The wild bidding spree for fancy horses continued at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale when grade I winner Christmas Kid brought $4.2 million around 12:20 p.m. (EST) during the auction's first session. Aisling Duignan, director of bloodstock for Ashford Stud, signed the sale ticket Nov. 7 in Lexington.
The amount topped the $2.4 million apiece brought by grade I-winning racing or broodmare prospect Buster's Ready and grade I winner Cat Moves, who is in foal to Malibu Moon . Christmas Kid, Buster's Ready, and Cat Moves all were consigned by Lane's End, agent for the complete dispersal of horses owned by the estate of Edward P. Evans' Spring Hill Farm.
A 7-year-old daughter of Lemon Drop Kid , Christmas Kid is in foal to Bernardini . She captured the Ashland Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland, Davona Dale Stakes (gr. II), and Tropical Park Oaks in 2007. Christmas Kid is a half sister to added-money winner Elusive Gift (by Elusive Quality ) and stakes producer Christmas Strike (by Smart Strike). Their dam, Christmas Gift was a grade III winner.
Duignan said she bought Christmas Kid for "the guys" of Ireland-based Coolmore Stud. Ashford is a division of Coolmore. The mare aborted a single foal that was scheduled to be born in 2010 and produced an Elusive Quality colt earlier this year.
"She most likely will go home (to Ireland) to (be bred to) Galileo; that's what she was bought for," Duignan said. "Her first foal was really good and she's magificent-looking. It (the price) was probably a little bit more than expected, but she was so good-looking. When a mare gets a good first foal like that, you've got to pay attention."