Keeneland will stage its April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale on Monday, with
the session opening at 4 p.m. (EDT). The April Sale will be broadcast live by
HRTV and at keeneland.com.
Although 181 horses were cataloged for the one-day auction, 53 juveniles have
been withdrawn at latest report.
Keeneland’s April Sale has produced back-to-back Eclipse Award-winning colts
Lookin at Lucky, champion juvenile and leading 2010 Kentucky Derby (G1)
contender, and Big Brown, 2008 champion three-year-old colt and winner of the
Derby and Preakness (G1). Kentucky Derby winner and champion Thunder Gulch, as
well as Kentucky Oaks (G1) winners Gal in a Ruckus and Keeper Hill, also are
April Sale alumni.
Among the stallions represented by April Sale juveniles are such established
sires as A.P. Indy, Birdstone, Distorted Humor, Dynaformer, Elusive Quality,
Giant’s Causeway, Lemon Drop Kid, Medaglia d’Oro, Mr. Greeley, Pulpit, Seeking
the Gold, Smart Strike, Speightstown, Storm Cat, Street Cry (Ire), Tapit, Tiznow
and Unbridled’s Song.
Freshman sires with two-year-olds cataloged are Aragorn (Ire), Bernardini,
Bluegrass Cat, First Samurai, Henny Hughes, Rockport Harbor, Sharp Humor, Silver
Train and War Front, among others.
The sales juveniles took to the track at Preview Day last Thursday. A Pulpit
colt, Hip No. 165, posted the fastest time of the day for a quarter-mile on the
Polytrack, getting the distance in :20 3/5. Consigned by Eddie Woods, agent, the
colt is a half-brother to stakes winner Salty Romance (Salt Lake) produced by
the Affirmed mare Checkerspot.
Six two-year-olds breezed an eighth of a mile in :10 — the fastest time of
the day at that distance. Four fillies got the eighth in :10, comprising Hip 9,
a daughter of Speightstown out of Evangelizer (Saint Ballado), consigned by
Wavertree Stables Inc., agent; Hip 84, by Forest Wildcat out of Orate (A.P.
Indy), consigned by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds, agent; Hip 117, by
Johannesburg out of Spain (Thunder Gulch), consigned by Eddie Woods, agent; and
Hip 152, by First Samurai out of Beebe Lake (Grand Slam), consigned by Niall
Brennan Stables, agent.
Two colts also went in :10 for an eighth — Hip 120, by Bernstein out of
Spies in My Midst (Elusive Quality), consigned by McKathan Bros, agent, and Hip
123, by Indian Charlie out of The Church Lady (Valid Wager), consigned by
Wavertree Stables Inc., agent.
Replays of the works are posted on Keeneland’s website. Work video is also
available in the Keeneland sales pavilion TV viewing room.