Jackson, Narvick Shopping Hard at Keeneland

With a deal to purchase a major Central Kentucky farm nearing completion, Kendall-Jackson winery founder Jess Jackson is getting involved in the breeding business in a very big way. According to California trainer Bruce Headley, the bulk of the purchases being made by Emmanuel de Seroux of Narvick International at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale are for Jackson.

Through the first two days of the auction, Narvick was the sale's biggest spender, paying $17,157,000 for 63 horses. Jackson's most expensive purchase through Narvick was Got Koko, a grade I-winning mare trained by Headley that sold for $1.5 million. Headley said that Jackson had purchased "more than 40" horses.

"He loves horses, and it's been his lifelong dream to breed horses," said Headley, a close adviser to Jackson, on Tuesday. "It looks like he's going to be a major breeder because that's the way he does things; he's a major man. He hopes to be a big force and help racing in California.

"He wants to buy choice mares that he believes will have grade I winners or are grade I producers or are half-sisters to grade I winners. He wants to be top of the line just like his wine."

Headley would not disclose which farm Jackson was buying, but several sources within the industry indicated that it is Mahmoud Fustock's Buckram Oak.