Recent Stakes Winner Normandy Coast Tops Keeneland HORA Sale

[Wandering Eyes]

Normandy Coast (Omaha Beach), winner of a rained-off renewal of the Listed Palisades Stakes at Keeneland on Apr. 6, was hammered down to owner Steven Judy for a final bid of $355,000 to top Friday's single-session Keeneland April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale. The auction took place following the conclusion of the final day of racing at the adjacent racetrack.

A $60,000 purchase out of the 2023 Fasig-Tipton October Sale, Normandy Coast raced for Red Gate Racing and was trained by Eddie Kenneally to three wins from his five starts to date. After breaking his maiden at second asking at Ellis Park last July, he went missing and picked up where he left off with a neck success in Fair Grounds allowance company Jan. 11. Eased home in the GIII Gotham Stakes Mar. 1, he rebounded in no uncertain terms in the Palisades, striking from close range and relishing the sloppy underfoot conditions en route to a 3 1/2-length victory (video) for trainer Eddie Kenneally and owner Red Gate Racing. Kenneally Racing consigned the colt to the sale as hip 80.

“Eddie is going to stay in; bought him for a friend of mine that's newer to the business,” said Donald Wells, agent for Judy's Four Sons Stable, who signed the ticket. “We are going to run on Wednesday at Churchill Downs (in the $300,000 William Walker Stakes for 3-year-olds racing 5 1/2 furlongs on turf). He has already been entered.”

 

 

The conditioner was pleased with the results.

“I think there's a lot of eyes on the races at Keeneland, and if you're fortunate enough to run well in any race, let alone a stakes race here, everybody notices,” Kenneally said. “So it's a good platform, and it's a good place to showcase a horse, especially a good horse like this. And I think the timing of the sale is ideal, too, with Churchill coming up, a lot of people in town for Derby Week. It's just a good fit for me because we run a lot of horses at Keeneland, we're stabled here, and it all worked out good.”

 

 

A winner of the Palisades Stakes on opening day of the Keeneland Spring Meet, NORMANDY COAST (Omaha Beach) tops the April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale after selling for $355,000 to Steven Judy.

Consigned by @kenneallyracing. pic.twitter.com/rntXtIbcNR

— TDN (@theTDN) April 26, 2025

 

Also bringing current form into the HORA sale was Tough Critic (Caravaggio), who ran down the heavily favored Longshoreman (Midshipman) to graduate at first asking in a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint on the afternoon of Apr. 24 (video). Added to the sale just Friday morning, the New York-bred colt–the final lot offered as hip 89–was knocked down to George Weaver, agent, for $350,000. Weaver saddled the colt to victory on Thursday for John Goldthorpe's Dew Sweepers LLC.

Weaver's assistant Blair Golen signed the ticket.

“I have always liked this horse since we have had him,” Golen said. “He's matured and grown up so much. He showed on the track (in winning his career debut at Keeneland a day earlier). There is Ascot (in England) and that is a lovely place to go and we have a string in New York. He'd be very competitive at Saratoga. He's a cool horse.”

Weaver won the 2023 G2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot with Crimson Advocate (Nyquist).

On behalf of Paramount Sales, the consignment's Lesley Campion said: “We were thrilled to consign this colt. The move he made (in winning his career debut) was phenomenal. I feel we are selling a lot of 'blue skies,' and he is loaded with potential. Going forward, they can have all the fun in the world at Royal Ascot and Saratoga, and you have the New York-bred program for him.”

Campion said Paramount consigns horses for former owner Dew Sweepers, explaining: “It is part of their business plan to race and sell.”

 

 

Winner of a Maiden Special Weight yesterday at @keenelandracing, Tough Critic sold for $350,000 at #KeeApril! Consigned by Paramount Sales, purchased by George Weaver, agent pic.twitter.com/AG9MIjJnK2

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) April 26, 2025

 

Brad Weisbord and Liz Crow's ELiTE Sales sold 23 horses for $1.885 million to lead in both categories, and the draft was topped by three horses that fetched prices in excess of $200,000.

Offered on behalf of Phil and Christine Hatfield's CHP Racing, hip 40, the 4-year-old colt Clever Mischief (Into Mischief) was purchased by Team Adams Racing's Tracy Adams for $220,000. The son of Suraya (Tiznow) most recently took his record to 2-3-0 from six starts with a last-lunge allowance success over the Gulfstream turf course Mar. 1 for trainer Chad Brown. His year-younger half-sister Lady Authentic (Authentic) sold later in the session for $37,000.

“That's the one we wanted,” Adams said. “We've got our trainer (Dana Hancock) with us. I've got my co-owner (Sal Perito here), so they're the ones that really take care of this whole thing. So when they tell me when (to bid on a horse), that's what I go by.”

Marquee Bloodstock paid $200,000 for 4-year-old 'TDN Rising Star' Speak Easy (Constitution, hip 17) while owner Michael Dubb went to the same amount for the 4-year-old colt Exploration (Curlin), winner of two straight, including a Laurel allowance Mar. 1.

A total of 44 horses were reported as sold for gross receipts of $3,884,000. The average was $88,273, while the median settled at $65,000.

“This sale was a lovely complement to the race meet,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “Everyone here tonight was having fun, and there was a buzz around the grounds. The energy from the race day rolled down the hill from the race track to the Sales Pavilion, and we look forward to even more excitement when we open our new venues.”

Added Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach: “Trade tonight was solid and the median was more comparable to the April Sales of 2022 and 2023. The horses were well received and most of all them sold through the ring.”

For full results, please visit www.keeneland.com.

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