Keeneland November: Broodmare prospect Saucy Dame tops Book 3 opener

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Keeneland November breeding stock sale continued to show positive figures as it moved into its Book 3 session on Thursday, with a session led by the $320,000 filly Saucy Dame.

A total of 259 horses sold for gross receipts of $17,381,000 during Thursday's session, the fourth of the sale overall, and the first of two Book 3 sessions. The average price finished at $67,108, while the median was $52,000.

In the Book 3 opener at last year's renewal of Keeneland November – which was the fifth of the sale overall, as Keeneland trimmed Book 1 down this year – a total of 248 horses sold for $15,313,000. The average was $61,746 and the median was $47,000, meaning this year's comparable Book 3 opener showed gains of 9 percent and 11 percent, respectively, in those categories. Thursday’s buyback rate was 23 percent, improved from 27 percent in the comparable 2017 Book 3 opener.

Stonestreet Farm went to $320,000 to acquire session leader Saucy Dame. The 3-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor was consigned as a broodmare prospect by VanMeter-Gentry Sales, as agent.

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“She was a beautiful Distorted Humor and comes from a great dam,” Stonestreet’s Barbara Banke said. “She looks perfect for breeding to some of our stallions. There’s a number of candidates.”

Saucy Dame, a winner this year, is out of the multiple stakes-winning Storm Cat mare Storm Beauty. That mare is the dam of seven winners from 10 starters, including Grade 3 winner Buffum, Grade 2-placed stakes winner Stormy West, Grade 3-placed Renaissance Lady, the dam of stakes-placed Elusive Schemes, and stakes-placed Value Stream.

Storm Beauty is out of Stick to Beauty, meaning she is a half-sister to champion sprinter Gold Beauty and to several other stakes horses. This is the immediate family of champions Dayjur and Sky Beauty, Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home, and multiple Grade 1 winners Maplejinsky and Tale of Ekati.

The session's highest-priced weanling was a $285,000 colt by Speightstown, purchased by Evergreen Stable from the consignment of St. George Sales, as agent.

The colt is out of the unraced Malibu Moon mare Magical Dream, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Dream Rush, as well as to stakes-placed Dream Sweeper and Neeranjanie. Dream Rush is the dam of Grade 1 winner Dreaming of Julia, stakes winner Atreides, and stakes placed Perchance, while another half-sister, Adream, is the dam of Grade 3 winner Song of Spring.

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