The recent victory by Secret Circle in the Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) helped his dam, Ragtime Hope, sell for $675,000 Nov. 8 as Keeneland's November breeding stock sale approached the end of its first week.
The sale session closed out Book Two with more increases after a strong first three days.
Stonestreet Farm bought Ragtime Hope, who was carrying an Arch foal, from the Indian Creek agency. Indian Creek sold the mare on behalf of Longfield Farm.
The fourth of 11 sessions sold 254 horses for a $26,333,700 gross, up 41.8% from last year's aggregate for 224 horses. Average price also jumped by 25.1%, from last year's $82,891 to $103,676, and the median improved by 21.4%, rising from $70,000 to $85,000.
Session four's buyback rate also continued the auction's downward trend for RNAs, falling from 2012's session figure of 29.3% to 19.1%.
Cumulatively, the first four days have sold 751 horses for a combined $141,034,200, closing in on the $143 million that the entire auction turned over last year. The cumulative gross also was up 37.8% from last year's figure for 667 horses sold. The four-day average stands at $187,795, up 22.4%, and the $110,000 median through Friday was up 37.5% from last season's $80,000 at the same stage.
Like the session buybacks, the overall buybacks were lower, dropping from last year's four-day rate of 30.2% to 19.9%.
"She's a nice mare, and she's well sold," Indian Creek's Shack Parrish said of session-topper Ragtime Hope's price, adding that the 11-year-old broodmare could have sold anywhere between $400,000 and $1 million in the current market. "I wish I had the money. I'd have bought her! She's really nice, easy to work with, and Secret Circle's done it. That gave us a sizable boost."
Secret Circle finished second behind romping Bodemeister in last year's Arkansas Derby (gr. I), then was on the shelf until last month due to a sesamoid injury. His prompt return to winning form, first in a Santa Anita allowance and then in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, brought his dam, a daughter of Dixieland Band, back to attention.
Another Breeders' Cup-connected lot, Highest Approval, sold for $57,000. The 6-year-old High Fly mare is a half sister to Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I) runner-up Za Approval. Consigned by the Four Star Sales agency and in foal to Midnight Lute , Highest Approval went to Omer Halim Aydin. Four Star Sales had offered her on behalf of Glencrest Farm and Fox Straus.
Minutes after buying $675,000 Ragtime Hope, Stonestreet representative John Moynihan was back again to pay $460,000 for another broodmare with a major late update. That was Revel in the Win, whose Harlan's Holiday colt Poker Player jumped up and won the grade III Bourbon Stakes Oct. 6, after the catalog went to press. He subsequently finished eighth behind Outstrip in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT).
Revel in the Win was carrying a full sibling to Poker Player and went through the ring as part of Mr. and Mrs. Jody Huckabay's Elm Tree Farm consignment. The gray or roan mare is a 7-year-old.
Those two big purchases were among four for Stonestreet at Friday's session. Barbara Banke's operation ended the day as session four's top buyer by average price, with an average expenditure of $423,750.
Haras Don Alberto, the week's leading buyer by gross, picked up the session's other mare to bring $400,000 or more, the $400,000 broodmare Atala. The 3-year-old Stormy Atlantic mare is unraced but is out of the graded-winning Alydar mare Aishah and comes from the deep family of champion Althea.The Gainesway agency consigned Atala, in foal to City Zip .
Don Alberto, whose representatives say they are buying to restock the old Vinery farm that they bought recently, was Friday's most prolific buyer, spending $2,205,000 to acquire 10 horses.
Ragtime Hope, Revel in the Win, and Atala were among 10 horses that brought $300,000 or more at Friday's session.
Those included the day's most expensive weanling, a $300,000 Awesome Again half brother to graded winner Kathmanblu that bloodstock agent Ben Glass signed for. The April 22 colt out of stakes-placed Abba Gold (Devil's Bag) was part of the Brookdale Sales consignment and was the property of Five-D Thoroughbreds.
Harlan's Holiday, who died last month in Argentina, was the session's leading covering sire by gross, with 14 in-foal broodmares bring a total of $2,615,000. The leading covering sire by average (three or more sold) was Ramsey Farm's Kitten's Joy , whose three mares brought an average of $196,667, edging out Harlan's Holiday's $190,769 average.
Taylor Made and WinStar stallion Speightstown was the leading sire by gross, with nine bringing $1,262,000. Adena Springs sire Awesome Again led by average (three or more sold) with four fetching an average price of $185,000.
Session four's leading seller by gross was Eaton Sales, agent, which grossed $2,973,000 for 19 horses. Indian Creek, which consigned the session topper, led by average price after five of their agency's horses averaged $267,000.
Keeneland's November sale continues through Nov. 14. Sessions take place in the Keeneland sale pavilion and start each day at 10 a.m.
