems, and the more information you know going in, the more you can gauge if a weanling may grow out of a potential flaw.

“I think having knowl-edge of how certain pedi-grees look is also a great help to you,” Greathouse said. “A lot of people know what a stallion’s progeny looks like, but I think know-ing some female families is a great help to you.”

While pedigree is not as significant as it has been in years past, it is still an im-

portant factor. Just like peo-ple who pinhook yearlings as 2-year-olds, those who wish to pinhook weanlings have to try and predict what will be popular the follow-ing year.

“I think it is imperative that you are buying a wean-ling that is by a fashionable sire or is by a sire that you hope is going to be a hot commodity by the time you

sell the weanling the next year,” McElroy said. “That enables you to hit a bit of a home run when you are pinhooking.”

Of course, while all pinhookers are looking for that home run horse, there are

various ways they attempt to find him or her. Some only look to the more expen-sive but less risky high end of the market,

while others are more willing to gamble. It simply depends on the program they oper-ate and their comfort level in the weanling market.

“It is a tough situation, and I admire those guys that can do that really well,” said Jerry Bailey of Gulf Coast Farms. “There are a number of people that do it exceptionally well. I personally like to play in the better weanlings. I think that is the safest place to be—in the better pedi-greed, more expensive weanlings.”

Others, like Greathouse, whose Glen-crest Farm got into the weanling market as a way to diversify and increase cash flow, will try to find younger weanlings that may get overlooked because of their age and stature.

“I probably buy more late foals than a lot of people,” he said. “You get a little discount in price, and I hope my experience can tell me who will be big and strong enough by the time I sell them the next year to get there. Sometimes I am right; sometimes I am wrong.”

Because of the differ-ences in growth patterns from weanlings to yearlings and yearlings to 2-year-olds, pinhooking weanlings comes with a dif-

’06’05’04’03’02’01’00’99’98’97’96’95’94’93’92’91$20,000

$30,000

$40,000

$50,000

$60,000

$70,000

$80,000WEANLINGS No. Avg. Gross $500,000 $200,000 $100,000 Year Sold Price Revenue and up and up and up

2006 1,195 $71,392 $85,314,000 10 91 2652005 1,087 $62,348 $67,771,800 8 81 1902004 1,127 $52,539 $59,211,900 9 48 1712003 975 $61,847 $60,300,800 6 58 1712002 864 $49,502 $42,769,300 5 39 1012001 1,063 $43,244 $45,968,200 3 40 1202000 1,379 $53,736 $74,101,800 15 79 1981999 1,432 $61,634 $88,259,600 25 82 2151998 1,420 $57,387 $81,488,900 28 76 1921997 1,210 $49,347 $59,709,300 6 58 1451996 1,209 $44,874 $54,282,500 5 43 1481995 1,179 $38,676 $45,598,600 5 22 991994 1,060 $33,436 $35,441,900t 1 18 711993 863 $37,218 $32,119,100 3 25 581992 793 $25,939 $20,569,600 0 11 281991 806 $32,782 $26,422,300 2 22 48

AVERAGE

“I think people that buy horses that have some luck will tell you there are hors-es that hit you; you feel it.”

H E A D L EY B E L L

“I personally like to play in the better

weanlings. I think that is the safest place to be.”

J E R RY B A I L EY

“We all like a strong, well-developed horse

that is correct, athletic, and is a runner.”

P E T E R O ’ C A L L AG H A N

ferent set of risks and rewards than pin-hooking yearlings does.

“I think (when you pinhook) a yearling as a 2-year-old, you have to jump through every hoop perfectly,” Greathouse said. “With a weanling to a yearling, I think you can miss a hoop every now and then and still get to your final goal. The wean-ling-to-yearling market is more forgiving in the respect that if you take a horse to a 2-year-old sale, and it has one little chip or one bad work, you might get nothing. In the same respect, from weanlings to year-lings, some yearlings just go bad on you. They don’t grow the way you think they are going to.”

“There is the unknown factor with the yearlings to 2-year-olds when they have to breeze down the lane,” echoed McEl-roy. “The two things that can really hurt you when you do that is one, they don’t breeze good, or two, they come up with a chip or don’t have a good gallop out time. It is all or nothing. It is very selective in that market.

“Most of my weanlings I do in partner-ship or are boarded at Woods Edge, and Peter does a top class job at the farm. I think that is nearly the most important factor in having success—they are raised well from the time you buy them to the time you resell them.”

Then again, not everyone who buys weanlings is looking to sell them down the road. Prominent owner Bill Heilig-brodt likes to buy weanlings and intro-duce them into his program sooner rather than later.

“We buy weanlings to supplement our racing horses, and we have found that on occasion, in the last few years, we have been able to save a little bit of money ver-sus the yearling cost,” he said. “Plus, we get to raise the weanlings the way we want to raise them.

“Our program is to race early, so we look for early birthdays and stallions that have a lot of speed. We do like to see a little bit of pedigree if we can. We like the moth-ers to have raced and look specifically to see if they have produced any 2-year-old winners because our program is directed toward winning early. We are more in-terested in what the horses look like and their maturity level than in the pedigree, to a certain extent, even though we like to put it all together if we can.”

Whatever the reason for buying wean-lings, most people know what they are looking for and what they can live with, even if what they are looking for isn’t nec-essarily a tangible trait.

“You use your imagination,” Bell said. “You say, ‘Here is what this looks like,’ and more than you do for a yearling ver-

sus 2-year-old, you imagine how it is going to be as a yearling, from it as an individual to its conformation to its pedigree.

“I think people that buy horses that have some luck will tell you there are

horses that hit you; you feel it. That comes down to discipline—trying to ascertain if you are talking yourself into this one or are you feeling it? Discipline is a signifi-cant ingredient to apply.” B

Susan M. Forrester, Agent“A reputation for attention to detail and integrity.”

P.O. Box 244, Midway, KY 40347859-455-8440 • Cell 859-621-8440 • [email protected]

Make Time To Watch for These Two ColtsSELLING AT KEENELAND NOVEMBER

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of The Blood-Horse!

Hip 1723

Champion millionaire GOURMET GIRL’s half-brother from the fi rst crop by Champion LEROIDESANIMAUX (BRZ). If you like 2006 Breeders’ Cup Champions INVASOR (ARG) (by CANDY STRIPES)and OUIJA BOARD (GB) (dam’s sire WELSH PAGEANT) you will want to consider adding this colt to your Breeders’ Cup plans!

Hip 2647

Same GONE WEST / IN REALITY cross as COMMENDABLE.By CAME HOME o/o IN REALITY / ALYDAR granddaughter. Congratulations to the CAME HOME’s outstanding runners from IN REALITY-line mares, such as multiple Hong Kong winner SHANGDONG GENERAL and Todd Petcher’s Saratoga G2-placed Passion.


2006 KEENELAND NOVEMBER SALE LEADING SIRES OF WEANLINGS (three or more)

Lowest Highest Sire No. Price Price AverageUnbridled’s Song............................4 ........................$140,000 ........................ $700,000 ..................... $446,250Giant’s Causeway ..........................6 ........................$110,000 ..................... $1,050,000 ..................... $349,167¶Smarty Jones ..............................6 ........................$170,000 ........................ $425,000 ..................... $297,500Dynaformer....................................4 ........................$250,000 ........................ $300,000 ..................... $283,750Forestry .........................................5 ........................$125,000 ........................ $620,000 ..................... $255,000Mineshaft ......................................4 ..........................$20,000 ........................ $650,000 ..................... $237,500¶Speightstown ............................11 ........................$115,000 ........................ $450,000 ..................... $227,727Elusive Quality ...............................8 ..........................$40,000 ........................ $500,000 ..................... $225,000Mr. Greeley ..................................10 ..........................$27,000 ........................ $400,000 ..................... $203,700Empire Maker ................................6 ............................$3,000 ........................ $300,000 ..................... $194,667Dixieland Band ..............................3 ..........................$17,000 ........................ $500,000 ..................... $187,333¶Medaglia d’Oro ..........................21 ..........................$10,000 ........................ $425,000 ..................... $173,667Vindication .....................................8 ..........................$90,000 ........................ $250,000 ..................... $166,875Fusaichi Pegasus .........................16 ..........................$10,000 ........................ $600,000 ..................... $165,125Distorted Humor ............................3 ..........................$40,000 ........................ $290,000 ..................... $153,333Yes It’s True ...................................7 ..........................$25,000 ........................ $300,000 ..................... $150,714Hennessy .......................................6 ..........................$80,000 ........................ $300,000 ..................... $140,000¶Strong Hope ..............................14 ..........................$10,000 ........................ $300,000 ..................... $131,071¶Perfect Soul (IRE) .........................6 ..........................$15,000 ........................ $370,000 ..................... $130,667Tale of the Cat .............................15 ..........................$11,000 ........................ $240,000 ..................... $121,533Maria’s Mon .................................12 ............................$4,000 ........................ $280,000 ..................... $120,750¶ Indicates first-crop sire.


