Recent winners Double Dream, Edgartown bring $350,000 each to top single-day auction

Two horses coming off victories – Double Dream, a 3-year-old filly by Curlin, and Edgartown, a 2-year-old colt by Quality Road – each sold for $350,000 to lead a strong day of trade during Friday’s Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale, a single-session auction for racehorses that followed the nine-day November Breeding Stock Sale. Case Clay bought both horses for separate interests.

Last year, Keeneland created the stand-alone auction for horses of racing age, who formerly were included in the November Breeding Stock Sale. 

Today, 155 horses sold through the ring for $7,864,000, for an average of $50,735 and a median of $30,000. The gross declined 28.47% from $10,994,500 paid for 160 horses, while the average was 26.17% lower than $68,716 last year and the median was 16.67% below $36,000.

“Overall, it was a healthy day of trade,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “A diverse group of buyers from around the world representing breeders, bloodstock agents, racing interests and trainers participated. The clearance rate was right at 84% and trade was consistent throughout the day. Fillies and colts with good pedigrees and race records sold extremely well. 

“This is a sale that allows buyers to come in and do their homework,” Lacy added. “They can see these horses, vet them and put them through the scrutiny they need in this more stringent environment. That creates a very healthy transparency that is critical at this point. Overall, we are very satisfied.”

Double Dream, who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Verrazano and Grade 2 winner El Padrino, won a Oct. 3 maiden special weight race at Parx Racing. Purchased by Case Clay/Jon Freyer, agent, she is from the family of champion Queena and Grade 1 winners Chic Shirine, Serra Lake, Olympiad, Preservationist, Somali Lemonade and Harmonize. ELiTE, agent, consigned Double Dream, who is out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Enchanted Rock.

“She will go to Australia and be a broodmare,” Clay said. “Maybe she’ll race a little bit down there, but ultimately, she will be for breeding purposes. Great pedigree, a beautiful filly. It looks like she’ll be a great broodmare.”

With sales of $2,635,000 for 38 horses sold through the ring, ELiTE was the auction’s leading consignor. 

In the name of Case Clay Thoroughbred Management, Clay paid $350,000 for Edgartown, a 2-year-old colt by Quality Road who won a Nov. 4 maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs. Consigned by Highgate Sales, agent, he is out of Love Child, by Fed Biz, and from the family of Racing Hall of Famer Serena’s Song.

“He will be racing here in America for Wathnan Racing,” Clay said about Edgartown. “His form stands up really well. He was second (in his first start) to (eventual Castle & Key) Bourbon Stakes (G2) winner Can Group. He has good form and he’s a good-looking colt, so we’ll try to do well for him here in the U.S.”

Jacob West of Highgate raced Edgartown in the name of West Bloodstock.

“I don’t own racehorses, but I ended up with him,” West said. “I believed in the horse, so I kept him and put him in training with Joe Sharp, a good friend of mine. He and his team did an incredible job. We knew the colt was talented, and he showed it. We put a very low reserve on him. I believe you get more money in the ring than you do privately. Based on phone calls I was getting before the sale, it proved true.

“When you bring a horse to this sale, you can take X-rays, scope them and (veterinarians) and buyers can lay their hands on them,” West added. “You get top dollar because there is confidence buying them here. Hats off to Keeneland for having these sales.” 

Dixiana Farms paid $250,000 for multiple stakes winner Train to Artemus, 5-year-old daughter of Tapizar who was third behind Tony Ann and Caravel in Keeneland’s Franklin (G2) on Oct. 15. Bluewater Sales, agent, consigned Train to Artemus, who has earned $549,718 with nine wins in 21 starts. Her dam is the winning Kitten’s Joy mare Pay Day Kitten.

Dixiana owner William J. Shively said he might continue racing Train to Artemus.

“I really like grass fillies, and we like to breed grass horses,” Shively said. “I think she’s a really nice mare. She’s very physically fit, she’s a nice one. I looked back at her races to see what she did. I liked that she started young and right away, and she’s still going, which is pretty good. (For) as long as she’s been running, (her record is) pretty solid.”

Dixiana was the sale’s leading buyer, spending $415,000 for two horses. At $165,000, Dixiana’s other purchase was Up and Down, a 3-year-old stakes-placed filly by Creative Cause who won a maiden special weight race at Keeneland in April. A half-sister to Grade 2 winner and millionaire Fluffy Socks consigned by Mill Ridge Sales, agent, she is out of Breakfast Time, by Kitten’s Joy.

Two horses sold for $240,000 each.

Chad Schumer, agent, went to the amount to acquire Grade 3 winner King Fury, a 5-year-old son of Curlin who has earned $733,014, and said the horse would be sent to Saudi Arabia and likely enter stud. Consigned by Gainesway, agent, King Fury is out of Grade 1-winning millionaire Taris, by Flatter, and from the family of stakes winners Theatre Star, Ocean Club and Stoweshoe.

“He’s been on our radar for quite a while,” Schumer said about King Fury. “We’ve been looking for sons of Curlin. He’s obviously starting off as a fantastic sire of sires. I think he’s just super impressive. To have a graded stakes-winning son of Curlin is just a tremendous asset. The colt was absolutely beautiful; he could not have been better looking. I don’t think I’ve bought a horse as good-looking as that. We’re just delighted to have him.”

Frat Pack, a 4-year-old Upstart colt who was an allowance winner Oct. 7 at Belmont at the Big A, sold for $240,000 to Legion Bloodstock, agent for Graham Grace Stable. Consigned by ELiTE, agent, he is out of the Warrior’s Reward mare Miss Baby Betty and from the family of Grade 2 winner Vegas Magic and Grade 3 winner Sweet Whiskey.