LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Keeneland November sale entered its third day Wednesday with buyers still vying energetically for broodmares.
Helsinki, dam of the undefeated English Group 1 winner and likely champion Shamardal, brought $3.9 million late in the afternoon. The winning bidder was Coolmore Stud, with the organization's Christy Grassick signing the ticket. Helsinki, an 11-year-old Machiavellian mare, sold in foal to Cherokee Run and was part of the Taylor Made consignment.
City Zip, a Grade 1 winner, is being relocated from New York to Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Ky., Lane's End announced Tuesday. City Zip, a half-brother to this year's Breeders' Cup Classic winner, Ghostzapper, will stand for $15,000 live foal. Last year, City Zip stood for $7,500 at Contemporary Stallions in Coxsackie, N.Y.
A 6-year-old son of Carson City and the Relaunch mare Baby Zip, City Zip entered stud at Contemporary in 2002 and his first crop are yearlings of 2004. City Zip won nine races, including the Grade 1 Hopeful, and earned $818,225.
LAS VEGAS - Over the last 30 years, American breeders have stressed the importance of speed and precocity, and as a result there are precious few sources of stamina in this country. No less than 14 of the current top 20 freshman sires are speed influences whose offspring are unlikely to be effective at the American classic distance of 1 1/4 miles.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Smarty Jones dream ride continued Sunday night at Fasig-Tipton when the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner's dam, I'll Get Along, sold for $5 million. The 12-year-old Smile mare, sold in foal to Elusive Quality, is carrying a full sibling to Smarty Jones.
Olin Gentry of Gaines-Gentry Thoroughbreds signed the receipt after beating back several of the bloodstock market's most powerful rivals, including Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum's representative, John Ferguson, and ClassicStar principal David Plummer.
LEXINGTON, KY. - One of the consistently handsome and athletic types that made his sire, End Sweep, an immediate success at stud, Precise End proved a high-quality racehorse, winning stakes at 2 and 3, and is showing considerable promise with his first crop of racers this year.
Birdstone, the Belmont Stakes winner who ended Smarty Jones's bid for the 2004 Triple Crown, will enter stud in 2005 at Gainesway in Lexington, Ky.
A 3-year-old Grindstone colt, Birdstone will stand for $10,000, according to John Hendrickson, the husband of Birdstone's owner and breeder, Marylou Whitney. Birdstone was foaled at Gainesway.
Birdstone was retired last week after X-rays showed he had a bone chip in his left front ankle. Birdstone finished seventh in his last start, the Breeders' Cup Classic at Lone Star Park, on Oct. 30.