During a sale at Keeneland, as one strolls down a long corridor in the center of the sale pavilion, the auctioneer’s calls begin to sound muffled upon entering what

feels like a different world: the repository. A sense of intense concentration is in the air

as veterinarians, with their faces illuminated by computer screens displaying dozens of digital X-rays, decipher which horses are worth a closer look, and which ones they will tell their clients to take a pass on. And in the midst of all the action is Cathy Schenck, who has helped control the repository’s flow for more than a decade.

There have been some immense changes to Keeneland’s repository since it was first intro-duced in 1996, and as one of the system’s pio-neers and chief organizers, Schenck has seen the company through each and every one of them.

Ever since Keeneland sales director Geoffrey Russell approached Schenck about helping him head the repository more than 10 years ago, she has dutifully retreated from the calm atmosphere of her office at the Keeneland library, where she acts as head librarian, to bring some order to the chaos surrounding the largest Thoroughbred auctions in the world.

“Cathy’s personality is fantastic,” said Russell. “She makes it all flow so seamlessly. Her organi-zation skills are above and beyond as well, so it makes the whole experience fantastic.”

Russell noted that Schenck had come a long way since the repository was set up in a double-wide trailer before Keeneland’s major renova-tions in 2005.

“(The trailer) didn’t faze her at all,” Russell added. It’s absolutely fantastic to think how she’s adapted and gotten everything taken care of. She really has outdone herself, and she’s also put to-gether a spectacular team.”

Quiet natured, but upbeat about her role which she described as “very satisfying,” Schenck has helped transform the repository into the digital time-saving godsend for veterinarians that it is today.

With all the tedious requirements of organiz-ing 32 different X-rays for the majority of horses going through the ring at the September and No-vember sales, one may wonder what has kept Schenck sane over the years.

“I like the people, and you feel more involved with the sale when you’re over there,” explained Schenck, who lives in Lexington with her hus-band, Jim, a bloodstock agent. Their son, David, is a freshman at Vanderbilt University this fall.

View Finder


The Repository

By Esther Marr

Cathy Schenck’s organizational skills keep Keeneland’s repository running smoothly

AN

NE

M. E

BER

HA

RDT

PHO

TOS

Cathy Schenck has managed the Keeneland repository since its inception in 1996

“I don’t usually get to watch too many horses sell, but (at the repository), you’re kind of where the action is,” she said. “It’s a big project to get all these X-rays in—we take in and process about 350 sets every day. Having a work flow where we can get that done efficiently and get it out there and turned over within two to three days is very satisfying.”

When Keeneland became the first Thor-oughbred auction facility in the world to offer digital images instead of traditional X-rays for pre-sale reviews at last year’s November breeding stock sale, Schenck was in step with the transition and kicked into high gear to adjust the system accord-ingly.

For the first time at this year’s September yearling sale, the Eklin Digital Repository at Keeneland was able to accommodate 32 users at a time, primarily veterinarians who can now review radiographic images of any horse on a high-resolution monitor, and manipulate or enlarge any part of the image to get a better and closer look.

The view monitors show two views of the horse at one time for comparison, with the ability to also lighten or darken the image.

During the September yearling sale’s two-week run, Schenck noted that nearly 200 veterinarians had reviewed sets of 32 images per horse for more than 5,000 horses.

With the new paperless system, an un-limited number of individuals can view images of the same horse at the same time instead of waiting in line to analyze the X-rays. During peak hours of the first few days of the sale, Schenck said there were several times when all 32 view boxes were in use.

LEARNING ON THE JOBWith no prior knowledge of the indus-

try, Schenck came to Keeneland in 1978 as the associate librarian after earning her master’s degree in library science at the University of Kentucky.

“I’ve learned a lot about horses since then, though,” she said with a laugh. Promoted to head librarian in 1994, she helped Russell launch the repository two years later.

“A lot of it (in the beginning) was or-ganizing and checking (X-rays) out to people—that’s how it got started,” said Schenck.

As supervisor of the repository during each sale, Schenck helps Russell create the rules and procedures for how the system should be set up. She also trains and hires personnel to help operate the system.

“I contact the veterinarians—I’m the person they deal with first,” Schenck said.

“I supervise all the operations with con-signors, veterinarians, and buyers that come in and look at the information.

“If I have ideas about changes, I can take them to Geoffrey,” she continued. “A lot of times he has ideas that he brings to me and we make decisions about how we’re going to change procedures. He’s great to work for. If I have a problem, he leaves the door open, and he’s there to back me up with anything.”

Schenck explained that while consign-ors are not required to submit X-rays to the repository, if they do choose to do so, there must be 32 views of specific parts of the horse’s anatomy.

“(Digital) images have made things easier,” said Schenck. “We don’t have to sit there and physically count those X-rays anymore. It’s certainly a lot easier to store the disk and move the disk around.”

Once a disc is received from a veterinar-ian, it is checked to make sure the radio-graphs were taken within 21 days of the sale, verified for accuracy, and download-ed into the server.

Previously, people checked out physical envelopes containing the X-ray sheets and took them to a view box.

“Now when a person checks something out, they don’t physically take anything,” said Schenck. “We have two different serv-ers—one for processing and one for view-ing. They come out and check out (horses) by card number and hip number and then we shoot (the X-rays) to their station.”

If a veterinarian has included a medi-cal statement or surgery disclosure with a particular horse’s X-rays, those are the

first documents a person will see when he or she checks out that hip number.

From there, with 32 clicks of a mouse, the person can scan through the various views of the horse. While around 95% of consignors and buyers hire veterinarians to view X-rays of horses they are interest-ed in, anyone who feels they are trained well enough to view the images can check out hip numbers, unless restrictions have been placed on a particular consignment.

If individuals choose to do so, they can submit a list of people from their consign-ment who are allowed to see which veteri-narians have been viewing their X-rays. Consignors can also restrict their X-rays to only be viewed by licensed veterinarians, though Schenck said surgery papers and other medical statements are considered public record.

“A consignor can only look at what he has in the sale, though,” she explained. “Also, a veterinarian can’t come up and see what other vets have looked at a particu-lar hip number. We consider that informa-tion private. Buyers can’t come up and try to figure out who is bidding against them. That’s why we have all those safeguards.”

Consignors can also see how long a per-son has looked at each hip number. In ad-dition to being able to view results at the repository, the information is also avail-able online for consignors, who have their own passwords and ID numbers.

“That’s important,” said Schenck. “They can see every hip number (in their consignment) that was looked at and tell what veterinarian looked at it. They check that with who comes back to the barn and


The repository is able to accommodate 32 users at a time

Insider’s Guide The Repository

physically looks at the horses. That gives them an idea of the interest in the horse.”

Schenck noted the consignors often use that information when they’re putting re-serves on their horses.

Another advantage to the digital tech-nology is the ability to quickly click on a particular view of a horse by first looking at thumbnail versions of each X-ray.

“You don’t have to go through all 32 to get the view you want,” said Schenck, adding that veterinarians often come back more than once to look at X-rays before (a horse) sells.

Schenck admitted the long hours re-quired to make the repository run smooth-ly are the most difficult aspect of her job.

“(For the September sale), we start the day after Labor Day and pretty much work every day until the sale is over,” she said.

Schenck’s 30 part-time employees have definitely helped the process along, how-ever, with their ideas for changing and im-proving the system.

“We also take ideas from the vets and consignors,” she said. “There are lots of different ways to do things and there are always more efficient ways.”

Compared to other repositories, Keene-land’s digital system is one of the most elite, said Dr. Michael Chovanes, a former track veterinarian at Philadelphia Park who is now a full-time sale veterinarian and takes radiographs for auctions across the country.

“From my point of view as a veterinar-ian, Cathy has been gracious and under-standing instead of just demanding A, B, and C,” Chovanes said. “She properly asks for our input and our opinion for how we think (the repository) can be best han-dled. She has always bent over backwards to help us and accommodates us individu-ally.”

Chovanes, who has X-rayed sale horses since before repositories existed, said he

typically looks at dozens of sets of radio-graphs for around 30 different clients at the Keeneland September and November sales.

After a sale is over, all the digital X-rays are given back to the veterinarians that submitted them, unless he or she grants permission for a disk to be given to the buyer of a particular horse.

“We have a lot of people that buy horses that think they bought the X-ray as well,” said Schenck. “So that’s one of the more difficult issues. We can’t give it to them unless we have it on paper from the con-signor.”

GOING WITH THE FLOWWith the meticulous planning Schenck

puts into each sale, it’s clear there could be no one more perfect for her job.

“I’m a pretty organized person—that’s what I went to school for,” she said. “(The repository preparation) all flows pretty well, and I can keep up with it and keep track of it. It’s an exciting time. Different stuff comes in every day, and different

people, so that’s what keeps it interest-ing.”

Schenck said another advantage of digi-tal technology is the fact veterinarians can immediately see if they need to re-shoot any of their X-rays instead of first waiting for them to develop.

The fear of losing paper work has also been erased with the digital system. “If we physically give people something, it’s so easy to put a piece of paper down, or close it in their catalog, etc.,” said Schenck, who keeps an inventory each year of all the X-rays that were turned in for the sale and where they came from, in case a consign-or or buyer needs to locate them later.

For the past few years, around 98% of horses going through the ring have had X-rays in the repository since buyers have become more dependent on that informa-tion when evaluating their various auc-tion choices.

