A striking chestnut son of Smart Strike sold for $700,000 to top the early portion of the Keeneland September yearling sale. That was quickly followed by a $600,000 son of Mr. Greeley.
The Smart Strike colt was purchased by Asian Bloodstock Services from the consignment of his breeder, Robert Courtney's Crestfield Farm, who bred the colt in partnership with Rick Stivers. Stivers worked for Crestfield Farm before opening Stivers Heating and Air Conditioning Company.
Rick Nichols, vice president and general manager of Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Stud, purchased the $600,000 son of Mr. Greeley from the consignment of Three Chimneys Sales, agent.
"The colt had a certain presence about him; he was a nice horse with a big hip and a big shoulder. He just looked like a race horse," Courtney said of the son of Smart Strike, sire of Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner Curlin. "We never had any issues with the colt, not scoping problems or X-ray problems. He was raised in a run-in shed like any other horse, nothing special. We just treated him like a horse."
Courtney purchased Flashy, yearling's dam, for $420,000 at the 2005 Keeneland November mixed sale while in foal to Smart Strike from the consignment of Mill Ridge Sales, agent. "She was the most I had ever paid for a broodmare," Courtney said. "I never expected to give that much for her, but I found out that in this market that you have to buy the better broodmares to get these types of horses."
Courtney said one of the reasons he purchased Flashy was because she is by Wild Again. "I am looking for outcrosses, and Wild Again is a great outcross," he said. "I can breed her to just about anything."
Flashy was bred by Jim Tafel and trained by Carl Nafzger. The colt is from the family of grade III stakes winners Til Forbid and Scoop.
Courtney said he was surprised at the price for the Flashy colt. "We had a reserve on him of $200,000 live money," he said.
Flashy is still owned by Courtney and is currently in foal to Yes It's True and is believed to be carrying a colt. She has a weanling Songandaprayer filly at her side.
Nichols called the Mr. Greeley colt "nice and clean and a really good mover." He said the colt would likely race in Europe.
Said Nichols of Mr. Greeley: "He is a sire that can get a runner who can go a little distance of ground. With us, we can look for turf horses and dirt horses. Our primary focus is on Europe, so anything we find that can go to the turf we are very interested in it."
The colt was bred in Kentucky by Glory Days Farm and was produced from the Cox's Ridge mare Indemnify. He is from the family of stakes winners Crafty Guy, Pure Wool, and Pure as Gold.