5:35 p.m.
The boys from Coolmore added another stellar purchase to their already impressive stable, spending $2.6 million for a full brother to grade II winner and stallion Half Ours.
The gray or roan colt was bred in Kentucky by Aaron and Marie Jones, who also bred and raced Half Ours. Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for the Jones' Seneca Livestock Company, consigned the colt to the sale.
At the 2006 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, the Jones' purchased Half Ours for $6.1 million, a record price for a horse in training sold at Keeneland, to buy out their partnership with Barry Schwartz.
Demi O'Byrne, representing Coolmore and associates signed the ticket for the colt. Earlier in day, O'Byrne signed the ticket for a $3.7 million son of Unbridled's Song out of grade I winner Secret Status.
"It was hard to separate them," O'Byrne said. "And I thought I better have the two of them. They were two very good Unbridled's Songs."
Commenting about Coolmore's recent interest in sons of Unbridled's Song, O'Byrne said, "I had never saw one that I liked as well as these two."
O'Byrne said the prices of the two colts were along the lines of what he expected.
For the day Coolmore and associates purchased six horses for $11.7 million. In the two days of the sale, Coolmore and associates have spent $16.85 million for 11 horses.
-L. D.
5:15 p.m.
As the pages continue to turn on book one of the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale, seven-figure bids can still be found.
Marc-Antoine Bergracht of the MAB Agency paid $1.6 million for a bay daughter of Storm Cat out of the Seeking the Gold mare Welcome Surprise. The filly is from the family of champion and sire A.P. Indy, Classic winner Summer Squall, and stakes winner Eavesdropper.
Bergarcht said the filly was purchased on behalf of an undisclosed European client.
"She was expensive," Bergracht said. "She is from a good family and it looks like she will be training with Andre Fabre in France."
The filly was bred in Kentucky by the William S. Farish and Kilroy Thoroughbred partnership and consigned to the sale by Farish's Lane's End.
About three hips later, Aaron and Marie Jones went to $1.5 million for a daughter of Storm Cat out of the grade III winning Crafty Prospector mare Win Crafty Lady. Trainer Todd Pletcher was seated alongside the Jones'.
The filly, consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, is from the family of grade II winner and stallion Graeme Hall and grade I winner Harmony Lodge. Both were trained by Pletcher.
"She was a very pretty filly and I have had a lot of luck with her family," said Pletcher, "She reminds me a lot of Harmony Lodge."
The filly was bred in Kentucky by West Hills Farm.
One hip after the Storm Cat filly, a daughter of Storm Cat's son Giant's Causeway brought $1.2 million from Hugo Merry Bloodstock. Taylor Made Sales Agency consigned the filly to the auction.
The filly is the second foal out of Win's Fair Lady and is from the family of Win Crafty Lady, Graeme Hall, and Harmony Lodge.
ClassicStar 2004 Powerfoal Stable bred the filly in Kentucky.
-L. D.
4:33 p.m.
Sheikh Mohammed and his bloodstock agent John Ferguson got into the bidding action late in session two, paying $1.9 million for a chestnut son of Distorted Humor .
The colt was consigned by his breeder, Richard Maynard's Maynard Farm. He is out of the Storm Cat mare Stormy Bear and from the family of stakes winners Chief Bearhart, Explosive Red, Ruby Ransom, and Strut the Stage.
"He was really outstanding," Ferguson said. ”He is by Distorted Humor out of a Storm Cat mare and from the family of Chief Bearhart who was an outstanding horse on the grass. This colt looks like he will do very well in Europe."
Last week it was announced that Sheikh Mohammed's Darley had purchased several shares in Distorted Humor who stands at Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt's WinStar Farm. The son of Forty Niner will continue to stand at WinStar near Versailles, Ky.
Ferguson said Distorted Humor is a stallion that has made his mark the hard way. "We've watched him come through with his relatively low stud fee and he is a horse that produces a very nice type. We just felt this horse has done a great amount and it just made sense to buy shares."
Maynard said the colt has always shown an element of class. "This colt hasn't changed a lot from the time he was a baby, he's been going the same way. I did not know what he might bring because I was unsure of the market. He is very smart colt and I just always liked him."