Schenck said the repository ran about 80% digital at this year’s September sale. “We probably will always take hard copy,” she said. “We didn’t want to make that a condition that (veterinarians) had to turn in digital because the equipment is expen-sive. In two or three years, probably all of the vets will have digital, but we didn’t want to force it on them (this year).”

Though working at the sales can be de-manding and chaotic, Schenck admitted she loves being the thread that ties every-thing together in the repository.

“It can be stressful—you have your bad days, but for the most part, it’s fun to be over there,” Schenck said. “You hear people walk through saying to each other, ‘You need to look at this hip number,’ and then (the repository staff and I) mark our catalogs and see how much it goes for and see who buys it. The whole (repository) setup is just really fascinating.” B


Anyone who feels competent at viewing images can check out hip numbers, provided there are no restrictions on a specific consignment


Twenty-two pregnant mares sold for $1 million or more apiece during last year’s Keeneland November breeding stock auction. Only two

of those horses were over the age of 10.“We’ve seen a shift in the market to

what we like to call the young and the beautiful,” said Tom Thornbury, Keene-land’s associate director of sales. “Young-er mares are currently in vogue because they are loaded with optimism and haven’t yet disproved themselves as pro-ducers. When mares get to double digits in age they become out of fashion even if they have produced a long list of win-ners and maybe even a stakes-placed or stakes-winning horse.”

But while buyer demand for middle-aged and older mares has decreased, they can be a good investment for breeders who do their homework.

“Value is there for the thinking breed-er,” Thornbury said. “For example, canny, old school stallion managers buy these mares to send to their young, un-proven sires. It’s been proven time and time again over the years that older mares that are proven producers, when bred to the young whippersnappers, produce off-spring that are very salable and that can elevate the status of a young sire that is trying to make his bones so to speak.”

Fred and Nancy Mitchell, along with Nancy’s daughter Marty Buckner, oper-ate Clarkland Farm, a commercial breed-ing operation near Lexington. In 2004, at the Keeneland November sale, Clarkland purchased the stakes winner and grade II producer Royal Veagess for $72,000. The mare, 16 at the time, was carrying a For-est Camp colt.

The Mitchells sold the colt, Badger Bret, for $100,000 at the 2006 Keeneland Sep-tember yearling sale. They bred Royal Veagess to Malibu Moon, and the resulting colt topped this year’s Fasig-Tipton Ken-tucky July select yearling auction, selling

for $450,000 to Jay Em Ess Stable. A vic-tory by Sugar Shake in the Santa Maria Handicap (gr. I) in February helped boost the colt’s commercial appeal because she was produced from his grade II-winning half-sister, Skipping Around.

“We hit a home run,” Fred Mitchell said. “But when we bought Royal Veag-ess, we were questioned by two or three different people, who asked us, ‘Why did you buy that mare with all that age on her?’ Well, for one thing, we just loved the mare; she didn’t look like she had any age

on her at all. We also needed a tax break; you can depreciate out a mare that age in three years. Originally, we had been hop-ing to buy a couple of young mares, but we looked and looked and looked, and we couldn’t even get close to the prices they were bringing. With any young mare that has good conformation, the cost is outra-geous when you try to buy them.”

Hands-on management and a knowl-edgeable reproductive veterinarian are the keys to success when caring for mid-dle-aged and older mares, according to Mitchell.

“Clarkland is a family-owned farm, and we’re there every day, and we work close-ly with our vet,” he said. “When we’re thinking about buying an older mare, we look to see where they came from, who had them, and maybe what vet had them. If we think we can improve on what they did, we try to buy her. Sometimes you can buy a problem mare, and if you have a good vet, he can solve the problem that she’s had. Over the years, I’d have to say that the older mares that we’ve bought have done well for us.”

Rob Whiteley has been a fan of middle-aged mares for years. They were an impor-tant part of his com-merc ia l breed ing strategy when he ran billionaire financier Carl Icahn’s Foxfield operation.

“It’s something that I caught on to very

early,” Whiteley said. “I just kept seeing older mares cranking out quality race-horses.”

In 1992, when Blush With Pride was 13 years old, Foxfield purchased the 1982 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner for $200,000 at the Keeneland November auction while she was in foal to Lomond.

“She was a great race mare from a quality family, and she was a terrific in-dividual physically,” Whiteley said. “But mostly I bought her because I thought I could breed her differently than she had ever been bred before. I had Deputy Min-

Wise Beyond Their Years

Market for Older Mares

By Deirdre B. Biles

In an age of the ‘young and the beautiful,’ middle-aged and older mares offer value

“Sometimes you can buy a problem mare, and if you

have a good vet, he can solve the problem she’s had.”

F R E D M I T C H E L L


Insider’s Guide Market for Older Mares

ister specifically in mind.”That mating didn’t happen until 1995,

but it resulted in the production, the fol-lowing year, of Better Than Honour, who would go on to capture the 1998 Demoi-selle Stakes (gr. II) and to produce two Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winners: Jazil (2006) and Rags to Riches (2007). Foxfield sold Better Than Honour for $750,000 at the 1997 Keeneland July select yearling auction.

Whiteley also had a plan when Foxfield purchased grade II winner Rokeby Rose at the 1992 Keeneland November sale. At that time, the mare was 15 and she was barren after being covered by Red Ran-som, but Whiteley believed she would be a worthwhile investment if she could be bred to Silver Deputy. Foxfield sold her first foal by that stallion, Eishin Man-dan, for $145,000 at the 1995 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July select yearling auction. The second time Rokeby Rose was bred to Silver Deputy, she produced Silverbul-letday, who earned $3,093,207 and was a champion in 1998 and 1999. Foxfield sold Rokeby Rose while she was carrying Sil-verbulletday for $42,000 at the 1995 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November select mixed auction.

More recently, Whiteley has built up his Liberation Farm broodmare band with the purchase of middle-aged producers.

“I can’t compete in the marketplace for young mares that have black-type pedigrees,” Whiteley said. “So, in order to buy into quality families given my lim-ited capitalization, I go after mares that are out of favor for one reason or another. Fortunately, for me, middle-aged mares generally are out of favor in the market-place, and I’m especially grateful because I can obtain quality bloodlines at a huge discount. The downside is that if they haven’t already produced a stakes horse, the window to turn them around is quite

short and they become old pretty soon. But the flip side is that I can produce my own young quality broodmare prospects that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford if they give me fillies before shut-ting down.”

When deciding which middle-aged mares to purchase, Whiteley considers a variety of factors.

“I look at them like I would any other horses; I look at their presence, their ath-leticism, and their conformational make-up,” Whiteley said. “The depth of quality in the female family is very important. Race record matters a lot to me unless they

have proven they can produce a quality runner. But I don’t penalize them if they haven’t (produced a quality runner) be-cause there’s nothing in the laws of nature that says a mare is going to produce her big horse in her first five foals. I also look at the apparent reproductive health of the

mare, but there are times when a mare has been blank for a couple of years and I might still think she is still a great value if I can determine the circumstances.”

Whiteley also tries to evaluate the over-all health of any middle-aged mare he is

considering acquir-ing.

“I think their ap-pearance is quite revealing—if they’re in good condition, if they have energy, if they have an alert look to their eye,” he said. “They’ll pretty much tell you wheth-er they are OK or not.

Horses mature and age just like people do, according to their own genetic makeup and individual differences. A wide range of differences does exist. Some age quickly and some retain youthful characteristics for many years. The test for the breeder is to be observant enough to know which is which.”

When writing Buying Sale Yearlings, Plain and Simple, which was published earlier this year by the Consignors & Commercial Breed-e rs Assoc iat ion, Whiteley addressed the percept ion of many horsemen that foals out of older mares have reduced potential.

According to Whiteley, young mares produce more stakes winners than old mares for a couple of reasons: (1) Young mares, at the start of their careers, have more opportunities (meaning that, as a group, they are typically bred to higher-priced stallions, whereas older mares are generally bred “down” to lesser stallions). (2) Young mares, as a group, have fewer “missing years (years when they don’t get pregnant)” and, therefore, produce more foals.

Whiteley also listed numerous exam-ples of top runners that had been pro-duced from older mares, including 1973 Triple Crown winner and two-time Horse of the Year Secretariat, twice European Horse of the Year and dual North Ameri-can champion Ouija Board, 1984 Breed-ers’ Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Wild Again, and 1996 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Alphabet Soup.

