By Esther Marr and Frank Angst
Irish-bred grade III winner Oregon Lady, a daughter of Shamardal, fetched the second-highest price of the day thus far at the Jan. 8 session of the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale when she was hammered down for $475,000 by Blue Heaven Farm.
Consigned by Lane's End, agent, as Hip No. 479, she is in foal to Elusive Quality .
Oregon Lady is out of the Gone West mare Oregon Trail, who is a half sister to English stakes winner and sire Mutakddim (by Seeking the Gold). Oscillate (by Seattle Slew), the second dam of Oregon Lady, is a half sister to champion 2-year-old colt Rhythm, plus grade III winner Get Lucky.
Six-year-old Oregon Lady captured the 2011 My Charmer Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Calder Race Course, plus the River Memories Stakes at Woodbine while racing for Harlequin Ranches and trainer Roger Attfield. Bred by Joan Murphy, she holds an overall record of 5-3-0 from 12 starts, for earnings of $266,178.
Sold twice at auction, Oregon Lady most recently brought $146,130 at the 2008 Goff's Orby Million and Sportsman's yearling sale. She was a $625,000 RNA at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall mixed sale.
Adam Corndorf signed the ticket for Oregon Lady for his mother, Bonnie Baskin, and her Blue Heaven Farm near Versailles, Ky., where Corndorf works as general manager. Oregon Lady caught the eye of Corndorf and Blue Heaven farm manager Glenn Graetz at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton November sale but Corndorf said they were not in position to purchase her then.
When they saw her being offered at Keeneland January, Blue Heaven Farm came ready to land the strapping bay mare.
"We really loved everything about here," Corndorf said. "We love the way she looks. She's a big, strong, correct mare. She's a good racehorse who really got going at the end of her career when she won a stakes race, a grade III. We're looking to add well-bred, nice, young mares to our farm in Versailles. We're excited to be adding her."
"We were real attracted to her demeanor," Graetz added. "She has a lot of class."
Condorf also sees potential in the fact Oregon Lady is in foal to Elusive Quality.
"We're excited about the Elusive Quality foal and we were just joking that now we have to figure out who we're going to breed her to," Corndorf said. "The options are endless because she has plenty of size, good bone, and muscle. We feel like we have a lot of options."