Keeneland November, Day 2 Notes

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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt

2006 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner Lemons Forever drew a final bid of $2.5.

Tues., Nov. 6, 4:10 p.m.

Roy and Gretchen Jackson went to $2.1 million to acquire multiple grade I winner Megahertz, in foal to Bernardini, from the consignment of Mill Ridge Sales, agent.

Headley Bell, under the Nicoma Bloodstock banner, signed the ticket on behalf of the Jackson's Lael Stable.

"She was just a jewel they wanted in their stable," Bell said after signing the ticket. "She was an incredible race mare."

Megahertz (Pivotal-Heavenly Rain, by Rahy) earned $2,237,160 from a career record of 13-5-3 from 26 lifetime starts. She was trained by Bobby Frankel for Michael Bello.

Megahertz has a yearling Giant's Causeway colt, now named Causeithertz, who was bred by Bello.

Concerning her price, Bell said it was about what he expected. "That is what these special mares are bringing."

Bell said Bernardini is a horse that is well respected and believes he will add size to the foal because Megahertz is a touch on the small side. "I think it is a good mating," he said.

Since the mixed sale season began in Kentucky Nov. 4 with the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November selected sale, Bell said the Jacksons have purchased three broodmares, two at Fasig-Tipton—Pussycat Doll for $2.3 million and Valbenny for $1.2 million. "We tried to buy some yesterday but we didn't have any luck. The Jacksons went home and left me to try and take care of this."

Commenting on how tough it is buy at this sale and at the Fasig-Tipton sale, Bell said, "There is a lot of quality," he said. "The dollar exchange is significant and it helps the Europeans. People are prepared to buy what they want. There is a lot of wealth around and there are a lot of fantastic offerings. There is a lot of demand,"

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Tues., Nov. 6, 3:17 p.m.

Offered as a broodmare prospect, 2006 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner Lemons Forever drew a final bid of $2.5 million from Charles Fipke. The sales ticket was signed by R. J. Bennett, agent.

Eric Guillot of Southern Equine Stables was the immediate underbidder.

After the hammer dropped, Fipke said he was just honored to own a Kentucky Oaks winner.

Lemons Forever will be sent to Perfect Soul, who Fipke stood the 2007 season at Darby Dan Farm near Lexington for $15,000.

"The Sadler's Wells cross with Kingmambo is great," Fipke said of the reason he planned to mate her to Perfect Soul. "There is quite a lot of speed in the pedigree and it is quite an outcross, just in the fifth generation. It is the perfect fit for Perfect Soul. Physically, we think, she is the best mare in the whole sale. She is 16.2 hands and perfectly correct and extremely well balance."

When asked how many broodmares he owns, Fipke replied, "They say the more horses you have the less intelligent you are, so I am a moron."

The daughter of Lemon Drop Kid out of the Tough Critic mare Critikola ended her racing career with a record of 4-1-2 from 16 career starts. She earned $648,940 while racing for Horton Stable, Willis Horton, and trainer Dallas Stewart.

Standing inside the sales pavilion, just behind Fipke, Stewart looked like a proud father. "It's tough saying goodbye to her," he said. "She is special and always was special. All the way through the ring she just showed her class. I wish them the best."

Farfellow Farms bred Lemons Forever in Kentucky. Stewart purchased her for $140,000 at the 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales, agent.

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Tues., Nov. 6, 2:45 p.m.

Grade I winner Island Sand brought a final bid of $4.2 million from bloodstock advisor Lincoln Collins, who signed the ticket for My MeadowView Stable. The daughter of Tabasco Cat, consigned by Maynard Farm agent for B.A. Man (James Osborne), was sold in foal to A.P. Indy.

The price for Island Sand is the top price for a mare so far during day two of the sale.

"She’s a beautiful mare in foal to the right horse,” Collins said. “She was a wonderful racemare and she has a nice foal by A.P. Indy already. Hopefully we’ll breed a very good racehorse"

Satish Sanan of Padua Stable was the immediate underbidder.

On the racetrack, Island Sand earned $1,182,777 from a career record of 5-5-2 from 19 starts. Her biggest wins came in the Acorn Stakes (gr. I), and Delaware Handicap (gr. II).

Island Sand, produced from the Forty Niner mare Sue's Last Dance and from the family of graded stakes winner Niigon, was bred in Kentucky by Richard Maynard.

Island Sand raced the majority of her career with trainer Larry Jones and owned by B.A. Man Stable.

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The seven-figure horses keep coming. Be My Queen, carrying her first foal by Mr. Greeley, sold for $1.9 million to Larry O'Byrne, son of Irish bloodstock agent Demi O'Byrne. The younger O'Byrne said the purchase was for a European client and the ticket was signed ML Bloodstock. Consigned by Gainesway, agent, Be My Queen is a half-sister to English champion Imperial Beauty (by Imperial Ballet) and is from the family of English group winner Midnight Line.
 
Bred in Ireland by Southern Bloodstock, Be My Queen (by Sadler's Wells) was produced from the Artic Tern mare Multimara.

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Tues., Nov. 6, 11:52 a.m.

Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) winner Adoration brought a final bid of $3.1 million from Coolmore principal John Magnier. Mill Ridge Sales, agent, consigned the 8-year-old mare in foal to Smart Strike  .
 
Magnier, who was bidding in the back of the sale pavilion and signed the ticket, said, "She is a good-looking mare and she was a good racehorse."
 
Commenting on the $3.1 million price of the mare, Magnier said "that is just the market."
 
The Irishman said it was too early to determine if the mare would stay in America at Ashford Stud or if she would be shipped to Coolmore Stud in Ireland.
 
Bred in Kentucky by Lucy Bassett, Adoration (Honor Grades-Sewing Lady, by Key to the Mint) earned $2,051,160 from a career record of 8-3-1 from 20 starts. Racing for John and Jerry Amerman's Amerman Racing Stable, Adoration's biggest wins came in the 2003 Breeders' Cup, 2004 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (gr. I), and 2004 Fleur de Lis Handicap (gr. II).

Adoration has a yearling Empire Maker colt and a weanling Ghostzapper filly.

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 Tues., Nov. 6, 11:33 a.m.

Bloodstock agent John Moynihan got the second session of the 2007 Keeneland November mixed sale off to a good start by paying $750,000 for Zenith, the dam of grade I winner Great Hunter.

"Great Hunter (by Aptitude) was a very talented horse," said Moynihan, who purchased the mare on behalf of Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings. "She is a young mare who has had a really talented horse. We love who she is in foal to (Bernardini), she's carrying the same cross that produced Great Hunter."

Based on the fireworks on the sale's opening day, Moynihan said he considered the $750,000 price tag a fair price.

Moynihan purchased the Roy mare out of the Northern Fashion mare Sequins from the consignment of Walnut Green, agent for Daniel Ryan.

Walnut Green purchased Zenith, in foal to Golden Missile  , for $30,000 at the 2006 Keeneland January mixed sale from the dispersal of Ivy Dell Stud Breeding Stock.

Zenith did not produce a foal in 2007. She has a yearling Golden Missile   colt.

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