“I’m a commercial breeder, and I need to make money to stay in business,” Whiteley said. “But my main goal is to breed quality racehorses that will win

Broodmares No. Avg. Gross $1 million $500,000 $300,000 Year Sold Price Revenue and up and up and up

2006 1,669 $119,210 $198,962,000 22 69 1612005 1,538 $123,255 $189,566,600 20 86 1692004 1,621 $122,826 $199,101,000 29 76 1532003 1,527 $109,681 $167,483,100 20 56 1082002 1,411 $96,906 $136,733,800 19 49 1992001 1,401 $93,459 $130,935,900 15 54 952000 1,751 $127,067 $222,494,200 35 96 1701999 1,762 $115,641 $203,759,100 27 81 1501998 1,783 $94,590 $168,654,100 18 55 1231997 1,683 $86,522 $145,616,300 11 49 1131996 1,501 $73,031 $109,619,700 6 24 721995 1,573 $57,091 $89,803,700 4 24 621994 1,320 $60,767 $80,212,700 5 23 421993 1,118 $48,633 $54,371,700 2 10 401992 1,069 $47,069 $50,316,800 3 9 271991 1,075 $49,086 $52,767,400 3 10 31

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

$140,000

$160,000

’06’05’04’03’02’01’00’99’98’97’96’95’94’93’92’91

“There’s nothing in the laws of nature that says a mare is going to produce her big

horse in her first five foals.”R O B W H I T E L EY

“If you’re operating on a budget, middle-aged mares are a great value if you do

your homework.”L I N C O L N C O L L I N S

AVERAGE

many times, and I know that old mares in good shape can produce those horses as well as younger ones.”

Lincoln Collins, the owner and presi-dent of the Kern Thoroughbreds blood-stock agency, believes middle-aged mares provide opportunities for breeders to ac-quire quality horses at reasonable prices, but only under certain circumstances.

“There’s not much upside for a very wealthy person going to buy those mares,” he said, “because often very wealthy people, quite understandably, want the highest quality possible, and that’s avail-able if you’re willing to pay the highest prices. But if you’re operating on a bud-get, middle-aged mares are a great value if you do your homework. But you must do your homework. If a mare hasn’t pro-duced a black-type horse up to that point, you must really analyze why and why she might be capable of doing so when you own her.”

Collins, who is a director of Three Chimneys Farm, discussed examples of the types of mares above the age of 10 that a breeder might want to consider pur-chasing.

“Let’s suppose a mare is 12 years old, and she has four or more foals of racing age,” he said. “If they’re all unraced or none of them have been any good, I would be very reluctant to buy that mare be-cause she’s basically shown she can’t do it. On the other hand, if she has had a cou-ple winners, and they were successful at top racetracks in New York and California even though they weren’t good enough to earn black type, you begin to think to yourself, ‘Well, maybe this mare is capa-ble of doing it.’ You might feel that a par-ticular stallion that hasn’t been tried be-fore works with the broodmare sire line or the family in general. You also might see a mare that has three or four foals that were sired by young stallions at the time they were conceived, and those stallions didn’t work out. People are blaming the mare for not doing a good job when, in fact, she’s been bred to the wrong horses.”

Even elderly mares can be good invest-ments in some cases, according to Col-lins.

“If they have produced a nice horse and they look to be in good fettle,” he said, “there might be people interested in buy-ing them who would like to get a filly that they’re going to race and ultimately put in their broodmare band. I think there’s also evidence to suggest that older mares that have been barren in the year before producing any given foal have a better chance of producing a good physical spec-imen and, more importantly, a decent racehorse.” B


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Broodmare Sires at Keeneland November

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The following chart includes broodmare sires with a minimum of 30 named foals and five mares cataloged to the 2007 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. The statistics include the broodmare sire’s name, number of mares cataloged in parentheses, first crop year as a broodmare sire, and total number of daughters with named foals (Dams). Stks. Prod. refers to the number of daughters that have produced either stakes winners or stakes-placed runners. Dams of SWs count only the daughters that have produced a stakes winner(s). The percentages next to Stks. Prod. and Dams of SWs are derived from the broodmare sire’s total number of producing daughters. Foals represents lifetime named foals as a broodmare sire, and is followed by number of 2007 2-year-olds, runners, winners, 2-year-old winners, stakes winners, graded-stakes winners, and grade I stakes winners. Percentages for these respective statistics are from lifetime named foals. Average Earnings Index (AEI) indicates how much money the progeny out of each broodmare sire’s daughters have earned, on average, in relation to the average earnings of runners of the same sex and age in the same year and country. Comparable Index (CI) is the combined AEI for all stallions bred to a broodmare sire’s daughters, reflecting the general quality of these stallions, and indicating how well the progeny of a broodmare sire’s daughters do compared with the progeny of all mares bred to the same stallions. AWD means Average Winning Distance of a broodmare sire’s runners in furlongs. 06 Median Price is the median price for mares by the broodmare sire that sold in 2006. Damsire (No. Cataloged)

FCY BM Sire Dams

Stks. Prod.

Dams SWs Foals

2007 2yos

Rnrs (% Fls)

Wnrs (% Fls)

2yo Wnrs (% Fls)

SW (% Fls)

GSW (% Fls)

