Keeneland January sale: Nereid hammers at $1.3M

Grade 1 winner Nereid became the first horse to break the seven-figure threshold during Monday's opening session of the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale, with Lane Seliger of Baumann Stables signing the $1.3 million ticket.

The 5-year-old Rock Hard Ten mare was offered as a broodmare prospect by Winter Quarter Farm, agent, for owner Eric Kronfeld.

"We expected her to bring a very nice number, and she did," Don Robinson of Winter Quarter Farm said. "I was very confident about her. I'm usually not, but in this case, I felt pretty good about it."

In her first graded stakes attempt, Nereid finished in a dead heat with Cambina for the win in the 2011 Grade 1 American Oaks Stakes.

The mare also finished second in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes last fall in her career finale, and finished third in both the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes in 2011.

Overall, she won three of 11 career starts, earning $303,800.

"Was it above my reserve? The answer is yes," Kronfeld, who purchased Nereid for $190,000 at the 2009 Keeneland September yearling sale, said of the price. "Was it a fair bid above the reserve? Yes. The reserve I set is always a price, below which, I would be happy to keep the mare. She made more than my reserve [and] I was happy to sell her. She was here to be sold."

Out of the winning Belong to Me mare Dowry –a half-sister to four stakes horses—Nereid is from the family of Kentucky Oaks winner Sun and Snow.