Keeneland: $190,000 Graydar Colt Leads Gains

Blood-Horse

The Keeneland November sale’s Book 5 ended Nov. 11 with large session gains that kept the gross and average ahead of last year’s overall numbers.

One day after surpassing the 2014 November sale’s total gross at its ninth session, the 2015 auction padded that lead on day 10. Wednesday’s tenth of 12 sessions sold 242 horses for $3,963,600, up 35.9% from last season’s tenth-session total for 258 horses. The $16,379 session average gained 44.8% on last year’s $11,308, and the $10,000 median jumped 48.2% from last season’s $6,750.

Through 10 days, the auction overall has grossed $215,985,500 for 2,200 horses, an increase of 5.5% over 2014’s total for 2,350. The cumulative average of $98,175 is 12.6% higher than last year’s $87,162, and the $40,000 median remains level with last year’s figure at the same point. But the buyback rate also continued to run ahead. For the session, the RNA rate swelled from 16.5% a year ago to 22.4% on Wednesday, while the 10-day cumulative buybacks were 25.4%, as compared to 21.4% last year.

Two horses sold for six figures at Wednesday’s session. A weanling colt by first-crop sire Graydar brought $190,000 from Twin Creeks Racing. Consigned by Shawhan Place as agent for Glendalough LLC, the Feb. 2 foal is out of the unraced First Samurai mare Karate Gal, a daughter of graded-placed stakes winner Cool Spell. Karate Gal is a three-quarters sister to stakes winner Coarsegold, and one of her half sisters, Kiss of Fire, produced the recent Woodbine allowance winner Hot Kiss.

Shawhan Place was the session’s top consignor by average price after selling four horses for a $73,500 average; the leader by gross was Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales, which sold 17 horses Wednesday for $374,000 total.

Shortly before the session-topping Graydar colt sold, the 4-year-old Medaglia d’Oro filly Judy Legend brought $180,000 from Ashview Farm. The Sheltowee Sales agency sold her as a broodmare prospect. She’s out of the dual grade I-placed Quiet American mare Andujar, who also is a grade II winner. And she’s a half sister to grade III-placed stakes winner Abstraction and to stakes winner Marion Ravenwood, whose yearling this year brought $525,000 from Midwest Thoroughbreds at the Keeneland September yearling auction.

Medaglia d’Oro ended the day as the session’s top sire by both gross sales and average price (three or more sold), with three of his progeny bringing a combined $242,000 and an average price of $80,667. The young stallion Atreides was the leading covering sire by total sales after grossing $158,500 for six in-foal mares, while To Honor and Serve led by average (three or more sold) with three pregnant mares averaging $29,667.

Calumet Farm led all buyers by total expenditures and average price (three or more bought) with four purchases totaling $242,000 and averaging $60,500.

Stately Victor, the 2010 Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) winner who stood for $3,000 this year at Fair Winds Farm in Waynesville, Ohio, sold as the last horse in the session. He brought $60,000 from Triple T Ranch and will head for the Philippines. Eaton Sales consigned the 8-year-old Ghostzapper horse.

The Keeneland November breeding stock sale continues through Nov. 13. Sessions begin each day at 10 a.m. in Keeneland’s sale pavilion.

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