Deauville ‘De Rigueur’ in December for American Enthusiasts

[Wandering Eyes]

Nope. Just can't figure it out. Why on earth, at the end of another grueling sales cycle, would so many Americans scrape together the last of their resources, in energy and funds, and get on a plane for one final auction in France?

Setting aside, that is, the langoustines and truffles; the calvados and cider; the designer boutiques; the Christmas lights that transform an elegant summer resort into a filmset apt for a French remake of It's A Wonderful Life; the medieval villages huddled, in the early dusk of midwinter, under idle plumes of chimney smoke; and a final chance for festivity among professional peers before dispersing for holidays at home, and a well-earned break.

Unless, perhaps, it has something to do with the horses.

Looking at recent editions of the Arqana Vente d'Elevage, it does seem actually seem quite conceivable that the catalogue itself may be animating the dozens of Americans who have again booked a trip to Deauville for December 6-9. Last year, indeed, four of the top five lots at the principal session were intended to continue their track careers in the United States, ahead of a potential endgame in introducing some genetic diversity to the Bluegrass.

Not all those plans appear to have worked out quite as intended, but then these investments can always provide a moving target. Take Excellent Truth (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), purchased at Arqana for €1.6 million as a Group 3 winner. Switched to Chad Brown, she earned just under $500,000 in three starts for Resolute Racing, notably winning the GI Diana Stakes, before being sold to Katsumi Yoshida for $2.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. An unconventional pinhook, no doubt. But her career path-bred and sold in Ireland; raced and sold in France; raced and sold in America; and now evidently destined to begin her breeding career in Japan-shows just how flexibly these international “commodities” can nowadays be adapted to different strategies.

And, of course, all those ancillary delights do count for something.

Chad Schumer, unquestionably one of the hardest working agents on the international circuit, will naturally work this catalogue as diligently as he does any other. But he does acknowledge that business, at Deauville in December, can always be blended with a little pleasure.

“Festive,” Schumer says. “That's definitely the word I would use to describe not only the beautifully decorated town, but the atmosphere surrounding the last sale of the season. You'd rarely encounter so many pleasant facial expressions, despite results in the ring!

“Personally, we've had good luck at this sale and hope to again. If not, I'll come away as usual with some wonderful nights at any of the many fantastic restaurants-not to mention the lively conversations to be had, among many other stops, at the bar at the Normandy Hotel.”

But first and foremost, of course, Schumer views the trip as a professional imperative.

“For American buyers, there are so many options both in terms of breeding stock and racing opportunities,” he says. “In our country, grass racing seems to become more and more popular and, perhaps no less importantly, plentiful in options. The French fillies have done very well in the U.S. and usually there are plenty on offer that could go on and race over here.

Siyouni-©Zuzanna-Lupa.jpg" alt="The sire Siyouni at Haras de Bonneval" width="1155" height="840" /> Siyouni | Zuzanna Lupa

“In terms of breeding stock, the annual reduction by the Aga Khan Studs would have to be the first place to start. So many of those culls have gone on the be the cornerstones of other breeding programs. Americans would be remiss not to have a deep dive into the options, which include mares in foal to Siyouni (Fr) and Zarak (Fr), as well as the Studs' exciting young sires Vadeni (Fr) and Erevann (Fr).  Godolphin, too, offers a reduction with many of those ready to carry on racing.”

As we noted in recently browsing the upcoming December Sale at Tattersalls, American prospectors generally target such opportunities because they want to introduce something different to their broodmare bands. While few commercial programs in the U.S. are truly walking the walk, when it comes to turf bloodlines, nobody can deny the increasingly lucrative horizons opening on grass (and synthetics). But a sale like this does offer another, residual opportunity: mares with American backgrounds, which would not perplex or frighten off commercial shoppers if “repatriated” to a catalogue page in America.

It might seem perverse to go all the way to France to import the kind of horses that saturate the domestic market, especially given the extra costs nowadays. But the fact is that such horses might well fall between the cracks: between, that is, the notoriously insular European shoppers and the Americans in town precisely because they want to diversify.

