Double Dream, Edgartown sell for $350,000 to top Keeneland November horses of racing age sale

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 3-year-old Double Dream and 2-year-old Edgartown, both coming off maiden victories, each sold for $350,000 to lead the second annual Keeneland November horses of racing age sale on Friday.

The November horses of racing age sale – broken out from Keeneland's November mixed sale last year to begin running as a stand-alone event – finished with 155 horses sold for gross receipts of $7,864,000. At last year's debut sale, 160 horses sold through the ring for receipts of $10,994,500.

In a market dependent on individual horses and catalog makeup, the average price was $50,735 and the median was $30,000. Last year, the average price was $68,716, while the median was $36,000. The inaugural sale got a big boost by a partnership dissolution between Gandaharvi Racing and China Horse Club; five of the top eight horses were purchased by one of those two entities in the buyout, led by $1 million Extortion.

This year’s buyback rate was 16 percent, compared to 20 percent. Illustrating the flexible nature of plans for racing-age entrants, there were 146 scratches from the sale, including Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, who had been entered as a stallion prospect.

"Overall, it was a healthy day of trade," Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. "A diverse group of buyers from around the world representing breeders, bloodstock agents, racing interests and trainers participated.

"This is a sale that allows buyers to come in and do their homework," Lacy added. "They can see these horses, vet them, and put them through the scrutiny they need in this more stringent environment. That creates a very healthy transparency that is critical at this point. Overall, we are very satisfied."

Case Clay signed the ticket on both of the top two lots for different purposes in back-to-back transactions. He first struck for Double Dream, on behalf of an unnamed Australian client, from the consignment of Elite Sales, as agent.

“She will go to Australia and be a broodmare,” Clay said. “Maybe she’ll race a little bit down there, but ultimately she will be for breeding purposes. Great pedigree, a beautiful filly. It looks like she’ll be a great broodmare.”

Double Dream, by Curlin, raced three times this year for Peter Brant and trainer Chad Brown, winning her maiden in her most recent start, Oct. 3 at Parx Racing. The filly is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Verrazano and graded stakes winner El Padrino; her second and third dams are Grade 1 winner Chic Shirine and champion Queena; and Grade 1 winners Harmonize, Olympiad, Preservationist, Serra Lake, and Somali Lemonade appear on the catalog page.

The next horse in the ring after the filly was Edgartown, with Clay purchasing her on behalf of Wathnan Racing from the consignment of Highgate Sales, as agent.

Edgartown, by Quality Road, was second in his first two starts for West Bloodstock and trainer Joe Sharp. Then he won his third career start, Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs.

“He will be racing here in America for Wathnan Racing,” Clay said. “His form stands up really well. He was second [on debut] to Bourbon Stakes winner Can Group.

He has good form and he’s a good-looking colt, so we’ll try to do well for him here in the U.S.”

For hip-by-hip results, click here.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.