GISW (% Fls) AEI CI AWD

06 Median (No. Sold)

A.P. Indy (29) 1998 201 35 (12%) 20 (6.8%) 503 148 (29%) 347 (69%) 202 (40%) 68 (14%) 24 (4.8%) 13 (2.6%) 3 (0.6%) 1.92 1.85 7.68 $160,000 (33)Affirmed (9) 1986 354 131 (35%) 75 (20%) 1946 144 (7%) 1,475 (76%) 1,026 (53%) 280 (14%) 107 (5.5%) 51 (2.6%) 16 (0.8%) 1.68 1.54 7.87 $13,000 (18)Afternoon Deelites (7) 2002 41 3 (4%) 1 (1.3%) 65 30 (46%) 43 (66%) 24 (37%) 7 (11%) 1 (1.5%) (0%) (0%) 0.67 1.55 6.79 $2,500 (7)Allen’s Prospect (9) 1992 236 34 (12%) 23 (7.9%) 785 127 (16%) 528 (67%) 374 (48%) 94 (12%) 24 (3.1%) 4 (0.5%) 1 (0.1%) 1.07 1.37 6.34 $2,600 (14)Alphabet Soup (8) 2003 24 2 (2%) (0%) 40 25 (63%) 20 (50%) 12 (30%) 4 (10%) (0%) (0%) (0%) 1.17 1.44 6.41 $11,000 (7)Alydeed (6) 1999 115 16 (12%) 9 (6.8%) 288 83 (29%) 190 (66%) 115 (40%) 33 (11%) 10 (3.5%) 1 (0.3%) (0%) 1.26 1.53 6.51 $12,000 (15)Belong to Me (19) 1999 136 10 (4%) 8 (3.5%) 248 113 (46%) 135 (54%) 91 (37%) 33 (13%) 8 (3.2%) 1 (0.4%) 1 (0.4%) 1.38 1.56 6.54 $20,000 (20)Bertrando (11) 1998 125 17 (9%) 10 (5.1%) 291 98 (34%) 164 (56%) 95 (33%) 36 (12%) 12 (4.1%) 3 (1%) 2 (0.7%) 1.19 1.38 6.50 $11,750 (24)Black Tie Affair (IRE) (5) 1997 201 44 (21%) 21 (10%) 684 128 (19%) 469 (69%) 297 (43%) 91 (13%) 21 (3.1%) 5 (0.7%) (0%) 1.06 1.40 7.15 $6,500 (15)Boston Harbor (8) 2003 43 1 (1%) 1 (1.1%) 61 42 (69%) 35 (57%) 18 (30%) 12 (20%) 1 (1.6%) 1 (1.6%) (0%) 2.25 1.75 6.19 $67,500 (16)Boundary (7) 1998 88 14 (12%) 7 (5.8%) 178 70 (39%) 120 (67%) 78 (44%) 28 (16%) 7 (3.9%) 2 (1.1%) 1 (0.6%) 1.42 1.48 6.60 $16,000 (13)Broad Brush (23) 1994 223 65 (24%) 36 (13.5%) 841 157 (19%) 582 (69%) 411 (49%) 106 (13%) 41 (4.9%) 7 (0.8%) 1 (0.1%) 1.49 1.64 7.17 $16,000 (38)Capote (23) 1993 272 66 (21%) 35 (11.1%) 1022 170 (17%) 715 (70%) 508 (50%) 161 (16%) 42 (4.1%) 13 (1.3%) 2 (0.2%) 1.33 1.57 6.81 $37,500 (30)Carson City (29) 1995 244 69 (23%) 39 (13%) 703 154 (22%) 479 (68%) 333 (47%) 117 (17%) 44 (6.3%) 11 (1.6%) 3 (0.4%) 1.69 1.51 6.53 $22,000 (31)Cherokee Run (15) 2001 66 1 (1%) (0%) 119 51 (43%) 66 (55%) 37 (31%) 15 (13%) (0%) (0%) (0%) 0.81 1.54 6.10 $17,000 (16)Chief’s Crown (6) 1991 240 75 (30%) 40 (16.3%) 1125 111 (10%) 774 (69%) 504 (45%) 159 (14%) 52 (4.6%) 20 (1.8%) 9 (0.8%) 1.39 1.57 8.17 $4,000 (10)Clever Trick (6) 1985 391 120 (28%) 65 (15.4%) 2042 175 (9%) 1,478 (72%) 1,023 (50%) 319 (16%) 87 (4.3%) 20 (1%) 9 (0.4%) 1.17 1.41 6.70 $11,000 (17)Colonial Affair (5) 2000 65 11 (15%) 3 (4%) 155 45 (29%) 101 (65%) 59 (38%) 18 (12%) 3 (1.9%) (0%) (0%) 1.09 1.61 6.91 $16,500 (8)Conquistador Cielo (12) 1988 322 118 (33%) 72 (20.4%) 1653 165 (10%) 1,187 (72%) 825 (50%) 242 (15%) 96 (5.8%) 29 (1.8%) 9 (0.5%) 1.47 1.51 7.17 $10,000 (25)Copelan (7) 1990 155 57 (37%) 35 (22.6%) 849 66 (8%) 646 (76%) 467 (55%) 180 (21%) 47 (5.5%) 17 (2%) 3 (0.4%) 1.28 1.46 6.56 $38,500 (4)Coronado’s Quest (16) 2003 33 1 (1%) 1 (1.3%) 45 31 (69%) 28 (62%) 18 (40%) 10 (22%) 1 (2.2%) 1 (2.2%) (0%) 1.35 1.71 6.28 $37,000 (15)Cox’s Ridge (5) 1985 331 113 (33%) 67 (19.8%) 1748 99 (6%) 1,271 (73%) 924 (53%) 281 (16%) 88 (5%) 22 (1.3%) 7 (0.4%) 1.42 1.52 7.07 $15,000 (17)Cozzene (14) 1991 232 53 (19%) 36 (12.7%) 901 125 (14%) 636 (71%) 406 (45%) 106 (12%) 39 (4.3%) 7 (0.8%) 4 (0.4%) 1.29 1.52 7.11 $29,000 (19)Crafty Prospector (13) 1990 328 94 (25%) 58 (15.5%) 1387 174 (13%) 1,036 (75%) 746 (54%) 235 (17%) 70 (5%) 26 (1.9%) 6 (0.4%) 1.37 1.47 6.93 $25,000 (29)Cryptoclearance (9) 1996 256 39 (13%) 23 (7.4%) 810 157 (19%) 524 (65%) 345 (43%) 79 (10%) 26 (3.2%) 9 (1.1%) 1 (0.1%) 1.14 1.42 7.27 $10,500 (14)Cure the Blues (6) 1987 353 103 (28%) 50 (13.6%) 1591 156 (10%) 1,149 (72%) 782 (49%) 253 (16%) 64 (4%) 25 (1.6%) 7 (0.4%) 1.36 1.45 7.75 $7,250 (10)Danehill (11) 1995 636 57 (7%) 29 (3.5%) 1906 482 (25%) 736 (39%) 389 (20%) 169 (9%) 32 (1.7%) 20 (1%) 5 (0.3%) 1.53 1.47 8.24 $687,500 (4)Danzig (12) 1986 412 162 (37%) 105 (23.9%) 2575 201 (8%) 1,815 (70%) 1,154 (45%) 332 (13%) 141 (5.5%) 67 (2.6%) 21 (0.8%) 1.77 1.58 7.55 $24,500 (20)Dayjur (10) 1996 162 42 (24%) 24 (13.6%) 633 111 (18%) 449 (71%) 277 (44%) 113 (18%) 29 (4.6%) 10 (1.6%) 4 (0.6%) 1.40 1.64 7.43 $4,500 (12)Dehere (12) 1999 232 21 (7%) 12 (4.1%) 473 190 (40%) 199 (42%) 136 (29%) 43 (9%) 12 (2.5%) 2 (0.4%) 1 (0.2%) 1.75 1.60 6.92 $22,000 (23)Deputy Minister (31) 1989 398 158 (34%) 106 (22.6%) 1785 227 (13%) 1,275 (71%) 924 (52%) 277 (16%) 139 (7.8%) 45 (2.5%) 15 (0.8%) 1.86 1.61 7.29 $95,000 (37)Devil His Due (12) 2001 58 8 (7%) 5 (4.3%) 104 46 (44%) 60 (58%) 42 (40%) 16 (15%) 5 (4.8%) (0%) (0%) 1.04 1.51 6.73 $10,500 (11)Devil’s Bag (11) 1990 307 79 (23%) 35 (10.2%) 1422 161 (11%) 1,009 (71%) 662 (47%) 193 (14%) 46 (3.2%) 16 (1.1%) 3 (0.2%) 1.15 1.59 7.16 $12,500 (32)Diablo (5) 1999 104 14 (12%) 9 (7.5%) 256 63 (25%) 172 (67%) 118 (46%) 48 (19%) 9 (3.5%) 2 (0.8%) (0%) 1.18 1.33 6.32 $9,000 (9)Dixieland Band (30) 1991 412 132 (28%) 83 (17.5%) 1731 218 (13%) 1,280 (74%) 938 (54%) 297 (17%) 103 (6%) 41 (2.4%) 13 (0.8%) 1.78 1.50 6.94 $57,500 (34)Dynaformer (23) 1996 214 48 (17%) 27 (9.6%) 598 145 (24%) 431 (72%) 290 (48%) 97 (16%) 36 (6%) 11 (1.8%) 2 (0.3%) 1.54 1.57 7.35 $35,000 (27)El Gran Senor (5) 1990 168 58 (34%) 37 (21.5%) 821 93 (11%) 569 (69%) 385 (47%) 115 (14%) 49 (6%) 24 (2.9%) 11 (1.3%) 1.85 1.58 8.03 $5,800 (5)El Prado (IRE) (17) 1998 118 13 (6%) 8 (3.9%) 264 86 (33%) 154 (58%) 85 (32%) 24 (9%) 9 (3.4%) 5 (1.9%) 1 (0.4%) 1.23 1.57 6.84 $31,000 (21)End Sweep (7) 2000 102 10 (6%) 4 (2.3%) 186 108 (58%) 101 (54%) 57 (31%) 28 (15%) 4 (2.2%) 2 (1.1%) (0%) 1.24 1.61 6.33 $15,000 (15)Forest Wildcat (24) 2002 66 4 (3%) 1 (0.8%) 100 62 (62%) 67 (67%) 36 (36%) 19 (19%) 1 (1%) (0%) (0%) 1.11 1.64 6.02 $16,500 (18)Fortunate Prospect (8) 1993 190 34 (15%) 15 (6.7%) 607 88 (14%) 451 (74%) 318 (52%) 116 (19%) 20 (3.3%) 7 (1.2%) (0%) 1.20 1.44 6.59 $2,500 (15)Forty Niner (9) 1994 206 73 (33%) 47 (21.5%) 877 104 (12%) 668 (76%) 438 (50%) 130 (15%) 57 (6.5%) 17 (1.9%) 4 (0.5%) 1.59 1.70 7.10 $55,000 (9)General Meeting (9) 1998 99 18 (11%) 7 (4.5%) 241 72 (30%) 142 (59%) 81 (34%) 22 (9%) 7 (2.9%) 1 (0.4%) (0%) 0.99 1.62 6.55 $8,500 (15)Gilded Time (18) 1998 178 26 (11%) 11 (4.7%) 411 122 (30%) 281 (68%) 176 (43%) 63 (15%) 11 (2.7%) 4 (1%) 1 (0.2%) 0.96 1.48 6.47 $9,000 (21)Glitterman (8) 1996 119 12 (7%) 6 (3.6%) 313 73 (23%) 198 (63%) 120 (38%) 46 (15%) 6 (1.9%) 2 (0.6%) 1 (0.3%) 0.93 1.47 5.95 $7,500 (18)Gone West (24) 1993 284 71 (21%) 32 (9.3%) 1094 198 (18%) 747 (68%) 475 (43%) 159 (15%) 39 (3.6%) 16 (1.5%) 2 (0.2%) 1.39 1.66 7.66 $90,000 (26)Grand Slam (26) 2004 30 (0%) (0%) 32 37 (116%) 14 (44%) 3 (9%) 3 (9%) (0%) (0%) (0%) 0.73 1.56 5.30 $35,000 (36)Green Dancer (6) 1982 429 161 (36%) 105 (23.4%) 2798 128 (5%) 1,960 (70%) 1,305 (47%) 353 (13%) 151 (5.4%) 63 (2.3%) 19 (0.7%) 1.48 1.45 8.77 $5,116 (12)Grindstone (9) 2002 58 7 (8%) 3 (3.6%) 96 51 (53%) 62 (65%) 34 (35%) 18 (19%) 3 (3.1%) 2 (2.1%) (0%) 1.21 1.56 6.27 $5,100 (6)Gulch (19) 1994 243 53 (18%) 28 (9.3%) 915 155 (17%) 673 (74%) 422 (46%) 140 (15%) 37 (4%) 16 (1.7%) 5 (0.5%) 1.58 1.61 7.34 $46,000 (26)Hennessy (16) 2002 136 8 (3%) 2 (0.8%) 218 141 (65%) 107 (49%) 49 (22%) 18 (8%) 2 (0.9%) 1 (0.5%) (0%) 0.78 1.60 6.37 $32,000 (25)Holy Bull (32) 1999 121 15 (9%) 7 (4%) 284 99 (35%) 192 (68%) 121 (43%) 45 (16%) 7 (2.5%) 3 (1.1%) 1 (0.4%) 1.13 1.63 6.73 $24,500 (24)Honor Grades (5) 1999 151 11 (6%) 5 (2.6%) 327 87 (27%) 122 (37%) 82 (25%) 22 (7%) 5 (1.5%) (0%) (0%) 1.05 1.50 6.59 $17,000 (5)Honour and Glory (18) 2002 88 7 (4%) 3 (1.6%) 142 88 (62%) 69 (49%) 37 (26%) 20 (14%) 3 (2.1%) 2 (1.4%) (0%) 0.99 1.52 5.84 $11,000 (25)Is It True (6) 1994 131 1 (1%) 1 (0.6%) 331 75 (23%) 41 (12%) 26 (8%) 9 (3%) 1 (0.3%) (0%) (0%) 1.57 1.45 6.28 $46,500 (8)Kingmambo (9) 1999 151 35 (15%) 24 (10.4%) 381 113 (30%) 245 (64%) 152 (40%) 53 (14%) 25 (6.6%) 9 (2.4%) 3 (0.8%) 1.77 1.73 8.07 $120,000 (19)Known Fact (5) 1986 268 67 (23%) 38 (13.2%) 1184 108 (9%) 863 (73%) 554 (47%) 176 (15%) 44 (3.7%) 15 (1.3%) 2 (0.2%) 1.25 1.47 7.34 $8,000 (13)Kris S. (12) 1987 322 96 (26%) 52 (14.1%) 1313 171 (13%) 998 (76%) 684 (52%) 223 (17%) 68 (5.2%) 24 (1.8%) 7 (0.5%) 1.44 1.54 7.37 $21,500 (22)Langfuhr (6) 2003 42 4 (4%) 3 (2.7%) 54 49 (91%) 28 (52%) 13 (24%) 11 (20%) 3 (5.6%) 1 (1.9%) (0%) 1.46 1.59 6.63 $10,000 (9)Lear Fan (10) 1990 250 62 (22%) 34 (11.8%) 1028 111 (11%) 759 (74%) 476 (46%) 155 (15%) 51 (5%) 27 (2.6%) 10 (1%) 1.51 1.48 8.15 $8,500 (12)


