Summer Scene, a half-sister to Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner Stevie Wonderboy, brought a top price of $600,000 to top Wednesday's 10th session of the 2005 Keeneland November mixed sale. According to Keeneland Sales Director Geoffrey Russell, the top-priced Summer Scene is an example of the vagaries of a breeding stock sale."When you have a massive update like Stevie Wonderboy after the catalogues are put together, anything can happen," Russell said. "Most importantly, her price proves the point that no matter where you place them (good horses) in the catalogue, you can't hide them."The numbers for Wednesday were:
--Gross receipts of $4,411,400 for the 251 horses sold represented a .4% decrease over the $4,125,200 gross when 252 horses were sold during the corresponding session in 2004.
--The average price of $17,575 was up 7.5% over the 2004 session average of $16,370.
--The median decreased 2.4% to $10,000 compared with $10,250 in 2004
--The 19 horses which did not sell represented an RNA rate of 26.4%, compared with a rate of 23.17% when 76 went unsold last year, up 13.8%. The cumulative figures for the sale were:
--The gross of $285,457,500 for 2,398 sold is up 3.6% over the $275,624,100 figure for 2,452 sold through the same period one year ago.
--The average price of $119,040 represents a 5.9% increase over the 2004 figure of $112,408.
--The median price of $42,500 is up 6.3% over the 2004 median of $40,000.Not included in the reported figures above were three stallion shares sold for a gross of $3,500.Winchell Thoroughbreds purchased Summer Scene carrying her first foal by Mizzen Mast from the consignment of Mill Ridge Sales, agent. Mizzen Mast stands at Juddmonte Farm near Lexington. His 2006 fee is $15,000. Winchell Thoroughbreds is operated by Ron Winchell who took over his family's Thoroughbred operation and Oakwind Farm, located near Versailles, Ky., on behalf of family members after the death of his father, Verne Winchell. A daughter of Belong to Me, Summer Scene was bred in Kentucky by G. Watts and Louise Humphrey from the Summer Squall mare Heat Lightning. The 5-year-old Summer Scene raced three seasons for the Humphreys and Edmund Gann, completing her career with a record of 1-2-0 from six starts. She earned $40,633. The second-highest priced mare was Dazzling who was purchased by Botafogo for $75,000. John Williams, agent, consigned the 4-year-old mare in foal to Cat Thief for the Young family's Overbrook Farm. Cat Thief will stand the 2006 season at Overbrook for $10,000.Dazzling (by A.P. Indy) is out of the Carson City mare Ruby City, a sister to stakes winner Pearl City. The unraced Dazzling is from the family of grade I stakes winner and stallion Hennessy and grade I winner Pearl City. The top-priced weanling on the day was a $80,000 daughter of D'wildcat-Enchanted Spell, by Devil's Bag. BCB Farms purchased the bay filly from the consignment of Elm Tree Farm, agent. Windways Farm Limited bred the filly from the first crop of D'wildcat in Ontario, Canada. D'wildcat previously stood at Windfields Farm in Ontario, Canada but will stand the 2006 season at Vinery Florida for a $6,000 fee."We're very pleased for the day," Russell said. "The sale just keeping rolling along. There's just two more shopping days left."The sale will continue at 10 a.m. daily through Friday
