Keeneland January sale: Snow Top Mountain sells for $950K

Multiple Grade 3 winner Snow Top Mountain followed her half-sister in creating fireworks at the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale, selling for $950,000 to Dr. Jens von Lepel's Audley Farm of Virginia during Tuesday's second session.

The 6-year-old Najran mare sold carrying her first foal, by Blame.

Earlier in the session, half-sister Keertana, by Johar, sold to Denali Stud, as agent for an undisclosed domestic client, for $1 million. The two mares are among five winners out of the Storm Cat mare Motokiks.

Snow Top Mountain scored both of her Grade 3 wins in 2012, winning the Suwannee River Stakes at Gulfstream Park and the Edward P. Evans All Along Stakes at Colonial Downs. The Grade 1-placed runner retired with seven wins from 24 career starts for earnings of $525,303.

"She is a very nice mare, great racing performance, [and] that is really what you want," von Lepel said. "We bid on some others, [but] we had no chance. So this was our last chance today. It's very hard to find really good-quality mares, and you have a lot of competition. Everyone is looking for quality."

Audley Farm is perhaps best known for breeding Grade 1 winner and dual classic placed Bodemeister. The outfit has a void to fill in its broodmare band after selling that colt's dam, the Storm Cat mare Untouched Talent, for $5 million at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall mixed sale.

"It's hard to replace [Untouched Talent], but we'll try," von Lepel said.

Snow Top Mountain was bred in Kentucky by Barbara Hunter of Brownwood Farm, who raced the mare. Hunter died in November after a long illness, prompting the sale of several horses from her program in the January sale. The Brownwood sale horses are being consigned by Four Star Sales, agent.