Prank, a half-sister to Belmont (G1) Presented by NYRA Bets winner Mo Donegal and an impressive debut winner at Saratoga, sold to Coolmore for $1.6 million to lead Monday’s opening session of the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale. Prank was joined Monday by $1 million seller Curlin’s Voyage, a Canadian champion who is carrying a member of the first crop of foals by 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline. The two seven-figure sales, the first at the January Sale since 2019, highlighted a day of healthy trade with increases in gross sales and average price. 

Keeneland sold 225 horses through the ring for $17,547,500, up 7.91% from $16,261,900 recorded in 2023 when 224 horses sold. Average price rose 7.43% from $72,598 to $77,989. The median of $32,000 declined 20% from $40,000.

“We have to be very happy (with the session),” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “Today’s numbers were pretty much on par for most of the day compared to last year, which was a very strong sale. There was great diversity among buyers; the top 15 horses sold to 13 different interests. Quality was very much to the fore. Generally young mares sold really well and probably for more than people thought they would. Yearlings by the right sires with the right physicals were difficult to buy. Buyers found the buying to be very competitive from all angles.

“It was good to see Tom Wachman bidding for his grandfather (Coolmore founder John Magnier),” Lacy added. “It’s nice to see the next generation rising to the top. It was great to see a program like Eclipse Thoroughbreds getting rewarded for bringing fillies to the market. It was nice to see the Japanese and European buyers traveling here for a short sale. That is encouraging and something to build on. Lots of positivity out there.”

“We had a couple of real highlights today, but there are a lot of nice horses in tomorrow’s session too,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said. “Demand for yearlings was strong, we sold 22 six-figure yearlings today versus 17 this day last year. Quality is selling really well, and I think we will see more of the same tomorrow. I was really pleased with the depth of the buyer bench. There were a lot of different people signing tickets in the ring and a lot of important buyers from America but also internationally. We’re looking forward to tomorrow and into Book 2.”

Prank, a 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief out of the Pulpit mare Callingmissbrown, was consigned by Gainesway, agent, as a broodmare prospect.

“She’s a lovely filly, a very good race filly bought for the Coolmore partners,” said Tom Wachman, the 19-year-old grandson of Coolmore founder John Magnier and an accomplished show jumper, who signed the ticket. “I would say she goes (to be bred) to Justify. He is a phenomenal stallion.”

“She was a real talent,” Gainesway General Manager Brian Graves said. “She broke her maiden by (9¾ lengths) at Saratoga. She got injured and wasn’t able to make it back, but she had the brilliance the people want: the type that if you pass that on to your foals, they could be Grade 1 winners. The day she broke her maiden, you would have said she’s the best 2-year-old in America – colts or fillies. Her figures were among the fastest at Saratoga in six years, and those horses were Grade 1 winners, so the ability was there. 

“(Today) a bidding war for her kind of ensued, and Coolmore won,” Graves continued. “She went to a smart operation who knows what they’re doing. That was a fair bit more than we thought she would bring today. We wish the buyers all the luck, and we are very appreciative.”

K I Farm paid $1 million for Curlin’s Voyage, who is in foal to Flightline. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa, agent, and supplemented to the January Sale, the 7-year-old mare is out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Atlantic Voyage and from the family of Grade 1 winner Stormello.

Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa was the day’s leading consignor, selling 20 horses for $2,937,000.

The leading buyer was Steven W. Young, who as agent for Ramona Bass and her family purchased three horses for $2,025,000. Young reported the mares will be bred to Grade 1 winner Annapolis, who was bred and campaigned by Bass Racing and was recently retired to Claiborne Farm.  

Young paid $750,000 for Bridlewood Cat, an 8-year-old stakes-placed winning daughter of Street Sense in foal to Tapit. Out of the Bluegrass Cat mare Ithinkisawapudycat, she is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Sweet Loretta and from the family of Canadian champion Spring in the Air. Bridlewood Cat was consigned by Denali Stud, agent for Bridlewood Farm.

He also paid $650,000 for Kaling, a 4-year-old Grade 1-placed winning daughter of Practical Joke. Consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent, she is out of the Indian Charlie mare Proud Indian and from the family of Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Summerly.

At $625,000, Young’s third purchase was supplement Juniper’s Moon, a Grade 3-placed winning  daughter of Galileo (IRE) out of Grade 1 winner I’m a Chatterbox, by Munnings. The 4-year-old filly was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

WM Bloodstock spent $450,000 for Capital Structure (GB), a Grade 3-placed winning daughter of Lope de Vega in foal to Uncle Mo. Hunter Valley Farm, agent, consigned the 7-year-old mare, who is out of stakes winner Moi Meme, by Teofilo, and is a full sister to stakes winners King Vega (GB) and King of Conquest.

Bringing $375,000 from Milan Bloodstock was the session’s top-priced yearling, a colt by Curlin out of Grade 1 winner A Z Warrior, by Bernardini. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa, agent, he is a half-brother to stakes winners Justa Warrior and Key To My Heart (IRE) and from the family of Grade 2 winner Jojo Warrior and Grade 3 winner E Z Warrior.