By Sarah Mace
Following up on the successes of two New York-breds who brought seven figures at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall mixed sale, New York race mares continued to roll when Keenland took over the baton of the mixed sale season on Election Day, the opening day of the marathon November breeding stock sale which runs through November 20.
During the Tuesday and Wednesday sessions that comprised Book 1, all three New York-breds offered changed hands for six figures, topped by a pair of in-foal mares who brought $300,000 and $250,000 respectively.
The New York-bred top seller of Book 1 was 4-year-old Harlan’s Honor (Hip 212), an open stakes winner by the late Harlan’s Holiday who was purchased by Bridlewood Farm for $300,000 from the Taylor Made consignment. Harlan’s Honor is in foal to Liam’s Map on a March 19 cover.
A bay, Harlan’s Honor was bred by Marty Zaretsky and is out of stakes-placed Indian Rush. Her third dam, Secret Rhapsody, is stakes winner and stakes producer, as is her fourth dam Hear a Rhapsody.
Four horses later Grade 3 winner Hot Stones (Hip 216), a 6-year-old daughter of New York-based sire Bustin Stones, brought $250,000 from the consignment of Timber Town (Mr. & Mrs. T. Wayne Sweezey) who acted as agent for R. S. Evans. Hot Stones is in foal toTonalist on a January 27 mating. Clarkland Farm signed the ticket.
Hot Stones won the 2014 Grade 3 Bed o’ Roses at Belmont Park and 2015 restricted Saratoga Dew Stakes at Saratoga, and her overall racing resume is impressive. An earner of over a half-million dollars ($521,356), she owns 8 wins and five placings from 19 career starts.
Bred by Jerry Bilinski in partnership with Roddy Valente Hot Stones is out of Steamed Up, an unraced New York-bred daughter of New York sire Freud and half sister to stakes winner Like a Rose.
At the completion of Keeneland’s first book the indicators were encouraging. The average price was $406,794, an increase of 4.2% from last year, while the median rose by 13% to $260,000. The Book 1 buyback rate was 28.7%, a slight increase from 27.5% in 2015.
Book 2 of the Keenland sale is spread over Thursday’s and Friday’s sessions and will cover Hips 481-1303. Sessions begin at 11:00 a.m.
Click here for New York-bred hips entered with links to the catalogue pages
