A Violence colt out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Holiday Bertie sold to Oussama Aboughazale for $725,000 to pace the action during the first Book 2 session of the Keeneland September yearling sale Sept. 12.
Consigned by Warrendale Sales, the colt produced a huge return as a pinhook. He was initially purchased as a weanling for $70,000 by Twin Peaks Racing at the 2016 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. The bay colt's second dam is stakes winner and stakes producer Get Ready Bertie and is from the female family of graded stakes winners Uptown Bertie and Whirlie Bertie.
"He was just a real athlete," said Frances Relihan, bloodstock manager for Aboughazale's Sumaya Stud, about the Violence colt. "We were looking for an athletic individual. Just the way he was made, the way he walked, his class. Everything about him physically...he just looks like a runner. We obviously had to stretch, there was a lot of competition for him. But we loved him so we're very glad to have gotten him."
The Violence colt was the highest-priced yearling to sell as of 3:30 p.m. of Tuesday's session. Aboughazale said his new purchase would be trained by Todd Pletcher.
"He sold himself. He's just a beautiful, lovely horse," said Kitty Taylor of Warrendale Sales. "We didn't expect this much money. The reserve was way below that so we're pleased."
