A yearling filly that is the third foal out of 2002 Horse of the Year Azerihas been scratched from the Keeneland January sale. One of the biggest attractions in the catalog for the auction, which is scheduled for Jan. 11-15 in Lexington, the filly is by 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper .
Bred by the Allen E. Paulson Living Trust in Kentucky, the chestnut yearling was scheduled to be offered Jan. 11, the opening day of the sale, by John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent.
Azeri, while carrying the Ghostzapper filly, was a $4.4-million buy-back when she was consigned by Hill ‘n” Dale to the 2009 Keeneland January auction. Hill ‘n’ Dale then offered the now 12-year-old mare at the 2009 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, and she was purchased by Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm in Japan for $2.25 million. Azeri was in foal to Distorted Humor at that time.
The Ghostzapper filly “was just entered (in the January auction) if, for some reason, the mare (Azeri) was not sold, no issue other than that,” Sikura said. “The filly is here at the farm (Hill ‘n’ Dale near Lexington) and may or may not be offered for sale in September. If she is sold, she will be sold as a yearling.”
The filly is a half-sister to the 3-year-old winner Take Control (by 1992 Horse of the Year A.P. Indy), who set a world Thoroughbred auction record when he was a $7.7-million buy-back at the 2008 Keeneland September yearling sale while being offered by Hill ‘n’ Dale. In 2009, when consigned by Eddie Woods, agent, Take Control brought $1.9 million from Kaleem Shah at the Keeneland April sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Take Control broke his maiden at first asking Dec. 30 at Santa Anita.
Azeri’s 2-year-old filly by Giant's Causeway sold for $800,000 to Robert and Lawana Low when she was offered by Hill ‘n’ Dale at the 2009 Keeneland September sale.
Other notable early scratches from this year’s Keeneland January sale include a Stormy Atlantic yearling colt that is a full brother to grade I winner Stormello; a Vindication yearling filly that is a half-sister to grade I winner Swift Temper; and an Afleet Alex yearling colt that is a half-brother to Eclipse Award finalist and grade I winner Lookin At Lucky and grade II winner Kensei.
