After Hip 1081 was led into the sale ring at Ocala Breeders' Sales' 2016 April 2-year-olds in training sale, the bay daughter of Broken Vow exited on a final bid of $310,000 from Larry Zap, acting on behalf of Joseph Ciglia Jr.
Later named Champagne Room, the filly proved a precocious 2-year-old, as her two victories from five starts included a 33-1 upset of the 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita Park. Voted champion 2-year-old filly, Champagne Room is returning to this year's Breeders' Cup in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) on the Nov. 3 card at Del Mar off a victory in the Remington Park Oaks.
Installed in the Distaff at 15-1 morning-line odds, the filly trained by Peter Eurton is the most expensive of three fillies and mares entered in the 1 1/8-mile contest who were purchased at public auction. Of the other five Distaff starters, one, Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Abel Tasman, was a $65,000 buy-back at the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale. The remaining four are homebreds.
Bred in Kentucky by Mike Cavey's and Nancy Temple's Respite Farm, Champagne Room was consigned to the OBS sale by De Meric Sales—the third time the filly was offered at auction. She was consigned to the 2014 Keeneland November breeding stock sale by Denali Stud and acquired by Summerfield Sales, which subsequently bought her back for $55,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale.
While her juvenile price tag was steep, the filly proved a bargain, as she has earned more than $1.4 million and is now campaigned by Alesia, Christensen, Ciaglia Racing, Exline-Border Racing, and Gulliver Racing.
Lucky to Be Me, Champagne Room's dam in foal to Uncle Mo , is consigned to this year's Keeneland November breeding stock sale as Hip 278. Champagne Room's weanling half sister by Strong Mandate is set to follow in the ring. Both are cataloged to the Nov. 8 session as part of the Denali offerings.
The second-highest priced Distaff contender is Reddam Racing's Mopotism, the 30-1 morning-line outsider whose two victories from a dozen starts includes the Island Fashion Stakes at Sunland Park. The 3-year-old Uncle Mo filly trained by Doug O'Neill went through the auction ring three times, most recently acquired by Dennis O'Neill for $300,000 from the Crupi's New Castle Farm consignment to last year's Fasig-Tipton March sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Dylan Venosa purchased the filly bred in Kentucky by Frank T. Batten for $200,000 on behalf of Crupi from Hidden Brook at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August yearling sale. McMahon & Hill Bloodstock previously bought the filly for $135,000 from Blandford Stud as a weanling offered at the 2014 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.
A Distorted Humor weanling half brother to Mopotism is consigned by Mulholland Springs as Hip 298 to the November 8 session of the Keeneland sale.
Hronis Racing's Stellar Wind, the 2015 champion 3-year-old filly who is listed as the 5-2 Distaff morning-line favorite, was purchased by Barbara J. Houck for $86,000 from the Marshall J. Silverman consignment to the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall yearling sale after she was purchased the previous month by Vernan Lee Stables for $40,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August sale.
Trained by John Sadler, the 5-year-old Curlin mare won six grade 1 stakes, including three this year, and has won or placed in 13 of 15 starts, earning more than $2.2 million.
Bred in Virginia by Keswick Stables and Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Stellar Wind was offered at the Saratoga yearling sale by Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services. Following the Distaff, Stellar Wind is scheduled to ship to Kentucky where she is cataloged as Hip 153 in the Keeneland sale, offered by Lane's End Nov. 7 as a racing or broodmare prospect.
In addition to the sale graduates, other Distaff connections in next week's mixed auctions are:
- Hip 101 (Fasig-Tipton, Nov. 6), Moonlight Sky, a Sky Mesa half sister to Abel Tasman, offered by Denali Stud as a racing or broodmare prospect.
- Hip 133 (Fasig-Tipton, Nov. 6), Wild Forest, a Forest Wildcat mare in foal to Union Rags and carrying a full sibling to multiple grade 1 winner and Distaff starter Paradise Woods, consigned by Lane's End.
- Hip 330 (Keeneland, Nov. 8), Sky Girl, a Sky Mesa half sister to Abel Tasman in foal to Union Rags, consigned by Mill Ridge Sales.
