King: Horses to watch – on track – out of the Keeneland January sale

Although Keeneland will not resume racing until its spring meet opens in three months, the track indirectly provided handicappers with a horses-to-watch list from action this week at their January sale. That sale, which began Monday before wrapping up on Thursday, largely focused on the trade of broodmares and newly turned yearlings, but also included some racehorses, a group that drew my principal attention, knowing I could see these names in future past performances.

With more than 1,500 entries to the sale, sifting through all of the results would be a tiresome process, but for those interested in racehorses, or any particular category of horse for that matter, Keeneland’s search filter for its sales results makes analysis relatively painless. Choose how the horse was sold – for example, as a racing or broodmare prospect – and in a few moments the results are up, along with purchasers, sale prices, and past performances.

Still the herd needs thinning. Even selling as racing or broodmare prospects, the majority of these types are headed for the breeding shed. Luckily, it is usually apparent in viewing their PPs, relative to their catalog pages, which way they are likely going.

Other times the history of the purchaser provides needed clues. Some horsemen have a history of coming to the sale on the hunt for racehorses, while others dive mostly into the breeding pool.

So with all that said, I pored over the results over the first three days of the sale – not counting the fourth and final day on Thursday, which was ongoing at the time of this writing – and shortlisted a group of five that intrigued as racehorses for new connections. Depending on the type of races in which they ultimately return, they may also warrant wagers. In price-descending order, here they are:

Lightscameraaction, Hip 415, sold for $235,000: A daughter of Will Take Charge, she proved a pricey buy for a combination of reasons, not the least of which was the fact she is a 3-year-old and already twice stakes-placed, including once in graded company. Still eligible for a first-level allowance, company in which she was twice third to conclude her 2018 campaign, she was purchased by Scott Malory as agent for Team Block. Team Block horses are trained by Chris Block, a sharp Chicago-based conditioner whose runners are known for their success on turf.

Marzo, Hip 397E, sold for $140,000: A 4-year-old Medaglia d’Oro gelding, he was supplemented to the January sale on the heels of sharp stakes form in his final two starts of 2018. After running third in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf at Churchill in November, he returned with a runner-up finish in the slop in the Woodchopper at Fair Grounds, a race that came off the grass.

Not having finished better than fourth in three prior dirt starts, this represented by far his best dirt performance. Like Lightscameraaction, he has all of his allowance conditions.

Cottonwood Falls, Hip 683, sold for $100,000: A maiden at the time the Keeneland January catalog was printed, she provided an update for her sellers by winning Dec. 22 at Aqueduct in the mud. Though the win seemed fairly pedestrian, earning just a 71 Beyer Speed Figure, it was enough to inspire Meah/Lloyd Bloodstock to purchase her.

Part of that Meah/Lloyd Bloodstock team is David Meah, who in recent years has been highly successful plucking out runners from bloodstock sales. One of those horses was Next Shares, recent winner of the San Gabriel at Santa Anita and last fall’s Grade 1 Shadwell Mile, who was purchased for $190,000 at Keeneland in November 2017, with Meah signing as agent.

Caymans Cobra, Hip 396, $90,000: Another Meah/Lloyd Bloodstock acquisition, this 4-year-old colt by Super Saver sold promisingly despite not starting since May 31, when he tired to fourth in a second-level allowance at Churchill Downs. A speedy router who handles dirt and turf, he had been breezing consistently at Fair Grounds leading up to his return to racing.

Playa Chica, Hip 80, $25,000: Not having an eye-catching pedigree and still being a maiden, she slipped past many buyers, though I am encouraged by who ultimately purchased her: Price/Recio Bloodstock, serving as agent for trainer Richard Baltas.

Baltas, based in Southern California, regularly moves up horses joining his care, and this filly provides him with conditions. Coming off a couple of runner-up finishes on turf at Delaware, she should fit well in an upper-level maiden claimer or straight maiden race, contests usually weak for older horses at this time of year.