Keeneland November: Partnership hopes to hit home run with Tapit colt Morse Code

A partnership led by David Meah landed a pair of notable offerings on Tuesday at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale in Lexington, Ky., including the well-bred Morse Code for $32,000 and Grade 2-placed Next Shares for $190,000.

Morse Code, a 4-year-old Tapit colt, is out of the stakes-winning Storm Cat mare Serena’s Cat, making him a half-brother to champion Honor Code, Grade 2 winner Noble Tune, stakes winner Declarationofpeace, and stakes-placed Lady Serena. Serena’s Cat’s last three foals have sold as weanlings for seven figures. Morse Code’s third dam is Hall of Famer Serena’s Song.

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Morse Code has won one of six starts and earned $48,160, all for owner Lane’s End Racing and trainer Shug McGaughey. Lane’s End consigned the horse at the Keeneland November sale, as agent.

Meah said the plan was to send the colt to the California shedrow of trainer Richard Baltas. With his pedigree, a few key wins could make him a sought-after stallion prospect.

“We’re going to try to win a few races with him and go from there,” Meah said.” The potential of getting lucky and doing something with this horse – we’d have to get really lucky, but if you do get lucky with a horse like this, who’s to say he’s not worth an absolute fortune going down the road?

“Richard Baltas is a great trainer, in my opinion one of the best in America, not just in California. Seth Wilkey, Nathan McCauley and I all said ‘We’ll all take a leg of this horse each, and if we get lucky, we could all buy a house out of this.’ I think, basically, we got the horse near enough for free, because he’s worth that all day long.”

Shortly after signing the ticket, Meah landed Next Shares for a similar partnership. The 4-year-old Archarcharch gelding has won three of 11 starts and earned $163,807, and came into the sale off wins in a Belmont allowance on Oct. 15, and an Aqueduct optional claimer on Nov. 10. He ran second in the Grade 2 With Anticipation Stakes in 2015.

“Next Shares is a freaky good horse, I think,” Meah said. “His last two races were super-impressive. He won one five wide and just hung on, then he won again on Saturday. Next year, a mile on the grass, watch out for him.”

Next Shares will also go to Baltas. He previously raced for owners Brous Stable, Gary Barber, and Wachtel Stable, and he was trained by Bill Mott. Elite Sales consigned the gelding, as agent.