Stormy Bear is still owned by Maynard and is currently in foal to Pulpit.
-L. D.
3:42 p.m.
A striking son of Unbridled's Song brought a final bid of $3.7 million from Coolmore and associates to establish a new high price for the session and for the first two days of the marathon 15-day sale.
Demi O'Byrne, acting on behalf of John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith, purchased the gray or roan colt from the consignment of Lane's End, agent.
The colt was bred in Kentucky by Lane's End's William S. Farish, James Elkins, and Temple Webber Jr.
Produced from the multiple grade I winning A.P. Indy mare Secret Status, the colt is from the family of grade III stakes winner and stallion Alumni Hall and stakes winner Private Gift.
The second foal out of Secret Status, Objectivity (by Storm Cat), was purchased by Sheikh Mohammed's bloodstock agent John Ferguson for $6.3 million at the 2004 Keeneland September sale. That colt has not started.
"The dam was a great race mare," O'Byrne said. "I liked this fellow very much and I think the cross might be the right key for him to stay. He was a great mover."
The immediate underbidder was Clarence Scharbauer Jr., who was returning to the Keeneland sale for the first time in 11 years.
After losing out on the Unbridled's Song colt, Scharbauer, who was seated alongside farm manager Ken Carson and trainer Bret Calhoun, said he was not disappointed. "All I can say is that we tried," Scharbauer said. "I've bought two colts and a filly here and I am real pleased with all of them."
On the opening day of the sale, Scharbauer, whose family raced Horse of the Year Alysheba, went to $1.4 million to purchase an Awesome Again filly that is a half-sister to champion Afleet Alex.
-L. D.
2:36 p.m.
Selling back-to-back, a Kingmambo filly and a Storm Cat colt each brought seven-figure bids.
The Kingmambo filly out of the Belong to Me mare Mystery Trip was purchased by bloodstock agent John Gasper for $1 million, while Team Coolmore paid $1.7 million for a son of Storm Cat.
Consigned by Lane's End Farm, the bay Kingmambo filly is out of a half-sister to champion and sire A.P. Indy, classic winner Summer Squall, and grade III winner Welcome Surprise.
The filly was bred by Lane's End's William S. Farish and the Kilroy Thoroughbred partnership.
One hip later, Demi O'Byrne, acting on behalf of Coolmore, bought the chestnut son of Storm Cat. Eaton Sales consigned the colt on behalf of the Young family's Overbrook Farm.
"The colt had a great appearance and great action," said O'Byrne, who added the colt was bought for Coolmore associates Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith. "He was priced all right."
The colt will be taken to Coolmore's Ashford Stud before a decision is made on a trainer.
Produced from the Nureyev mare Mythomania, the colt is a half-brother to grade III winner Inexplicable.
-L. D.
2:05 p.m.
Canadian buyer Robert Krembil went to $1.55 million for a daughter of Giant's Causeway out of the Gone West mare Mayville's Magic. The filly was consigned by Lane's End, agent.
“I liked both her conformation and the family but particularly the family," Krembil said. "We breed to race so it’s as important, along with the racing ability, that they also be a candidate for our broodmare band and I think she fits that bill. We’re happy with our broodmare band, but we really one want one or two a year to keep it fresh. We’ve always gone after classic distance racers rather than early speed. A lot of our horses are dirt horses."
The filly was bred in Kentucky by Sha-li Leasing Association. Her second dam is group winner Gallanta, who produced European champion Gay Gallanta.
Krembil, who has operated Chiefswood Stable with his son, Mark, since 1999, is based in Nobleton, Canada. The family recorded its first stakes win in 2004 when Niigon won the Queen's Plate.
The family has about 64 horses in training and keeps about 20 broodmares at their training center, which also includes a broodmare and yearling farm.
In addition to racing Niigon, Chiefswood also raced Ambitious Cat, who earned a 2006 Sovereign Award as Canada's top turf female.
-L. D.
12:44 p.m.
