A pair of striking sons of A.P. Indy are leading the early portion of the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale.
John Ferguson, acting on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai, went to $2.4 million to purchase a son of A.P. Indy from the consignment of Lane's End, agent. Coolmore's Demi O'Bryne went to $2 million to secure another son of the stallion, who stands at William S. Farish's Lane's End Farm near Versailles, Ky.
The $2.4 million colt was produced from the French group I winning Storm Cat mare Denebola and was bred by Flaxman Holdings. He is from the family of French group I winner Coup De Genie and the late European group I winner and sire Machiavellian.
“He’s a colt who’s been raised by great breeders," Ferguson said. "Quite honestly, a horse like that by A.P. Indy with an outstanding mare in Denebola, who not only was a great mare but the fact that she won the Marcel Boussac (Fr-I) in France on the grass. You know with this advent of Polytrack, I think in the past you were maybe looking at A.P. Indy with an all-dirt pedigree. I think, now an A.P. Indy with turf on the bottom won’t do any harm.”
Ferguson said the colt is likely to remain in the United States.
Standing a few feet away from Ferguson and Sheikh Mohammed, the powerful Coolmore buying team went to $2 million for a son of A.P. Indy from the consignment of Denali Stud, agent for Crystal Springs Farm.
The bay colt was produced from the grade I winning Blushing Groom mare Fire the Groom and is from the family of English group I winner and sire Stravinsky and European group winner Moscow Ballet.
O'Byrne, who signed the ticket for the group from Ireland, said the colt is likely to remain in the United States for his racing career.
He was very good-looking and had a great pedigree," O'Byrne said while signing the sales ticket.
Coolmore also purchased a $1.6 million daughter of Seeking the Gold from the consignment of Eaton Sales, agent.
The filly, bred in Kentucky by Robert and Ben Sangster, is out of the Royal Academy mare Crystal Crossing and is a half-sister to English group I winner Rule of Law.
O'Byrne, who did his bidding from the back of the sale pavilion, said the filly is likely to race in Europe.
"She was a lovely looking filly who will have a lot of residual value as a broodmare," he said. "She has a great pedigree and was just outstanding looking."
