Puca, Dalika get Case Clay Thoroughbred Management off to high-profile start

Strong family ties, on both sides, have come together for one of the most exciting offerings at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale for a new consignment. Case Clay Thoroughbred Management will hang its shingle out for its first Keeneland consignment, which consists of Puca, the dam of Kentucky Derby winner Mage and carrying a full sibling to that colt, and Grade 1 winner Dalika, carrying a foal from the first crop of Horse of the Year Flightline.

“It’s an honor to bring Puca and Dalika to the market and to be associated with such quality mares and quality pregnancies,” Clay said in a press release when he announced his outfit’s launch. “I am associated with these two particular mares already, so it’s a natural extension of my business in an area in which I have been lucky enough to have experience in selling top mares. I’m looking forward to showing them to potential buyers in November.”

This consignment, which will be offered on Nov. 8, is a new operation for a lifelong Thoroughbred professional. Clay grew up at Three Chimneys Farm, which was founded by his father, Robert Clay, in 1972. He worked at a variety of roles at Three Chimneys in his youth; later spent six years in Chicago working in the marketing sector, including at Arlington Park; and, in 2003, spent a year abroad at the Irish National Stud and at Arrowfield Stud in Australia. Upon returning to the United States, he returned to the family business to run the sales consignments at Three Chimneys.

After Robert Clay sold the farm to Goncalo Torrealba in 2013, Case Clay stayed on as chief commercial officer, but also began helping outside clients with bloodstock management, purchases, and equine insurance.

At the end of 2022, Clay, who sits on Keeneland’s advisory board, is a board member of the Breeders’ Cup, and serves as chairman of the Kentucky Equine Education Program, shifted his full-time focus to Case Clay Thoroughbred Management. The outfit’s first consignment will consist of the two stellar mares at Keeneland.

The star of that duo is Grade 2-placed stakes winner Puca, whose stock has risen dramatically since Robert Clay purchased her for $475,000 in the name of his Grandview Equine at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale. At the time, the now-11-year-old Big Brown mare was carrying her first foal, Gunning, by Gun Runner. She is a winner and finished third in the 2022 Audubon Oaks at Ellis Park and second in this year’s Dig A Diamond Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

Puca’s second foal is Mage, from the first crop of Good Magic. After finishing second to champion Forte in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, Mage rallied to his Kentucky Derby win. Since then, he has finished third in the Preakness Stakes and was second in the Grade 1 Haskell. He was withdrawn from the Breeders’ Cup Classic due to illness.

Mage’s 2-year-old full brother, Dornoch, is proving that the cross of Good Magic and Puca was not a fluke, thus continuing to increase the value of Puca’s in-utero foal. Dornoch was second in his first two outings, including the Sapling Stakes at Monmouth Park. He then broke through with a 6 1/2-length maiden victory at the Keeneland fall meet going 1 1/16 miles.

With Puca’s first three foals all earning black type, her fourth foal, a colt from the first crop of McKinzie, became a big attraction at the Keeneland September sale. Consigned by Runnymede Farm – where Puca currently boards – on behalf of Grandview, he fetched $1.2 million.

“Puca’s first three foals are all black type, including the Kentucky Derby winner, and [she has a] 2-year-old where the sky’s the limit as far as Dornoch is concerned,” Case Clay said at the September sale. “It’s great to have the full sibling to a Kentucky Derby winner [in utero], and I think the story has really gone from, in May, the dam of a Kentucky Derby winner to three black type from first three foals, including a Grade 1, and a $1.2 million colt. So the sky is the limit with Puca.”

Not to be overlooked, German-born Dalika, by Pastorius, won seven stakes races for Paul Varga’s Bal Mar Equine, highlighted by the Grade 1 Beverly D. in 2022 at Churchill Downs. She also won U.S. graded stakes in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial in 2021 at Delaware Park and the Grade 3 Cardinal in 2022 at Churchill. She retired with 10 wins from 32 starts and $1.4 million in earnings.

Dalika is in foal to unbeaten 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline from his first covering season, when he stood for an advertised fee of $200,000. With 152 mares in his first book – smaller than some other major sires – mares in foal to him are likely to be in hot demand at this fall’s mixed sales.