Strive sells for $180,000 as 8th day's early leader

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Keeneland November mixed sale, which enjoyed a bullish market in its opening week, started its second week with a downturn but maintained strong figures overall.

After showing losses Sunday, the auction continued Monday with the $180,000 stallion prospect Strive being the early session leader by 5:30 p.m. on a gray, drizzly afternoon. Patricia Youngman purchased Strive from consignor Mill Ridge, which offered Strive on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Marty Wygod. A 6-year-old Deputy Minister horse, Strive is a stakes-placed earner of more than $280,000. A son of the stakes-placed Flying Paster mare Symbolically, he is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Pirate's Revenge and three other stakes winners, including the dam of 2004 champion juvenile filly Sweet Catomine.

The Sunday session, day seven of the 12-day sale, closed with declines despite selling 10 horses for $100,000 or more. Foremost among those was a $230,000 weanling colt by Tiznow, a young sire whose first runners this season included Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Folklore. Lobo Farm purchased the colt, a son of 9-year-old stakes-winning mare Financial Lady, from consignor Eaton Sales agency. Financial Lady already is the dam of one winner, a Tale of the Cat gelding named Gatito Fuerte.

Despite healthy trade in the $30,000 to $70,000 range, the Sunday session couldn't keep pace with last year's seventh day. The 2005 session sold 243 horses for $8,371,800, down 15 percent from last season's seventh-day gross of $9,875,000, accumulated from the sales of 256 horses. The 2005 average price of $34,452 was slightly off last year's $38,574, and the median slipped 17 percent to $25,000.

The seven-day cumulative figures, however, showed that the Keeneland November mixed sale was still ahead of last year's pace. Through Sunday's seventh session, the last for which complete financial figures were available, the auction had sold 1,632 horses for $266,211,700, up from last season's cumulative $257,217,900 for 1,692 lots. The seven-day average of $163,120 also was up, by 7 percent, from last year. Median was up by 21 percent, from $62,000 to $75,000.

The sale was to continue through Nov. 18 in the Keeneland sale pavilion. Sessions begin at 10 a.m.