Lexington, Ky - Keeneland’s January Horses of All Ages Sale closed its first session Monday with gains in the total sales receipts and average prices.
The day’s average was $76,276, a 14.4 percent increase from the 2012 sale. The day’s total sales were up over $2 million, to $15,331,400 from $13,932,200 last year, representing a 10 percent increase. Perhaps equally notably however, the number of horses not attaining their reserve jumped up 30 percent in Monday’s session from last year’s opener. The median fell by $2,000 to $30,000.
“You never like to be up in the not-solds,” said Walt Robertson, Keeneland’s vice president of sales. “Unfortunately there’s not a spot for every horse.”
The session’s top seller was Hip 110, Nereid, a broodmare prospect who commanded a final bid of $1.3 million. She was purchased by Lane Seliger for Baumann Stables, who declined comment on future plans for the mare.
While Nereid is her mother’s only runner to win according to the catalog, she has done so in notable fashion, having won the G1 American Oaks Stakes in California in 2011 and finishing out her career in September with a second place finish in the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes.
“She’s one gorgeous mare, and she was the star of the show,” said Don Robinson of consignor Winter Quarter Farm. “She was extraordinary in this sale in November.”
Nereid was originally entered on Day One of the Keeneland November sale but was withdrawn.
Robinson said he expected a high price for the mare, who is one of the most expensive horses he has sold in his career.
Additional notable prices came back-to-back later in the sale, when Hips 134 and 135 cracked $700,000 for the second- and third-highest pries of the day.
Hip 134 was recently-raced four-year-old Potesta, who won the Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar in September and drew a final bid of $800,000 just seconds before the final hammer went down. She was purchased by agent John Moynihan for Stonestreet Farm.
“If she’d been in the [G1 Breeders’ Cup] Ladies’ Classic, she would have been a force to be reckoned with. We’re happy to have her,” Moynihan commented to Three Chimneys director of sales Guinness McFadden.
Potesta suffered a condylar fracture as she prepared for the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships last fall.
No stud plans have been made for her yet, according to Moynihan.
Potesta is by Macho Uno, a champion juvenile runner who currently finished 2012 in twelfth place on the list of leading sires in North America. Her dam, Katzen, has produced one other stakes winner, a colt by Buddha running in Peru.
Potesta was consigned by Three Chimneys Farm.
Hip 135 was Princess Arabella, who brought $725,000 for consignor Taylor Made Sales Agency. The lightly-raced four-year-old filly has G1 Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch, and leading sire Distorted Humor two generations back in her pedigree. She sold in foal to Tapit.
“She’s a beautiful mare that obviously had tons of talent, and she’s obviously in foal to the right stallion,” said Jane Lyon of buyer Summer Hill Farm. Lyon reported that 2013 stud plans for the mare will depend on what this year’s foal looks like.
Overall, the market was much more in favor of American buyers than Keeneland’s November sale for the same equine age groups.
“It was nice to see domestic buyer participation,” said Geoffrey Russell, director of sales. “I think some of the momentum will continue on.”
Live video is available at http://www.keeneland.com/sales. The sale runs through Friday.