A flashy colt from the first crop of champion Will Take Charge sold for $975,000 early during the Sept. 13 second session of Book 2 of the Keeneland September yearling sale. Willis Horton, who raced Will Take Charge, signed the ticket for the bay colt (Hip 564) with a big blaze and four white feet.
Out of the unraced Bernardini mare Oblige, the colt is a half to grade 2 winner Hunter O'Riley. Consigned by Mr. & Mrs. Jody Huckabay’s Elm Tree Farm, he was bred by Elm Tree Farm, Curt Leake, and Bart and Angie Stark.
Adding luster to the colt is the hot half brother, Hunter O’Riley, winner of Saratoga Race Course’s Bowling Green Stakes (G2T). By Tiz Wonderful, Hunter O’Riley was a close-up fourth Aug. 26 in the Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga for Sean Shay and Mike Ryan and trainer James Toner.
Will Take Charge, who stands at Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, Ky., was the champion 3-year-old of 2013.
Case Clay, chief commercial officer at Three Chimneys, who represented Horton said: “Mr. Horton loves Will Take Charge, obviously, and this colt reminded him a lot of Will Take Charge. He’s excited to have him. He (colt) stood like a statue. He did everything right throughout the whole process. He checked all the boxes. He will go to Steve Asmussen to train.”
Earlier in the day Elm Tree Farm had another high-priced yearling sell, as Wesley Ward picked up a filly by Scat Daddy for $650,000.
