Record breeze colt brings $700,000

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Langfuhr colt who equaled the record eighth-mile breeze of 9.60 seconds Monday came back to top Tuesday night's opening session of the Keeneland 2-year-old sale at $700,000.

Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Stable made the purchase, outbidding WinStar Stable for the gray colt, a half-brother to Kentucky Derby contender Cool Coal Man. Niall Brennan, agent, sold the colt as Hip No. 7. Brennan and a partnership purchased the son of Coral Sea last September at Keeneland's fall yearling sale for $135,000. The colt also is a half-brother to stakes winner Kathleens Reel.

The Keeneland auction's format has been changed this year from a single day-long session to two evening sessions. Tuesday night's opener sold 34 horses for a total of $7,127,000, resulting in an average price of $209,618; the median was $165,000. Last year's sale, completed in one day, sold 82 horses for $16,637,000 for a $202,890 average and a $155,000 median.

Tuesday night's buyback rate was 47 percent, level with the figure for the whole sale last season.

Jackson, seated next to bloodstock advisor John Moynihan, joined the bidding late, then fought off the determined WinStar camp. Jackson said his newest acquisition eventually would join trainer Steve Asmussen's barn. Asmussen trains 2007 Horse of the Year and 2008 Dubai World Cup winner Curlin for Jackson.

Jackson said the colt's sizzling 9.6-second breeze at Monday's under-tack show was not the chief factor in his decision to bid for him.

"His breeding was what I was more interested in," Jackson said after signing the ticket. "Langfuhr's got a lot of good blood. His speed, showing precociousness early, was interesting. But we're more interested in his long-term potential. We think he could be something special."

The two-day auction, the final major select 2-year-old sale of the season, was scheduled to continue with a second session on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in Keeneland's sale pavilion.