There are, for instance, five daughters of Justify in the catalogue. These include the 3-year-old Just Before[217], who won a couple of small races in Ireland before being retired with a cover by St Mark's Basilica. She's a daughter of Gagnoa (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), the dual Classic-placed sibling to G1 Derby winner Pour Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). Gagnoa is now advancing in years but has produced a few accomplished types, notably Ancient Rome (War Front), who missed a Group 1 by a head as a juvenile. Ancient Rome's sister Etoile herself won a Group sprint as a youngster and is since the dam of No Nay Mets (Ire) (No Nay Never), triple stakes-winning juvenile sprinter in the US a couple of years ago.

Another 3-year-old, Misty Quality [130] (Quality Road) has an internationally resonant page. She is a minor winner in France, having been exported from Book I of the Keeneland September Sale as a yearling, and offers a conduit to an outstanding Coolmore family: she's out of triple Group 1 winner Roly Poly (War Front), herself a sister to the top-class sprinter U S Navy Flag out of the aristocratic Classic winner Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

American Pharoah | Sarah Andrew

Perhaps still more resonant is the family behind the unraced 6-year-old Pretty Milanova [163], an American Pharoah half-sister to the four-time Group 1 winner Peeping Fawn (Danehill), who has produced a couple of very talented runners. Their mother Maryinsky (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) was a Group 1-placed half-sister to none other than blue hen Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister). Pretty Milanova arrives with a cover of corresponding glamor in Lope De Vega (Ire), so that puts her next owner €200,000 ahead of the game just in terms of a covering fee.

Another tremendous Coolmore family is accessible through the 4-year-old Mo Tambourine, who showed little in a light career but is by Uncle Mo out of a full-sister to a series of elite performers including the Classic winners Minding (Ire) and Tuesday (Ire): they're all by Galileo (Ire) out of the G1 Coronation Stakes winner Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Minding is the dam of the classy Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {GB}), so the quality is repeating. Mo Tambourine arrives with a first cover by Metropolitan (Fr).

A somewhat older mare who may nonetheless have some extra mileage is the 11-year-old Spooky Woods [237], a daughter of Justify's damsire Ghostzapper with a couple of black-type placings to her credit. That's because her half-sister by Astrology is now the dam of GI Pacific Classic winner and young Hill 'n' Dale stallion Arabian Knight; while her daughter by Speightstown included a couple of stakes wins when going on a streak of four last winter. She's in foal to Big Rock (Fr).

Good Business [443} might also warrant consideration, at the age of 10: in foal to Onesto (Ire), she's a Speightstown half-sister to a multiple graded stakes performer in Compelled (War Front)-and their dam was a Dynaformer half-sister to none other than Malibu Moon (A.P. Indy). Other stallions to have come out of this family, either side of the water, include Temple City. This page could well find extra traction in Kentucky.

Freddy Powell, director-general at Arqana, acknowledges that the catalogue's emphasis is turf. “But that doesn't just mean performers that can go on and race on the grass circuits in America, but also proper turf bloodlines: the best damsires in Europe, and mares in-foal to the best European stallions,” he says. “We have quite a few high-profile fillies to race on, with 40 rated 90 or more.”

By way of example, Powell mentioned the juvenile Half Sovereign (Fr) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) [195], recent winner of the G3 Prix Miesque; the multiple stakes-placed Ginalyah [205] (Chachnak {Fr}); German Classic-placed Nyra (Ger) (Isfahan {Ger}) [187]; and the Aga Khan Studs sophomore Ashikidah (Fr) (Belardo {Ire}) [11], lately beaten just a head in a field of 18 for a Listed prize at Longchamp.

Powell also noted that the dams of Gewan (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Zavateri (Ire) (Without Parole {GB}) and Balantina (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire})-all 2-year-olds Group 1 winners in 2025-each passed through this auction. (In fact, Gewan's dam is a half-sister to Ginalyah.)

“The Deauville Breeding Stock Sale is unique,” Powell declares, in summary. “Sort of, 'Find your next Grade I winner in an atmosphere of compulsory fun!' A combination of great bloodstock and a wonderful lifestyle experience.”

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