Keeneland November: Six bring $500,000 or more on Tuesday

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Keeneland November Book 2 section opened with solid trade at the top of the market on Tuesday. Half a dozen horses realized prices of half a million or more - led by $750,000 Marquee Miss - to drive gains in the average and median.

A total of 223 horses sold for gross receipts of $34,942,000 during Tuesday's session, the second of the sale overall, and the first of two Book 2 sessions. The average price finished at $156,691, while the median was $125,000

In the first of the two Book 2 sessions in last year's renewal of Keeneland November - which was the third of the sale overall, as Keeneland trimmed Book 1 down this year - a total of 229 horses sold for $31,774,000. The average was $138,751 and the median was $120,000, meaning this year's comparable Book 2 opener showed gains of 13 percent and 4 percent, respectively, in those categories. Tuesday's buyback rate remained steady at 27 percent.

"The bidding today was very strong and consistent," Keeneland's director of sales operations Geoffrey Russell said. "Good domestic [activity] at the top end, but we still had a fair bit of international buyers, with Australia, maybe, coming to the forefront. The foals were very strong, with a lot of end users coming to the forefront."

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Five-time stakes winner Marquee Miss sold for $750,000 to WinStar Farm to lead the session. After signing the ticket, WinStar executive Elliott Walden said plans for the mare's first mating will be finalized later.

"Haven't figured that out yet," Walden said, before adding, with a smile, "We've got a few options."

WinStar has a 22-horse stallion roster, with two new additions to support this year in Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming and Grade 2 winner Good Samaritan. WinStar also co-owned Triple Crown winner Justify, who will begin his stallion career at Coolmore's Ashford Stud.

Marquee Miss, by Cowboy Cal, won the 2015 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes in her career debut, and won the Dixie Belle Stakes and Martha Washington Stakes early the following year at Oaklawn Park, defeating Grade 1 winner Nickname by a half-length in the Martha Washington. She went on to win the 2016 Holiday Inaugural Stakes at Turfway Park and won the Flashy Lady Stakes this September at Remington Park. She placed in three other stakes, led by a third in the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks.

Marquee Miss is out of Grade 3-placed Marquee Delivery, making her a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Promises Fulfilled and a full sister to stakes-placed Marquee Cal Gal.

"We love Promises Fulfilled," Walden said. "We have a lot of respect for him."

Marquee Miss was consigned, as agent, by Lane's End, which also handled the day's top weanling, a $600,000 colt by Nyquist. The colt was purchased by OXO Equine's Larry Best, who continued his activity in this segment of the market after also purchasing three of the top four weanlings at Sunday night's Fasig-Tipton November sale. Best also purchased a $525,000 Quality Road colt at Tuesday's Keeneland session.

This is the first crop for the young Uncle Mo horse Nyquist, who won the 2015 Breeders' Cup Juvenile en route to a divisional Eclipse Award, followed by the 2016 Kentucky Derby.

Nyquist's high-ticket colt is out of the placed Pulpit mare Holy Place, a half-sister to Eclipse Award champion turf mare Lady Eli and to multiple graded stakes winner Bizzy Caroline. Lady Eli, of course, sold for $4.2 million to lead Keeneland November's elite Book 1 session on Monday.

Other horses sold for more than half a million during Tuesday's session included Remembered, the dam of Grade 1 winner Bowies Hero, for $550,000 to Hinkle Farm, and 2010 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Shared Account, for $550,000 to Sam-Son Farm. Both are in foal to first-year covering sires by Candy Ride. Remember is in foal to 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner and Shared Account is in foal to unbeaten Grade 1 winner Mastery.

Rounding out the day's top lots was a $500,000 Into Mischief colt sold to Pacific Union Bloodstock. A total of nine weanlings have sold for half a million or more to this point of Keeneland November.

"It seems like the weanling trade is very strong," Walden said. "I've seen a lot of trainers looking at weanlings, which is a little unusual - Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown. It's very competitive."