J. Quirk sells for $725,000 as Keeneland November sale continues to post gains through Book 2

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The stakes-producing broodmare J. Quirk sold for $725,000 as the Keeneland November breeding stock sale closed out its Book 2 portion with gains Friday night.

Through the first three sessions of the 10-session sale, comprising Books 1 and 2, Keeneland reports that 586 horses have sold for total gross receipts of $126,634,000. During last year's comparable first three sessions and two books, 521 horses sold for $102,528,000.

The November sale's cumulative average price sits at $216,099, tracking upward 10 percent from $196,791 at this point last year. After the single-session Book 1 on Wednesday posted a 10 percent gain in average from 2020, the Book 2 sessions posted gains of 19 percent and 23 percent, respectively, to continue to fuel the figures.

Likewise, after Book 1 posted an 18 percent gain in the median, the two Book 2 sessions both posted gains of 30 percent in that category. The overall median now sits at $160,000, up 28 percent from $125,000 at this point last year.

"It's not so elevated where you're almost expecting a crash behind it," Tony Lacy, Keeneland’s vice president of sales, said of the crucial median figure. "It's consistent, it's established, and it's across the board, and I think that's something that is more encouraging than having just the very top be really good, or the middle being really good, this is across the board.

"That's probably the highlight for me," Lacy continued. "The median is the most important number as we look at this, because the average can be skewed – you can have the top 10 horses, for example, blowout headlines. But when you look down through the real depth of the market, this is exciting. People are just smiling and shaking their heads. People are very encouraged, people are very positive."

The cumulative buyback rate also has improved, to 22 percent compared to 29 percent at this point last year.

J. Quirk sold to Mike Hall's Breeze Easy to lead the session, as well as Book 2 overall. That outfit also purchased the mare's weanling filly, by Horse of the Year and leading freshman sire Gun Runner, for $375,000 to lead all weanlings at Friday’s session. Both mare and daughter were consigned by Denali Stud, as agent.

J. Quick, a winner on the track, is the dam of two winners from as many starters, including Lady Mystify, a three-length winner of the Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks in September. She was offered in foal to Eclipse Award champion juvenile Game Winner, who entered stud this year. Game Winner and Gun Runner are both sons of Candy Ride.

“We are going to race the filly," Hall said. "The mare has produced a lot of good physical horses that have also done well. We came for the mare, and at the last minute, decided to get the weanling. . . . I didn’t like the foal as well at the barn as I did down here. But she really woke up when she came in the back ring. She was a lot better than I thought she was.”

J. Quirk is out of the winning Storm Cat mare You're Beautiful, dam of six winners from as many starters. Those also include stakes-placed Strikinglybeautiful, dam of stakes winner Super Strong.

You're Beautiful is a half-sister to Horse of the Year Tiznow, the only two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic; to multiple graded stakes winner and multimillionaire Budroyale; to Grade 2 winner Tizdubai; and the stakes winner Tizbud. The dam of all these runners, Cee's Song, also produced Tizso, the dam of classic-placed Grade 1 winner Paynter; and Tizamazing, the dam of Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow.

"The mare market has been very strong, and the weanling market continues with what we’ve seen," said Conrad Bandoroff of consignor Denali. "There is strong competition for the quality offerings – the ones that meet the physical bar and live up to the veterinary scrutiny as well. I have been very encouraged by the mare market. I know trying to buy some mares for ourselves, and did appraisals going in, and have been blown out of the water. We have had to recalibrate our own valuations. There is great strength and depth to the market."

The Keeneland November sale now continues with its Book 3 portion on Saturday and Sunday. That is followed by a two-session Book 4 and a three-session Book 5 to round out the activity. The sale's final session, on Friday, Nov. 19, is highlighted by a selection of horses of racing age, a market segment that has steadily grown in scope and popularity at Keeneland November.

For hip-by-hip results, click here.