Lavender Sky, a 6-year-old winning daughter of Mt. Livermore, brought $340,000 early in the afternoon Feb. 8 to become the highest-priced horse sold so far during the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale in Lexington. Dr. William Lockridge, who said he was acting on behalf of a foreign client, signed the ticket for the broodmare prospect consigned by Robert Clay’s Three Chimneys Sales, agent.
“She is very correct,” said Lockridge, a real estate broker who founded Ashford Stud, which is now owned by Coolmore Stud. “I wish she was a little bigger, but she is very well made. The mares I’ve had success with were mares that could run. That’s one of the criteria that I look for, and they also have to be out of one of the blue hen families, which this mare certainly is.”
Lockridge declined to identify his client, but said Lavendar Sky's purchase "is the first of a lot of things we'll do together." The mare will remain in Kentucky and be bred this year,
Lavender Sky’s third dam is Kamar, a 1979 Canadian champion and the 1990 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. Kamar’s offspring included 1990 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner Seaside Attraction, Canadian champion Key to the Moon, and Gorgeous, who scored in the Ashland Stakes (gr. I) and Hollywood Oaks (gr. I) in 1989 and the Vanity Invitational Handicap (gr. I) in 1990.
Produced from the 19-year-old Nijinsky II mare Munnaya, who was a stakes winner in England, Lavender Sky finished sixth in the Jan. 2 San Gorgonio Handicap (gr. IIT) for Tom Lenner, Howard Litt, Margie Strauss, Arnold Zetcher, and Alex Solis II at Santa Anita Park in her last race prior to being sold.
Lavender Sky won two of her 19 career races and earned $195,852. She finished second in the 2008 San Gorgonio and the 2007 Audrey Skirball-Kenis Stakes at Hollywood Park. She also finished third in the 2007 Dahlia Handicap (gr. IIT) at Hollywood and the 2008 Santa Ana Handicap (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita.
Lavender Sky is a half-sister to French stakes winner Mystic Melody (by Seattle Slew), who also was group III-placed.
Lockridge said he was the immediate underbidder on Julia Tuttle, who brought $235,000. Cherokee Equine’s Tom Ryan signed the ticket for the 5-year-old daughter of Giant's Causeway in the name of Bowden Global Equine. Ryan said he purchased the Julia Tuttle, who was offered as a racing or broodmare prospect, for one of Australian bloodstock agent Neil Bowden’s clients.
Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield operation, as agent, consigned Julia Tuttle, who captured the 2008 Twin Lights Stakes at Monmouth Park. Her other efforts included a third-place finish in the same year’s Virginia Oaks (gr. IIIT) at Colonial Downs. Julia Tuttle is out of the 13-year-old Ride the Rails mare Candy Cane, who is a full sister to Argentine champion, North American grade I winner, and successful stallion Candy Ride .
Rgirldoesn’tbluff, who sold with a Medaglia d'Oro filly that was born Jan. 10 at her side, brought $215,000. Shannon Potter of Taylor Made Sales Agency signed the sale ticket for Town & Country Farms’ mother-and-daughter team of Louise and Kiki Courtelis, who both attended the Fasig-Tipton sale. The Courtelises own a Kentucky nursery and are selling another horse operation they have in Florida.
Hunter Valley Farm, agent, consigned R’girldoesn’tbluff, who won the U Can Do It Handicap and three other added-money events at Calder Race Course in 2006 and 2007. A 7-year-old daughter of Pine Bluff, Rgirldoesn'tbluff is out of the 15-year-old Mining mare Chasing Wind, who scored in the 1998 Windmill Stakes at Prairie Meadows.