Keeneland January sale: Recent maiden winner Ancient Peace brings $650K

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Ancient Peace, a recent maiden-winning filly from a family cultivated by the legendary Sam-Son Farm, was one of the final horses entered in the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. Her entry was announced in the final group of supplemental entries last Thursday.

The wait for the 3-year-old filly to step into the ring was worthwhile, as she lit up the board at $650,000 to help Keeneland January close its Book 1 portion with healthy activity.

Keeneland reported 475 horses sold during the two-session Book 1 portion that opened the four-day sale with gross receipts of $36,126,900. In last year's two-session Book 1, 511 horses brought $26,848,700.

The average price in Book 1 was $76,057, rising 5 percent from $72,111 for this market portion last year. The median was steady at $40,000.

The comparable figures are noteworthy. Five horses brought a half million or more in Book 1, matching last year’s number. However, last year the top two horses sold for $750,000 and $700,000.

Despite not reaching that high-water mark this year, the solid average and median figures show good activity in a cross-section of the marketplace.

:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match and FREE Formulator PPs! Join DRF Bets.

"I think we've got to be very encouraged with the consistency through the market," Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. "Quality was selling well. There was a hunger for good stock. Very competitive on the buying front - frustrated buyers, in some cases. . . . Just a good energy around the place."

Ancient Peace, a War Front filly who broke her maiden less than two weeks ago, pushed the bidding to $650,000 as the penultimate horse through the ring on Tuesday night. Hunter Rankin signed the ticket on behalf of Travis Boersma's Boardshorts Stables

"We're building the stable, we're trying to get something going," Rankin said. "We think she's a really good foundation horse."

Rankin added that immediate plans had not been determined for the filly, and he did not name a trainer to which she might go.

Ontario-based Sam-Son Farm, an iconic operation of the past half-century, announced in the fall of 2020 that it would disperse its stock. The Grade 2-winning A.P. Indy mare Deceptive Vision, the dam of Ancient Peace, was a $900,000 purchase by Hill 'n' Dale at the 2021 Keeneland January sale, where the majority of the Sam-Son mares were sold.

Ancient Peace was purchased for $180,000 by bloodstock agent Mike Ryan at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale that summer. The filly finished sixth in her debut on Dec. 3 on the Del Mar turf, then won her next outing on Dec. 30 at Santa Anita, rolling by 4 1/4 lengths on turf for trainer Graham Motion.

The January sale provided an opportunity for Ryan to showcase the filly. Her potential versatility, both for racing and breeding purposes, caught Rankin's eye.

"I talked to Graham before the sale, and he said she trains just as good on dirt," Rankin said. "With War Front out of an A.P. Indy mare, you could have either one."

Deceptive Vision is out of graded stakes winner and Canadian champion Eye of the Sphynx, whose runners include Queen's Plate winner and Canadian champion Eye of the Leopard and stakes winner Hotep, both full siblings to Deceptive Vision.

Eye of the Sphynx also produced stakes winner Desert Isle and the winner Fun in the Desert, dam of Woodbine Oaks winner and Canadian champion Desert Ride. It is the extended family of Grade 1 winner and Canadian Horse of the Year Quiet Resolve.

The price for Ancient Peace eclipsed the $600,000 fetched by England's Rose earlier in the day for the highest price of Book 1. The 7-year-old English Channel mare, offered as a racing or broodmare prospect, was purchased by bloodstock agent James Schenck, as agent. She was consigned by Lane's End, as agent.

England's Rose, most recently racing for the partnership of Mercedes Stables, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott Dilworth, David Ingordo, Dorothy Ingordo, and Steve Mooney, has a racing record of 13-3-4-1 and earnings of $303,940. She won the 2021 Swingtime Stakes and went on to place in three graded stakes in 2022, including a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar behind Eclipse Award finalist Regal Glory.

England's Rose is out of the stakes-placed Kris S. mare Gingham and Lace. That mare, in turn, is a half-sister to stakes-placed Tina Dynamite, dam of stakes winner Cavalia; to Emptythetill, dam of graded stakes winner Conveyance; to Cashing Tickets, the dam of graded stakes winner Leggs Galore; to stakes-placed Yukon Dust; and to Show Her the Money, dam of stakes-placed Medieval Legend.

Rounding out the top prices of Book 1, the young broodmare Evocative sold for $550,000 to lead Monday's opening session, with agent Kerri Radcliffe purchasing her on behalf of an unnamed breeder; graded stakes-winning turf sprinter In Good Spirits sold for $550,000 on Tuesday to West Bloodstock, as agent for Repole Stable; and stakes-placed Ack Naughty, dam of last month's Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity winner Practical Move, sold for $500,000 on Monday to Chester and Mary Broman.

Ack Naughty, like Ancient Peace, was a supplemental entry, giving connections the opportunity to capitalize on recent racing activity.

:: DRF BREEDING LIVE: Real-time coverage of breeding and sales

"We work hard trying to be as flexible as possible," Lacy said. "Being able to accept people who have those updates . . . I think it's important to them, they're able to try and capitalize on the market and capitalize on their updates."

Evocative's first foal, a filly by Quality Road, led all of the yearlings in Book 1, selling for $450,000 to West Bloodstock, as agent for Robert and Lawana Low. Bedouin Bloodstock consigned the mother and daughter, as agent, and that operation's Neal Clarke said the filly's presence in the barn helped to advertise her dam, who is a half-sister to graded stakes winner and prominent producer Justwhistledixie, among others.

"We always felt that foal was special," Clarke said. "For her first foal to be so special, we knew the market would recognize that and it would clearly help the mare. The mare was gorgeous, but the filly pushed her up there in everyone’s esteem."

Evocative's filly immediately followed her pricey dam through the ring, giving agent Jacob West insight into what the price might be as he waited to bid on behalf of the Lows.

“That is right about what we thought she would bring," West said. "I thought [this filly] was outstanding. Physically, she is unbelievable. I was blown away by the [dam]. Whoever bought her is going to breed her to a top stallion, so there is [residual value] coming in the pipeline."

The Keeneland January sale will conclude with a two-session Book 2 on Wednesday and Thursday.

"I think overall, we were encouraged the way everything went - I think it's gonna be pretty healthy all the way through," Lacy said. "If you have a nice individual, it will be found."

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.