By Frank Angst and Esther Marr
The way bloodstock agent Ben Glass sees it, why wait if you see something you like?
Glass, as agent for Gary and Mary West, signed the ticket for the highest-priced yearling sold on the third day—through about six hours of the session—when he went to $350,000 to land a Medaglia d'Oro colt.
"He's a lovely foal and I love Medaglia d'Oro; I think he's a great sire," Glass said. "I really liked him and I didn't want to have to buy him later as a (fall) yearling. It was buy him now or let somebody else buy him and try to get him back as a yearling; better to just get him now, get it done."
Consigned by Three Chimneys Sales, agent, the Medaglia d'Oro yearling is the fourth foal out of the Carson City mare Bohemian Lady, winner of the 2004 Cicada Stakes (gr. III), plus the 2006 Rare Treat and Affectionately handicaps at Aqueduct.
The mare placed in seven other stakes during her race career, three of which were graded, and earned $423,231 for Padua Stables, which bred the possible session topper in Kentucky.
Bohemian Lady was consigned to the 2012 Keeneland November mixed sale by Three Chimneys Sales, agent, while carrying a foal by Bernardini , but she failed to meet her reserve when the bidding stopped at $725,000.
The mare is a half sister to millionaire grade I winner Any Given Saturday (by Distorted Humor ), winner of the Haskell Invitational (gr. I), and her second dam is the stakes-winning Spectacular Bid mare Whow.
Bohemian Lady's other foals have also sold well at auction, including the Dynaformer colt Almoonqith, who was bought for $725,000 by Shadwell Estate Company at the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale from Three Chimneys Sales, agent.
Glass said the Wests have decided to buy a few more weanlings and new yearlings. He noted that the approach is buoyed by their belief in Dell Ridge Farm in handling and developing young horses.
"That's what we've started to do. In November we bought five weanlings and we came here and this was the only weanling that I liked so far—not that I looked at all of them, just the ones that meet our criteria," Glass said. "I really liked him. So you're better off buying now than wait and in September have to pay those big prices."