Keeneland sale: $775K 2-year-old gives 8th session a big boost

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Fueled by the exciting 2-year-old filly Flashy Gray, who sold for $775,000, the Keeneland November breeding stock sale appeared on its way to gains early in Tuesday’s eighth session.

Through 137 horses sold as of 3 p.m., receipts totaled $3,228,000 for an average sale price of $23,562 and a median of $15,000. The average as of midday Tuesday outpaced the overall average of $18,610 from the eighth session in 2011 by 26.6 percent, while median held steady.

Fresh off a 10 1/4-length maiden victory in her second start on Nov. 8 at Churchill Downs, Flashy Gray was purchased by West Point Thoroughbreds, in partnership with Tom Keithley. The filly – from the second crop of West Point’s Grade 1 winner Flashy Bull – was consigned by Gainesway, agent, as part of Dolphus Morrison’s dispersal.

“It definitely caught our eye when she won by a pole last week,” Erin Finley of West Point said, adding that Bill Mott will train the filly. “We thought about it over the weekend and came out to see her. She’s a big, beautiful filly, and we love Flashy Bull.”

Flashy Gray is out of the unraced Cat’s Career mare Pleasure Cat, dam of six winners from eight foals to race. Morrison purchased the filly from breeder Brereton Jones for $45,000 at the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Two weanlings each sold for $50,000 as of 3 p.m. on Tuesday. The first, a Midshipman colt, was purchased by Boulder Force Equine from the consignment of Blandford Stud, agent. He is out of the stakes-winning Golden Missile mare Ginger Bay. The second, a $50,000 Ready’s Image colt, was purchased by Winsong Farms. Consigned by Four Star Sales, the colt is out of stakes winner and producer Golden Mirage, by Green Desert.

Keeneland concluded its seventh session Monday with 271 horses sold for $5,584,700. Both figures declined compared with the seventh session in 2011, when 284 horses, including 13 from the Spring Hill Farm dispersal, sold for $6,892,600. Monday’s average price of $20,608 declined 15.1 percent compared with the seventh session in 2011, while the median increased 9.7 percent to $17,000.

The session topper on Monday – and only horse to sell for six figures – was the unraced Pulpit filly Pastilla, purchased for $190,000 by James Ryan. The 3-year-old was offered as a broodmare prospect by Hagyard Farm, agent. Pastilla, out of the stakes winning Kris S. mare Paiota Falls, is from the family of champions Dance Smartly, Classy ‘n Smart, Sky Classic, Regal Classic, and Grey Classic, as well as Grade 1 winner and leading sire Smart Strike.

The Keeneland November sale runs through Nov. 16, with sessions starting daily at 10 a.m.