‘Everybody is Still Here’: Yaupon Colts Lead Action at Keeneland Sunday

[Wandering Eyes]

Competitive bidding continued throughout the day Sunday as the Book 4 section of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale opened Sunday with a pair of weanlings by Yaupon leading the way. For the session, 267 horses grossed $10,837,500 for an average of $40,964 and a median of $30,000. The average was up 14.70% and the median was up 20.00% from last year's corresponding session when 270 horses sold for $9,642,400 and the average was $35,713 and the median was $25,000. With 58 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate for the session was 17.85%. It was 20.35% a year ago.

A colt by Yaupon (hip 2054) consigned by Grant and Tracy O'Shaughnessy's Serendipity Farm brought the session's top price when selling for $290,000 to Al Jawzaa General Trading LLC.

“We felt pretty good about him because he had 33 vets and 129 looks,” Tracy O'Shaughnessy said Sunday evening. “We were told he was one of the nicer ones today, so we were feeling pretty confident.”

Serendipity Farm consigned the weanling on behalf of breeder George Bates, who purchased the colt's dam, Gypsy's Feather (Munnings), for $20,000 at the 2022 Keeneland January sale. The farm also consigned the colt's full-brother who sold for $300,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“I think this guy probably had a little more leg,” Tracy said. “But overall, I think they were almost identical.”

The Big Bear Bloodstock pinhooking partnership made the second highest bid of Sunday's session, going to $250,000 to acquire another colt by Yaupon (hip 2247) from the Legacy Bloodstock consignment. The Spendthrift stallion was also represented by the highest-priced filly of Sunday's session with Buena Madera purchasing hip 1938 for $140,000 from Scott Mallory's consignment.

Yaupon currently sits atop the freshman sire rankings with 25 winners and seven stakes winners.

“He looks like he has the numbers and they look to be fast,” Grant O'Shaughnessy said of Yaupon's foals.

“They are well balanced with plenty of leg,” Tracy added. “They all seem to have that same kind eye–that's what I've noticed with these guys anyway–and a good brain.”

The session topper was one of six to sell from the Serendipity consignment Sunday. The group also included a filly by Taiba (hip 2250) who sold for $85,000 and a colt by Arcangelo (hip 2107) who sold for $80,000.

“Everybody is still here,” Tracy said. “We sold a few others that exceeded expectations for us. We had an Arcangelo that sold really well and a Taiba who made about twice as much as we thought she'd make. We heard that comment a lot, that the weanlings in general are just bringing crazy money. And that's just carried on into Book 4.”

Grant agreed that the strength of the market through its first week had a trickle down effect as buyers who got shut out through the first six sessions were active into Book 4 Sunday.

“It's been very busy. There is a lot of activity,” he said. “The nice horses are going for such high dollars. You have to be cognizant of the fact that, especially pinhookers, you can't go paying crazy money because you have to factor in that you have to try to make that money back next year. I think the market is going to be buoyant into next year, but again, who knows?”

Hidden Brook Farm purchased the two top-priced mares of Sunday's session, going to $220,000 to acquire the 4-year-old Ella Elizabeth (Take Charge Indy) (hip 2009) from the Glendalough at Dromoland consignment and returning to that same consignment to acquire She Caught My Eye (Violence) (hip 2226), in foal to Domestic Product, for $170,000.

Hidden Brook purchased five head Sunday for $620,000 and was the session's leading buyer.

“We are just looking to upgrade the broodmare band at the farm,” said Hidden Brook's Sergio de Sousa. “We are looking for  good-looking mares with a bit of pedigree and hopefully in foal to the right sire, so we can just keep trading.”

Ella Elizabeth is a full-sister to graded stakes winner Take Charge Paula (Take Charge Indy), the dam of multiple stakes winner Long Neck Paula (Uncle Mo), and she sold in foal to Uncle Mo's son Golden Pal.

“It's a live family,” de Sousa said of the mare's appeal. “We liked the ones that we had by Golden Pal and we like the mare physically. She was a really, really pretty mare. So hopefully she will produce a nice foal.”

Of Ella Elizabeth's price tag, de Sousa said, “We were outbid on a few mares before, like everybody else. So we felt like, for the right one, you have to stretch a little bit to buy something good-looking that you don't mind looking at every day.”

Hidden Brook was also active as sellers Sunday and of the market into Book 4, de Sousa said, “The mares need to be good physically and in foal to the right sire. If the two match, you did really well. The foals have been the same. It was very strong, but you still had to vet and look decent enough. And then the market was there for it. It's competitive, which is good. And hopefully it will continue.”

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continues through Tuesday with sessions beginning each day at 10 a.m.

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