Shadwell returns as a buyer at Keeneland September

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A familiar name returned at Keeneland September, with Shadwell Farm buying three yearlings during Book 1 under the leadership of Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum.

“It was great to see Sheikha Hissa bought horses,” Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. “They were the first horses she bought for herself.”

Shadwell’s founder Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who built his Thoroughbred holdings into a major international outfit over four decades, and who was perennially a major force in high-end purchasing at Keeneland, died in March 2021. From his six children, Sheikha Hissa has taken on a prominent leadership role with the racing and breeding operations.

Shadwell’s purchases during Book 1 were a $750,000 Constitution filly, who is a half-sister to Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting, from the family of champion Speightstown; a $700,000 Medaglia d’Oro filly out of Grade 1 winner Centre Court, dam of graded stakes winner Navratilova; and a $650,000 Ghostzapper filly, who is a half-sister to Horse of the Year Knicks Go.

Polan strikes again

The breakout star of the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale was hands-on lifelong horsewoman Rosilyn Polan. At her small Sunday Morning Farm she bred and raised a colt from the first crop of City of Light who sold for a sale-topping $1.7 million.

Polan struck gold for the second year in a row, as her 2022 Keeneland September consignment is led by a $1.1 million colt from the second crop of City of Light, purchased by Repole Stables and St. Elias Stables.

“Watching him go around there, that was my Grade 1 win,” Polan said. “I was so proud of him.”

The colt is out of the unraced Medaglia d’Oro mare Numero d’Oro, who Polan bred to young sire Practical Joke four years ago to produce a $575,000 September yearling. That colt, Wit, won the Grade 3 Sanford and placed in two Grade 1 races last year as a juvenile for Repole and St. Elias.

This year, he won the
Grade 3 Bay Shore before switching to turf in the summer at Saratoga, finishing second in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and then winning the Better Talk Now on Aug. 28. The team behind him thus went back to the well this week at Polan’s consignment.

“I love those guys,” Polan said. “They’ve done so well with Wit.”