NEWS: SALES

Speedy Sky Mesa colt brings $300,000 at Keeneland April

Tuesday, April 8th, 2014
Keeneland Photo

Keeneland Photo

by Sarah Mace

A colt by Sky Mesa, who owned the fastest time for a furlong in the presale under-tack show, was hammered down for $300,000 at the single-session Keeneland April 2-year-olds in training sale on Monday. Mark Casse, agent, signed the ticket for the bay colt, who was the co-tenth top seller at the boutique sale.

With Keeneland’s Polytrack surface tightened by some morning rain and yielding fast works throughout last Thursday’s breeze show, the bay colt (Hip 69) led the dozen juveniles who worked a furlong under :10, firing a bullet work of :9 2/5. [Keeneland Video]. The time was the fastest one-furlong breeze of the year through the four select under-tack shows at Keeneland, Barretts, Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. and Fasig-Tipton Florida.

Becky Thomas, whose Sequel Bloodstock consigned the juvenile, said, “He’s a lovely colt. He’s tall, leggy, stretchy. He looks like he’ll go a route of ground. I know he’s definitely a fast boy. He’d have been a fast boy at our farm or anywhere else we took him.”

Bred by Michael Mandara and foaled on May 2, 2012 at Sequel Stallions NY in Hudson the colt boasts a number of very distinguished runners in his pedigree, led by Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Spain (Drina/Thunder Gulch), Grade 2 winner Puerto Banus, and Grade/Group 3 winners Plan, Fantastic Spain, and Excited.

He also has right to be fast on his own account. He is the second of three registered foals from Alfonsina, a multiple graded stakes-placed runner by Grand Slam, also bred by Mandara and very familiar to Thomas.

“I had his mother, and she was one of the fastest horses I’d ever had,” said Thomas. “I loved this colt the first time I saw him. He went through a thick phase, but he has thinned himself out. Having had his mother I kind of knew what he was going to look like when he got everything together. I knew he would be fast.”

The colt’s sale history is a clinic in patience. Offered first at the Fasig-Tipton preferred New York-bred sale last August, he failed to meet his reserve when bid up to $57,000. He also failed to meet his RNA at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling sale.

Said Thomas, “The owner did not get him sold at the New York-bred sale and I bought him privately after that. I tried to resell him in October and didn’t get that done, so I took him here. He’s very nice. I had his mother, so it was easy, because she was very fast.”

Alfonsina currently has an unraced 3-year-old filly by Harlan’s Holiday named Here’s Belle, a yearling filly by Girolamo and was bred last year to El Corredor.

One Response to “Speedy Sky Mesa colt brings $300,000 at Keeneland April”

  1. Bill Barone says:

    Becky is an excellent pin hooker as well as a horsemen , breeder , owner. Her accomplishments never cease. I recall a Sea of Secret 2 yr old she pin hooked & sold at Barrets, a top priced record at the time as I recall was $2.1 million.

    Note: This years Ky Derby top earner from NYRA is a NYB that was bred by one of her stallions who stands at SEQUEL STALLIONS in Hudson, NY named SAMRATT by Noble Causeway.
    Good Luck to him come May 3rd, hoping for another Funny Cide.

    Bill / Sunny Crest Farm , NY.

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