LEXINGTON, Ky. - Anyone stopping by Darby Dan Farm on Wednesday morning to look at stallions around 10 a.m. witnessed a curious scene. A Brinks armored truck pulled up in front of the farm's colonnaded main house, where Thoroughbred breeder and renowned geologist Charles Fipke and a crowd of about 15 spectators stood waiting. A Brinks guard emerged from the truck and, after collecting Fipke's signature, handed him a clear plastic bag containing a box about 8 inches square.
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DRF Past Performances
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A day after seeing Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Stevie Wonderboy's dam sell for $1.1 million, Keeneland's November mixed sale continued to confound bidders hoping for bargains. In its fifth day Friday, the 12-session auction was still reeling off high prices for both mares and weanlings, as major buyers were still on hand to clash over choice lots.
Leroidesanimaux, a multiple Grade 1 winner and runner-up to Artie Schiller in the Breeders' Cup Mile, has been retired to stud at Stonewall Farm in Versailles, Ky. A 5-year-old Candy Stripes horse, Leroidesanimaux will stand for a $30,000 fee, the farm announced Friday.
, whose name means "king of the animals" in French, was bred in Brazil by Haras Bage do Sul. He began racing at age 3, and won his second start by more than 11 lengths and then finished second in a Brazilian Grade 1 stakes.
Winter Garden, one of Canada's top fillies last year, brought a whopping $575,000 at the first session of the Keeneland November sale last week, a fairytale ending for owner Frank DiGiulio Jr. and trainer Robert Tiller.
Originally a $30,000 yearling purchase by Tiller, Winter Garden won 12 of 18 starts, six stakes and more than $902,000.
A Kentucky-bred daughter of Roy out of the Canadian-bred Bold Ruckus mare Hillsburgh Rumors, Winter Garden was bred this spring to Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Speightstown and sold in foal to that stallion.
On Sunday, Nov. 27, at the north wing of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's training facilities, the Florida Farm Managers Inc. will conduct its annual stallion review.
The entry list closes Friday, said Debbe Wojack, executive director of the farm managers' group. Wojack added that there is a tendency among the stallion owners and syndicates to wait until the last minute, so the list of stallions is pretty much a work in progress right up to show time.
First Class Guy was the odds-on favorite when he blew away his rivals to score by 6 1/2 lengths in the colts division of the New Jersey Futurity on Nov. 4 at The Meadowlands. Still, his performance came as a surprise to Charles and Marianne Hesse, his breeder-owners, who race as Char-Mari Stable.
"We thought our other horse would win," said Marianne Hesse, who also owns the race's fourth-place finisher, Skip Along Jet, in partnership with Norma Hess.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - One day after posting strong increases, the Keeneland November mixed sale continued to ring up impressive mare prices on Thursday, its fourth day.
By 5:30 p.m., Thursday's top seller was a $650,000 broodmare, Pure Charm, purchased by agent P. F. McCarthy. A 7-year-old Storm Cat mare, Pure Charm is a daughter of stakes winner Testy Trestle, who hails from a prolific family of graded winners, most notably Sports View and Classy Cathy. Mimi's Golden Girl, the dam of Grade 1-placed Noble Causeway, also is in the family.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - After strong selling on Monday and Tuesday, Keeneland's November mixed breeding stock market continued to impress buyers with its high prices for broodmares and weanlings alike.
After Ashado's world-record $9 million sale at Monday's opener and Win's Fair Lady's session-topping $2.2 million price on Tuesday, day three on Wednesday appeared tame to casual spectators. But, for buyers hoping to catch a bargain, the competition was stiff.