The sixth session of Keeneland’s January Horses of All Ages Sale kept up the
strong pace of this record-setting week.
Topping the sale on Saturday was PASSAGEWAY (Gold Fever), cataloged as Hip
No. 2146, who went to Chelsea Bloodstock for $210,000 as a broodmare prospect.
Consigned by Eaton Sales as agent for Overbrook Farm, the four-year-old chestnut
filly is out of the winning Secretariat mare Navajo Pass, who has also produced
Grade 3-placed Desert Warrior (Deputy Minister).
Navajo Pass is a full sister to multiple Grade 2 winners Pancho Villa and
Terlingua, the dam of preeminent stallion Storm Cat and multiple Grade 2 queen
Chapel of Dreams (Northern Dancer). This is the immediate family of European
champion and 1990 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) hero Royal Academy and current Grade 1
heroine Ticker Tape (GB) (Royal Applause [GB])
Passageway won once and placed twice in seven career starts in 2004 and 2005,
earning $48,961.
Stakes winner PRINCESS SWEET (Precise End), Hip 2157, brought the
second-highest price, selling for $177,000 to Braehn Stable. The three-year-old
chestnut filly was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent, as a racing
or broodmare prospect.
The New York-bred captured two of three starts as a juvenile in 2005,
including the Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion S. In her last
outing, she finished fourth in the Valley Stream S. (G3). She has earned
$105,032.
Out of the unraced Princess Meadowlak (Meadowlake), Princess Sweet is a
half-sister to 2004 East View S. winner Successfully Sweet (Successful Appeal).
Their second dam is 1994 Sixty Sails H. (G3) victress Princess Polonia (Danzig),
who is herself the dam of 2004 Thoroughbred Club of America S. (G3) winner Molto
Vita (Carson City). They trace to a full sister to supremely influential sire
Raise a Native.
The session’s top yearling was Hip 2039, a bay filly by Whywhywhy who went
through the ring for $75,000 to Rip Curl Acres. Offered by Gainesway as agent,
the Kentucky-bred with a March 3 birth date is out of First Class Act (Ghazi),
who in turn is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Lets Just Do It (Roy).
This is the immediate family of multiple Grade 3 victor Land of Believe and the
extended family of 1995 South African Horse of the year, Surfing Home; South
African co-champion three-year-old colt in 2000, Badger’s Coast; and South
African Group 3 winner Floatyourboat (Jet Master), who recently finished second
in the Cape Guineas (SAf-G1).
At Saturday’s session, 226 horses sold for an aggregate of $2,753,000, a jump
of 129.9 percent above the comparable session a year ago, when 165 horses sold
for a total of $1,197,400. The session’s average increased 67.9 percent, from
$7,257 to $12,181, and the median rose 42.3 percent, from $3,500 to $5,000.
Through the entire sale thus far, 1,439 horses have sold for a total of $70,772,900,
a 32.5 percent hike over last year, when 1,361 horses sold for an aggregate of
$53,418,000. The average has risen 25.3 percent, from $39,249 to $49,182, while
the median has climbed 53.8 percent from, $13,000 to $20,000 this year.
The sale concludes on Sunday, with the final session beginning at 10 a.m.
(EST). For complete results, log onto www.keeneland.com.