Keeneland September: Half-sister to Speightstown new sale leader at $1.75 million

A half sister to champion and prominent sire Speightstown set the bar high early in Wednesday’s third session of the Keeneland September yearling sale, selling for $1.75 million to Torrealba Holdings to establish a new high price for the sale.

The daughter of Tiznow was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, as agent for breeders Aaron and Marie Jones.

“We liked her,” Goncalo Torrealba said after signing the ticket. “She comes from an outstanding pedigreed family, and that’s what we’re trying to build at Three Chimneys. … Borges Torrealba became partners with Three Chimneys, so we’re looking forward to having her at Three Chimneys after her racing career.”

The filly is out of the stakes winning Storm Cat mare Silken Cat, who earned Sovereign Award honors as Canada’s champion 2-year-old filly of 1995. The mare’s only winner is Speightstown, who won four graded stakes races, including the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, in 2004 to earn the Eclipse Award as champion sprinter. He now stands at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., which also stands the filly’s sire, Tiznow.

“We knew she was a great filly, but we didn’t realize she would bring that much money,” said Duncan Taylor of Taylor Made Sales Agency. “She’s so gorgeous and from such a good family, her first foals are going to bring a ton if she runs like she looks.”

The filly was the fifth of Silken Cat’s foals to sell for seven figures as a yearling, and the next-most expensive behind Speightstown, who fetched $2-million at the 1999 Keeneland July yearling sale. Tigerline, by Unbridled’s Song, sold for $1.4-million at the 2003 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale; Gone Purrfect, by Speightstown’s sire Gone West, for $1.5-million at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale; and Cableknit, also by Unbridled’s Song, for $1.7 million at the 2008 Keeneland September sale.