Another son of A.P. Indy, another seven-figure price. Consigned by Lane's End, agent, the bay colt out of the grade I winning French Deputy mare House Party brought a final bid of $1 million.
Demi O'Byrne, acting on behalf of Coolmore, purchased the colt.
The colt was bred in Kentucky by J.V. Shields Jr., Leverett Miller, and Lane's End's William S. Farish.
House Party, who raced for Shields with trainer Allen Jerkens, is the dam of one other foal, a 2-year-old Mineshaft filly, and a weanling full sister to this colt.
-L. D.
12:24 p.m.
Also included in the seven-figure party was a $1.2 million daughter of Storm Cat, named Fashion Storm. The Lane's End-consigned filly was purchased by Gerald Ford's Diamond A Racing.
Ford raced Horse of the Year Pleasantly Perfect with Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, who was seated in the sale pavilion when the sale ticket was signed.
Bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Farm, the filly was produced from the Chief's Crown mare Fashion Star and is a half-sister to grade I winner and stallion Eddington.
-L. D.
11:41 a.m.
Bloodstock agent Lincoln Collins again went to seven figures to secure a son of A.P. Indy now named Sundarban. Collins signed the ticket Three Chimneys Farm, agent.
Collins said he purchased the colt on behalf of an undisclosed client who plans to race the Kentucky-bred. "I had been tracking this colt for a while because he was in the Three Chimneys consignment," Collins said. "He is a very nice colt and well balanced."
The colt was produced from the Storm Cat mare Desert Tigress, a sister to English group III winner Hurricane Cat, and was bred by Kincorth Investments. The second dam of the colt is Filly Triple Crown winner and champion Sky Beauty and is from the family of grade I winners Maplejinsky and Pleasant Home.
Robert Clay's Three Chimneys Sales, agent, consigned the colt to the auction.
Collins is president of Kern Thoroughbreds, which he founded 17 years ago. Kern represents clients from more than 20 countries. In addition, Collins was named to the board of directors of Three Chimneys Farm in December 2006.
-L. D.
10:53 a.m.
And the seven-figure horses keep coming. Lincoln Collins went to $1.2 million for a son of Mineshaft out of the English group I winning Red Ransom mare Casual Look. Collins signed the ticket on behalf of Leonard Riggio's My MeadowView Farm.
The bay colt was bred in Kentucky Lane's End Farm owner William S. Farish and consigned by Lane's End.
The colt is from the family of French group winner Shabby Chic and winner Fashion Statement.
-L. D.
10:42 a.m.
The Coolmore team from Ireland struck about 10 hips later when Dr. Demi O'Byrne went to $2 million for a striking son of A.P. Indy out of the Unbridled mare Blithe.
The bay colt is from the family of Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Fusaichi Pegasus , who stands at Coolmore's Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky. Angel Fever, the dam of Fusaichi Pegasus, is the second dam of the $2 million purchase.
O'Byrne, who did his bidding from the back of the sale pavilion, said the colt resembled Fusaichi Pegasus. "He is just a good horse," O' Byrne said of his purchase.
Team Coolmore has experienced racing success in 2007 with A.P. Indy offspring. Michael Tabor, a Coolmore associate, owns the Todd Pletcher-trained Rags to Riches who won the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) and became the first filly to win the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) in 102 years.
Consigned by Lane's End, agent, the colt was bred in Kentucky by Sha-li Leasing Association.
-L. D.
10:27 a.m.
Day two of the 15-day Keeneland September yearling sale started with a bang when the first hip through the ring, Ballyhoo--son of Unbridled's Song-Bally Five, by Miswaki, brought $1.05 million from Kentucky-based bloodstock agent John Moynihan.
Moynihan said the gray or roan colt was purchased on behalf of an undisclosed domestic partnership which plans to race him.
"I thought he was one of the prettiest horses in the sale," Moynihan said. "We expected to have to pay for him.
The colt is a half-brother to grade II winner Yarrow Brae (by Deputy Minister) and is from the family of grade II stakes winner Esteemed Friend.
The colt was bred in Kentucky by Frank and Jane Lyons' Summer Wind Farm.
-Leslie Deckard.