Breeders' Cup Distaff Winner Blue Prize Tops The November Sale
The November Sale was held Tuesday at Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, KY. Billed as the World's Premier Breeding Stock Event, The November Sale did not disappoint, offering an exciting group of selected racing and/or broodmare prospects, broodmares, and weanlings throughout the afternoon and late into the evening.
Blue Prize (ARG) found herself at the top of the class once more three days after her scintillating victory in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). Larry Best's OXO Equine LLC went to $5,000,000 million to secure the Breeders' Cup champion, who was offered as Hip 98, a racing/broodmare prospect, by Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services, agent for Merriebelle Stable.
A six-year-old daughter of Pure Prize, Blue Prize was a Group 1 winner at three in her native Argentina before transferring her efforts to the United States. She won the Falls City H. (G2), Fleur de Lis H. (G2), and LocusT Grove S. (G3) in the U.S. before capturing the 2018 Spinster S. (G1). She repeated in the Spinster this year, joining Take Charge Lady, Bayakoa (ARG), and Bornastar as the only fillies and mares to win back-to-back editions of the prestigious race. Her win in the Breeders' Cup Distaff was historic in its own right, as she became only the third Argentine-bred to win that race, and the first since Paseana (ARG) in 1992, and the only Argentine-bred besides Bayakoa to capture both the Spinster and the Breeders' Cup Distaff.
Blue Prize won 10 of 23 career starts, and placed in an additional 11 starts, and earned $2,692,253. She as campaigned in the United States by Merriebelle Stable and trainer Ignacio Correas IV.
"We're very pleased with the overall results tonight," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "There was tremendous competition across the board from buyers around the world. And when you have the confidence of men and women with quality horses, you can have exceptional sales."
Photo Call (IRE) led an exceptional contingent of broodmares, selling in foal to Quality Road for $2,700,000. Katsuma Yoshida purchased the eight-year-old daughter of Galileo (IRE) from the consignment of Denali Stud, agent, who offered the multiple Grade 1 winner as Hip 166. Photo Call is closed related to her sire's Group 1 winners Rhododendron (IRE) and Magical (IRE). She is carrying a foal bred on a similar cross to six of Quality Road's Grade 1 winners, including champions Abel Tasman and Caledonia Road.
The top broodmare prospect of the sale came in the form of 2018 Eclipse Champion Female Sprinter Shamrock Rose, purchased by Mike Shannon, agent for $2,500,000. The four-year-old First Dude mare was offered as Hip 178 by Bluewater Sales, agent. Shamrock Rose was a stakes winner at two and three, with stakes victories in Canada and the United States. In October of her three-year-old season, she contested the Raven Run S. (G2), charging to an impressive victory. Three weeks later, Shamrock Rose returned to contest the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), surmounting the odds to score a scintillating victory over a field featuring three Grade 1 winners. Shamrock Rose earned an Eclipse Championship for her brave efforts.
A filly from the first crop of Horse of the Year Gun Runner was the top-priced weanling of the sale. Mike Ryan, agent purchased the bay filly out of Grade 1 winner Love and Pride for $750,000 from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales, agent. Offered as Hip 219, the filly was bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm.
"It was neat to see international participation and strong domestic participation," added Browning, commenting on the diverse buying bench. "The market was not dominated by any individual or a small number of groups. It was a tremendous sale."
Overall, 128 horses sold for $68,011,000, good for an average of $531,336 and an median of $300,000. The RNA rate decline 3% from 2018. Eighteen fillies and mares sold for seven figures.
Results are available online.
