Last year's champion older female Fleet Indian is scheduled to sell in foal to Storm Cat on the opening day of the 2007 Keeneland November mixed sale. Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, will consign the 6-year-old mare, who is believed to be carrying a colt based on fetal sexing, on behalf of her owner, Paul Saylor.
"There is a lot of sadness involved with selling her," Saylor said. "I only owned her for two years and bought her with modest expectations, and she more than exceeded my expectations. She gave me a lifetime of enjoyment."
Saylor is familiar with selling top-class females at the end of their racing career. He was co-owner, along with Jack Wolf's Starlight Stable and Johns Martin, of two-time champion Ashado, who sold for $9 million at the 2005 Keeneland November sale.
"It is very difficult to see her go, just like it was to see Ashado go, but I am not in the broodmares business," Saylor said. "She (Fleet Indian) is a broodmare now and she will make a wonderful addition to anyone's broodmare band."
Carrying Saylor's colors in 2006, Fleet Indian reeled off six consecutive victories in added-money events. She began the streak in the Next Move Handicap (gr. III) and continued it in the Sixty Sails (gr. III), Obeah, and Delaware (gr. II) Handicaps. Her last two wins came in the Personal Ensign (gr. I) and Beldame (gr. I) Stakes.
Fleet Indian suffered her only 2006 loss in the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) at Churchill Downs. She was the favorite in the race, but broke down. Saylor had entered her in the Keeneland November sale last year, but scratched her following her injury, that happened just days prior to the sale. She also was entered in the Keeneland January auction earlier this year and was scratched after undergoing surgery for her injuries.
Saylor purchased Fleet Indian, through Dapple Bloodstock, for $290,000 at the 2006 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale from Greenfield Farm, agent. She had won the 2005 Montauk Handicap, a restricted event for New York-breds at Aqueduct, while owned by Stan Fulton.
Fleet Indian earned $1,704,513 during her competitive career and won 13 of her 19 races. She won a 2006 Eclipse Award as the champion older mare.
By Indian Charlie, out of the Afleet mare Hustleea, Fleet Indian was bred in New York by Becky Thomas and Lewis Lakin.