Damsire (No. Cataloged)

FCY BM Sire

Dams

Stks. Prod.

Dams SWs

Foals

2007 2yos

Rnrs (% Fls)

Wnrs (% Fls)

2yo Wnrs (% Fls)

SW (% Fls)

GSW (% Fls)

GISW (% Fls)

AEI

CI

AWD

06 Median (No. Sold)

Lord At War (ARG) (7) 1992 161 46 (28%) 25 (15.1%) 631 97 (15%) 428 (68%) 287 (45%) 68 (11%) 32 (5.1%) 13 (2.1%) 5 (0.8%) 1.78 1.61 7.46 $16,000 (13)Lord Avie (9) 1987 247 73 (26%) 43 (15.5%) 998 93 (9%) 704 (71%) 482 (48%) 120 (12%) 49 (4.9%) 14 (1.4%) 8 (0.8%) 1.22 1.46 7.08 $8,500 (12)Lost Code (7) 1994 224 56 (22%) 30 (12%) 821 110 (13%) 579 (71%) 394 (48%) 104 (13%) 36 (4.4%) 7 (0.9%) 5 (0.6%) 1.22 1.45 6.66 $8,500 (10)Maria’s Mon (19) 2002 53 4 (4%) 3 (2.8%) 82 46 (56%) 39 (48%) 23 (28%) 10 (12%) 3 (3.7%) 1 (1.2%) (0%) 1.53 1.52 6.73 $15,000 (15)Marquetry (8) 1998 137 24 (13%) 15 (8.1%) 323 95 (29%) 215 (67%) 138 (43%) 57 (18%) 16 (5%) 3 (0.9%) (0%) 1.13 1.43 6.79 $21,000 (13)Meadowlake (24) 1992 271 79 (25%) 40 (12.5%) 998 167 (17%) 697 (70%) 498 (50%) 174 (17%) 46 (4.6%) 9 (0.9%) 1 (0.1%) 1.33 1.52 6.62 $17,000 (33)Mining (8) 1994 176 43 (24%) 28 (15.7%) 691 66 (10%) 451 (65%) 300 (43%) 76 (11%) 33 (4.8%) 11 (1.6%) 3 (0.4%) 1.44 1.48 6.85 $5,000 (5)Miswaki (7) 1987 448 153 (32%) 87 (18.1%) 2107 163 (8%) 1,519 (72%) 1,058 (50%) 311 (15%) 129 (6.1%) 54 (2.6%) 15 (0.7%) 1.76 1.47 7.38 $9,000 (20)Montbrook (8) 2000 60 2 (2%) 1 (0.9%) 113 47 (42%) 68 (60%) 46 (41%) 17 (15%) 1 (0.9%) (0%) (0%) 0.92 1.49 6.45 $22,000 (7)Mountain Cat (10) 1999 147 12 (7%) 4 (2.4%) 360 108 (30%) 216 (60%) 136 (38%) 47 (13%) 4 (1.1%) 3 (0.8%) 1 (0.3%) 0.96 1.44 6.65 $3,500 (12)Mr. Greeley (21) 2001 82 7 (4%) 1 (0.6%) 152 78 (51%) 83 (55%) 50 (33%) 17 (11%) 1 (0.7%) 1 (0.7%) (0%) 1.42 1.63 6.38 $36,500 (28)Mr. Prospector (16) 1980 526 303 (57%) 219 (41%) 3601 202 (6%) 2,828 (79%) 1,992 (55%) 606 (17%) 333 (9.2%) 172 (4.8%) 43 (1.2%) 2.07 1.60 7.64 $57,500 (8)Mt. Livermore (22) 1992 286 58 (17%) 35 (10.4%) 1114 165 (15%) 779 (70%) 523 (47%) 142 (13%) 46 (4.1%) 12 (1.1%) 4 (0.4%) 1.13 1.53 6.62 $16,000 (33)Mutakddim (5) 2002 57 1 (1%) (0%) 91 48 (53%) 23 (25%) 7 (8%) 4 (4%) (0%) (0%) (0%) 1.21 1.40 7.18 $25,000 (3)Not For Love (5) 2001 42 (0%) (0%) 68 33 (49%) 34 (50%) 20 (29%) 6 (9%) (0%) (0%) (0%) 1.09 1.74 6.65 $25,000 (11)Notebook (8) 1996 135 25 (14%) 14 (7.7%) 406 99 (24%) 277 (68%) 206 (51%) 79 (19%) 15 (3.7%) 4 (1%) 1 (0.2%) 1.24 1.42 6.62 $20,000 (13)Nureyev (5) 1985 363 169 (45%) 118 (31.4%) 2170 158 (7%) 1,600 (74%) 1,072 (49%) 282 (13%) 167 (7.7%) 93 (4.3%) 29 (1.3%) 1.97 1.61 8.61 $38,000 (16)Our Emblem (6) 2002 40 2 (3%) 1 (1.5%) 59 33 (56%) 32 (54%) 19 (32%) 7 (12%) 1 (1.7%) (0%) (0%) 0.84 1.49 6.39 $14,000 (7)Out of Place (8) 1998 81 7 (5%) 3 (2.3%) 188 64 (34%) 121 (64%) 80 (43%) 30 (16%) 3 (1.6%) 1 (0.5%) (0%) 1.10 1.44 6.63 $17,000 (20)Peaks and Valleys (6) 2002 42 4 (5%) 1 (1.2%) 68 35 (51%) 41 (60%) 24 (35%) 13 (19%) 1 (1.5%) (0%) (0%) 1.02 1.42 6.61 $9,000 (10)Pentelicus (6) 1996 150 37 (20%) 19 (10.2%) 444 96 (22%) 311 (70%) 218 (49%) 94 (21%) 24 (5.4%) 7 (1.6%) 3 (0.7%) 1.37 1.46 6.43 $12,000 (11)Personal Flag (6) 1995 152 34 (19%) 12 (6.7%) 498 88 (18%) 359 (72%) 263 (53%) 67 (13%) 13 (2.6%) 5 (1%) 1 (0.2%) 1.27 1.49 7.13 $12,000 (12)Phone Trick (16) 1991 329 69 (18%) 37 (9.9%) 1264 191 (15%) 825 (65%) 553 (44%) 207 (16%) 45 (3.6%) 10 (0.8%) 3 (0.2%) 1.12 1.47 6.54 $11,000 (31)Pine Bluff (16) 1998 141 21 (12%) 14 (8%) 354 84 (24%) 227 (64%) 143 (40%) 35 (10%) 17 (4.8%) 3 (0.8%) (0%) 1.24 1.56 7.13 $10,481 (15)Pleasant Colony (9) 1987 263 97 (36%) 55 (20.3%) 1258 133 (11%) 923 (73%) 636 (51%) 141 (11%) 70 (5.6%) 33 (2.6%) 9 (0.7%) 1.68 1.60 7.52 $14,000 (15)Pleasant Tap (8) 1998 90 15 (12%) 6 (4.6%) 244 70 (29%) 154 (63%) 100 (41%) 36 (15%) 7 (2.9%) 3 (1.2%) (0%) 1.36 1.65 7.49 $12,000 (19)Polish Numbers (6) 1997 145 18 (9%) 9 (4.6%) 404 100 (25%) 271 (67%) 160 (40%) 46 (11%) 9 (2.2%) 3 (0.7%) (0%) 1.16 1.56 6.41 $6,750 (16)Private Account (5) 1986 251 112 (45%) 73 (29.1%) 1651 92 (6%) 1,246 (75%) 879 (53%) 237 (14%) 92 (5.6%) 39 (2.4%) 17 (1%) 1.56 1.58 7.51 $7,750 (14)Private Terms (5) 1995 156 25 (14%) 12 (6.7%) 518 92 (18%) 356 (69%) 238 (46%) 71 (14%) 12 (2.3%) 2 (0.4%) 1 (0.2%) 1.00 1.39 6.84 $12,000 (12)Prized (5) 1997 104 18 (13%) 13 (9.6%) 281 77 (27%) 167 (59%) 107 (38%) 30 (11%) 15 (5.3%) 5 (1.8%) 2 (0.7%) 1.33 1.49 6.77 $11,500 (6)Pulpit (25) 2003 36 4 (5%) 3 (3.9%) 48 38 (79%) 26 (54%) 15 (31%) 9 (19%) 3 (6.3%) 1 (2.1%) (0%) 1.48 1.84 7.39 $65,000 (19)Quiet American (23) 1997 153 23 (11%) 18 (8.6%) 377 110 (29%) 241 (64%) 165 (44%) 58 (15%) 23 (6.1%) 14 (3.7%) 6 (1.6%) 2.99 1.64 7.09 $26,000 (23)Rahy (14) 1996 262 68 (21%) 40 (12.3%) 902 173 (19%) 651 (72%) 431 (48%) 148 (16%) 50 (5.5%) 21 (2.3%) 8 (0.9%) 1.78 1.61 7.24 $20,500 (28)Red Ransom (14) 1996 275 50 (14%) 23 (6.3%) 814 202 (25%) 564 (69%) 359 (44%) 125 (15%) 29 (3.6%) 6 (0.7%) (0%) 1.36 1.59 7.18 $20,500 (30)Regal Classic (5) 1996 209 45 (17%) 24 (8.9%) 633 124 (20%) 369 (58%) 254 (40%) 76 (12%) 24 (3.8%) 3 (0.5%) (0%) 1.46 1.46 7.03 $3,128 (14)Relaunch (6) 1986 322 117 (36%) 83 (25.4%) 1803 137 (8%) 1,317 (73%) 983 (55%) 276 (15%) 100 (5.5%) 28 (1.6%) 12 (0.7%) 1.43 1.49 6.82 $22,500 (10)Roy (5) 1993 291 14 (4%) 4 (1.2%) 908 92 (10%) 111 (12%) 67 (7%) 17 (2%) 4 (0.4%) 2 (0.2%) 2 (0.2%) 1.46 1.60 7.17 $13,000 (5)Royal Academy (11) 1996 419 58 (11%) 36 (6.8%) 1184 302 (26%) 677 (57%) 371 (31%) 146 (12%) 43 (3.6%) 19 (1.6%) 3 (0.3%) 1.31 1.51 8.30 $36,000 (18)Rubiano (5) 1997 126 30 (19%) 13 (8%) 362 91 (25%) 256 (71%) 175 (48%) 67 (19%) 18 (5%) 7 (1.9%) 1 (0.3%) 1.58 1.52 6.78 $8,750 (20)Runaway Groom (5) 1989 278 59 (18%) 30 (9.4%) 1018 157 (15%) 708 (70%) 469 (46%) 148 (15%) 36 (3.5%) 9 (0.9%) 2 (0.2%) 1.01 1.36 7.07 $10,500 (18)Sadler’s Wells (18) 1989 595 189 (25%) 130 (17.1%) 2716 374 (14%) 1,939 (71%) 1,106 (41%) 308 (11%) 177 (6.5%) 84 (3.1%) 26 (1%) 1.68 1.56 10.16 $100,000 (15)Saint Ballado (28) 1998 175 18 (7%) 8 (3%) 398 149 (37%) 253 (64%) 149 (37%) 65 (16%) 8 (2%) 3 (0.8%) 2 (0.5%) 1.04 1.54 6.63 $75,000 (41)Salt Lake (6) 1998 205 41 (16%) 21 (8.1%) 558 149 (27%) 332 (59%) 229 (41%) 77 (14%) 22 (3.9%) 3 (0.5%) 1 (0.2%) 1.25 1.50 6.33 $24,500 (22)Seattle Slew (17) 1984 464 190 (39%) 109 (22.2%) 2490 208 (8%) 1,804 (72%) 1,218 (49%) 364 (15%) 153 (6.1%) 76 (3.1%) 23 (0.9%) 1.86 1.62 7.70 $27,500 (16)Seeking the Gold (24) 1995 240 71 (24%) 44 (14.7%) 884 172 (19%) 644 (73%) 440 (50%) 152 (17%) 53 (6%) 25 (2.8%) 9 (1%) 1.88 1.75 7.39 $120,000 (33)Silver Deputy (18) 1995 223 45 (16%) 30 (10.9%) 656 146 (22%) 449 (68%) 300 (46%) 103 (16%) 36 (5.5%) 11 (1.7%) 2 (0.3%) 1.73 1.61 6.50 $47,000 (29)Silver Ghost (5) 1993 151 34 (18%) 20 (10.8%) 512 98 (19%) 352 (69%) 238 (46%) 79 (15%) 25 (4.9%) 8 (1.6%) 4 (0.8%) 1.20 1.42 6.51 $15,000 (13)Silver Hawk (5) 1988 259 72 (24%) 39 (13%) 1085 120 (11%) 797 (73%) 478 (44%) 143 (13%) 49 (4.5%) 20 (1.8%) 7 (0.6%) 1.35 1.54 7.99 $5,750 (18)Siphon (BRZ) (10) 2003 55 2 (2%) 1 (0.9%) 70 53 (76%) 34 (49%) 18 (26%) 10 (14%) 1 (1.4%) (0%) (0%) 1.14 1.54 6.37 $14,500 (16)Sky Classic (12) 1998 142 18 (10%) 7 (3.8%) 392 101 (26%) 262 (67%) 186 (47%) 52 (13%) 8 (2%) 2 (0.5%) 1 (0.3%) 1.17 1.54 7.05 $40,000 (15)Skywalker (5) 1993 152 32 (18%) 20 (11%) 576 84 (15%) 362 (63%) 240 (42%) 56 (10%) 22 (3.8%) 5 (0.9%) 2 (0.3%) 1.31 1.52 6.80 $16,121 (6)Smart Strike (17) 2001 52 6 (6%) (0%) 82 47 (57%) 50 (61%) 32 (39%) 13 (16%) (0%) (0%) (0%) 1.41 1.61 7.19 $37,000 (19)Southern Halo (17) 1994 394 24 (5%) 8 (1.7%) 1322 246 (19%) 193 (15%) 124 (9%) 37 (3%) 10 (0.8%) 2 (0.2%) (0%) 1.61 1.60 6.70 $37,000 (15)Storm Bird (12) 1987 331 146 (43%) 94 (28%) 1936 148 (8%) 1,433 (74%) 987 (51%) 296 (15%) 120 (6.2%) 53 (2.7%) 16 (0.8%) 1.62 1.53 7.77 $57,500 (12)Storm Boot (9) 2000 65 5 (4%) (0%) 131 51 (39%) 76 (58%) 42 (32%) 12 (9%) (0%) (0%) (0%) 0.73 1.48 6.14 $55,000 (9)Storm Cat (38) 1993 367 120 (27%) 76 (17%) 1423 253 (18%) 1,030 (72%) 685 (48%) 236 (17%) 84 (5.9%) 36 (2.5%) 10 (0.7%) 1.71 1.66 6.98 $240,000 (55)Storm Creek (6) 2001 48 1 (1%) 1 (1.1%) 86 40 (47%) 51 (59%) 28 (33%) 13 (15%) 1 (1.2%) (0%) (0%) 0.80 1.67 5.93 $40,000 (9)Sultry Song (5) 1999 72 7 (7%) 3 (3.1%) 165 56 (34%) 109 (66%) 56 (34%) 17 (10%) 3 (1.8%) 1 (0.6%) (0%) 0.83 1.50 6.41 $10,250 (8)Summer Squall (12) 1997 108 21 (16%) 9 (7%) 358 82 (23%) 272 (76%) 186 (52%) 51 (14%) 11 (3.1%) 5 (1.4%) 3 (0.8%) 1.24 1.71 7.34 $31,000 (14)Tabasco Cat (11) 2001 92 9 (7%) 4 (3.3%) 175 77 (44%) 116 (66%) 66 (38%) 23 (13%) 6 (3.4%) 1 (0.6%) (0%) 1.41 1.68 6.82 $70,000 (13)Tactical Advantage (8) 1999 67 9 (8%) 5 (4.6%) 127 50 (39%) 73 (57%) 46 (36%) 25 (20%) 5 (3.9%) (0%) (0%) 1.45 1.35 6.73 $23,500 (8)Tale of the Cat (11) 2003 26 2 (2%) 1 (0.8%) 31 34 (110%) 13 (42%) 6 (19%) 4 (13%) 1 (3.2%) (0%) (0%) 1.03 1.67 6.31 $35,000 (18)Theatrical (IRE) (22) 1993 293 55 (16%) 32 (9.1%) 1052 176 (17%) 694 (66%) 421 (40%) 101 (10%) 34 (3.2%) 15 (1.4%) 5 (0.5%) 1.45 1.60 7.97 $51,000 (34)Thunder Gulch (34) 2001 181 12 (4%) 5 (1.7%) 354 165 (47%) 143 (40%) 79 (22%) 24 (7%) 5 (1.4%) (0%) (0%) 1.22 1.66 7.24 $25,000 (28)Touch Gold (32) 2003 30 2 (2%) (0%) 37 30 (81%) 16 (43%) 7 (19%) 5 (14%) (0%) (0%) (0%) 1.03 1.74 6.19 $23,000 (33)Twining (8) 2001 64 7 (8%) 3 (3.4%) 135 51 (38%) 95 (70%) 62 (46%) 23 (17%) 3 (2.2%) 1 (0.7%) (0%) 0.99 1.46 6.48 $7,500 (9)Two Punch (10) 1992 215 37 (14%) 19 (7.3%) 662 115 (17%) 451 (68%) 311 (47%) 84 (13%) 22 (3.3%) 6 (0.9%) 3 (0.5%) 1.23 1.42 6.54 $10,000 (17)Unbridled (18) 1997 203 44 (17%) 22 (8.4%) 553 151 (27%) 360 (65%) 234 (42%) 80 (14%) 26 (4.7%) 13 (2.4%) 5 (0.9%) 1.52 1.64 7.24 $65,000 (32)Unbridled’s Song (25) 2001 104 4 (2%) 1 (0.5%) 164 106 (65%) 68 (41%) 37 (23%) 19 (12%) 2 (1.2%) 1 (0.6%) 1 (0.6%) 1.46 1.63 6.50 $102,500 (38)Valid Appeal (9) 1982 333 139 (41%) 84 (25.1%) 1847 118 (6%) 1,439 (78%) 1,136 (62%) 384 (21%) 111 (6%) 34 (1.8%) 14 (0.8%) 1.59 1.49 6.64 $10,000 (23)Wavering Monarch (5) 1988 185 47 (23%) 24 (11.5%) 759 70 (9%) 513 (68%) 345 (45%) 108 (14%) 35 (4.6%) 14 (1.8%) 4 (0.5%) 1.56 1.48 6.81 $11,000 (5)Wild Again (12) 1990 335 90 (24%) 49 (12.9%) 1426 170 (12%) 968 (68%) 637 (45%) 181 (13%) 57 (4%) 15 (1.1%) 5 (0.4%) 1.21 1.49 7.02 $26,500 (28)With Approval (5) 1996 175 31 (14%) 15 (6.9%) 522 104 (20%) 369 (71%) 238 (46%) 72 (14%) 21 (4%) 11 (2.1%) 2 (0.4%) 1.66 1.48 7.17 $11,000 (20)Woodman (21) 1992 585 144 (20%) 88 (12.4%) 2149 411 (19%) 1,512 (70%) 933 (43%) 322 (15%) 100 (4.7%) 40 (1.9%) 13 (0.6%) 1.50 1.54 8.01 $15,500 (38)


