Courtlandt Farm scores double-triple with $975,000 filly

What’s better than a yearling by a Triple Crown winner?

A double triple.

A filly by 2015 Triple Crown winner and leading freshman sire American Pharoah and from the immediate female family of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify sold for $975,000 to Don Adam’s Courtlandt Farm at the Keeneland September yearling sale, making her the highest-priced filly of the auction’s Book 2 portion and third-highest price of the book overall.

“She was our top horse, even [including] Book 1,” said Courtlandt farm manager Ernie Retamoza, joined in selection and bidding by trainer Mark Hennig, who will eventually condition the filly. “We thought she was Book 1 quality, obviously, with that family. American Pharoah – what can you say? She’s definitely the type of horse Mr. Adam’s looking to buy.”

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American Pharoah and Justify both stand for Coolmore, spending Northern Hemisphere breeding seasons at its Ashford Stud in Kentucky and currently standing at Coolmore Australia for the Southern Hemisphere season. American Pharoah, who has already had success in several international jurisdictions, is the leading North American freshman sire by earnings, closing in on the seven-figure mark with a career bankroll of $916,536 through Saturday. American Pharoah recorded his first Japanese winner over the weekend, with Clepat romping in a maiden on the dirt at Hanshin. With that victory, American Pharoah is tied with Tapiture for the most individual winners by freshmen, with 13 apiece.

American Pharoah is the sire of seven stakes horses in Europe and the United States, represented by French Group 3 winner Maven, U.S. stakes winners Another Miracle and Four Wheel Drive, Irish Group 1-placed Monarch of Egypt, French stakes-placed Saggara King, and U.S. stakes-placed Envied and Sweet Melania. His high-end success has placed his second crop in demand. He was represented by the most expensive filly in Keeneland September history last week, an $8.2 million filly out of Broodmare of the Year Leslie’s Lady purchased by Mandy Pope.

Coolmore had earlier gone to $1.3 million for a colt by the stallion.

“He’s going to go to Bob Baffert. . . . He’s got a couple of very good American Pharoahs,” Coolmore’s M.V.Magnier said. “We run Monarch of Egypt in a couple weeks, and hopefully [trainer Aidan O’Brien] is pretty confident in him and American Pharoah is going so well right now at the moment.”

Courtlandt’s filly, who was consigned by Lane’s End Farm as agent for Dixiana Farm, is the first foal out of the winning Indian Charlie mare Momentary Magic, who in turn is out of Grade 1-placed Magical Illusion. That makes Momentary Magic a half-sister to Grade 3-placed Stage Magic, a Broodmare of the Year after her son Justify swept the 2018 Triple Crown. Stage Magic also is the dam of Grade 3 winner The Lieutenant.