Her name is Gay’s Last Dance and she represents my first, and probably my last, dance as a Thoroughbred breeder.

I’m a fan of the George Plimpton approach to journalism, where you try to actually do, not just observe, something that you write about. It helps you gain insight into your subject, and it also can be fun.

In college, when I was an aspiring sports-writer, I took a men’s physical education course in football, baseball, basketball, and track, where I got to wear shoulder pads and practice tackling. When I decided I might be interested in concentrating on Thorough-bred horse racing, I worked as a hot-walker at a training barn in Aiken, S.C.

My stint as a Thoroughbred breeder began at the 2003 Keeneland November breeding stock sale when I told a friend and fellow journalist that I would be interested in be-coming a minority partner in a mare. That led to the $2,100 purchase of Gay’s Last Dance. I took a 10% stake, and my $210 in-vestment made me the proud part-owner of one of those horses I had routinely dismissed in my sale stories as “low end.”

However, Gay wasn’t totally without po-tential.

She was out of the stakes-winning North-ern Dancer mare Gay Northerner, and she was a half-sister to a group III winner in France. She also had produced a Saint Bal-lado filly that had sold for $110,000 as a year-ling.

There was reason to hope. And I did, oc-casionally, enjoy wild flights of fancy where the Best of Luck colt she was carrying sold for six figures or won the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) after being passed over by bidders.

Reality turned out to be much different. Gay wasn’t exactly a money pit, but she was a money ditch. The managing partner of our three-member group sent out detailed monthly bills of Gay’s expenses and they in-cluded a lot of things I had never thought about.

It was decided to sell her 2004 foal, a Best of Luck colt, as a yearling, instead of as a weanling, in hopes that one of her off-spring would step it up at the races or his sire would get some

good winners. Neither one happened.The rate of return on my investment in

Gay remained on the minus side and was getting deeper with each blade of grass she ate. Every time a blacksmith trimmed her feet or a veterinarian examined her, I dug deeper into my pocket. And then, worst of all, Gay’s foal of 2005 died.

I can’t say the experience was all bad. I enjoyed seeing my name listed as a breed-er for the first time by The Jockey Club. It was fun anticipating the arrival of her Best of Luck colt and seeing him for the first time after he was foaled. When that colt, Onza de Oro, started racing, he ran at all the major Southern California tracks—Del Mar, Santa Anita, Hollywood Park. I got a kick out of “Googling” my name and see-ing it among the online pre-entries and rac-ing results.

If nothing else, Onza de Oro is durable. Last time I checked, he was 0 for 12, but in early October, he turned in the best effort of his career, finishing fourth for a $5,000 tag in a maiden claiming race at Los Alamitos.

I’ll keep watching. Maybe one day I can say I was the breeder of a winner.

But I have to be honest. I bailed out on Onza de Oro and his mother long ago, even before the colt was sold for $5,500 at the 2005 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October year-ling sale.

The managing partner was gracious. He got my 10% interest in Gay and her colt, and I got to stop paying bills.

I also left with a lot more knowledge about the day-to-day realities of raising horses than I had going in.

I learned I don’t have much patience. I learned I’d rather buy a good book or go antiquing than pay a board bill. I learned sometimes nothing goes right. I learned I would rather be a writer about talented racehorses than be the owner of a lower-end mare that I hardly ever saw and lacked

the sweet disposition that would have made me become more emotionally attached.

And, most of all, I learned it’s not easy being a Thoroughbred breeder.

Each and every one of you who will be shopping for mares at the breeding stock sales this fall, I wish you luck. I know you’ll need it. b

My Last Dance


Commentary

By Deirdre B. Biles

I learned sometimes nothing goes right. I learned I would rather be a writer

about talented racehorses than

be the owner of a lower-end mare that I hardly ever saw

DEIRDRE B. BILES is bloodstock editor of The Blood-Horse.

Pope McLean3933 Spurr Road • Lexington, KY 40511(859) 252-3770 • Fax (859) 255-8699www.crestwoodfarm.comE-mail: [email protected]

CRESTWOOD FARM

Selling November 4-18

Keeneland November

Mares in-foal to:

Giant’s CausewaySeeking the GoldTiznowStormy AtlanticMalibu MoonGiacomoMaria’s MonConsolidator (2)

Roman RulerFive Star Day (2)

Forest Wildcat

A. P. WarriorRoman RulerPetionville (7)

Rock Hard TenUnbridledEnergy (4)

Storm Boot (3)

Jump StartBernstein (2)

SiphonOfflee Wild

More Than ReadySuccessful AppealMaria’s Mon (2)

Taste of Paradise (4)

ArchVictory GallopConsolidatorSmoke GlackenToccet

Sky MesaSaint LiamCastledale (2)

EurosilverSalt LakeEl CorredorHigh Demand (2)

Aptitude

Stallion Prospects:

Quiet Money

Broodmare Prospects by:

Dixieland HeatQuiet American

Weanlings by:

MARCMANN

INGPHOTO

ChampionAfleet Alex

At 2, winner of the Hopeful S.-G1& Saratoga Special S.-G2, etc.

At 3, winner of the Preakness S.-G1,Belmont S.-G1, Arkansas Derby-

G2, etc...Champion 3YO colt

Power. Passion. Performance.

Contact: Michael Hernon3750 Paris Pike, Lexington, KY 40511859.293.2676 Fax 859.299.9371

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Joy

Gilb

ert

First Crop Weanlings Sell this November

Afleet Alex-Spanish Glitter ColtHip 1369 Keeneland November

Afleet Alex-My Sweet Country ColtHip 1291 Keeneland November

Afleet Alex-Miss Delta Dawn FillyHip 1273 Keeneland November

Afleet Alex-Grace Avenue FillyHip 774 Keeneland November

Documents

November Mixed Sale - The Blood-Horse · November Mixed Sale. ... 3-time stakes winner in 2007 and graded-placed since the catalog! ... Marla Bickel (Director), Jill Thompson