By Sarah Mace
A $275,000 New York-bred colt from the second crop of Violence (Hip 1634) topped all weanling offerings Saturday in the opening session of Book 3 of the Keeneland November sale.
Through the conclusion of Book 3 on Sunday, New York-breds have performed very well. The New York buyback percentage is significantly lower than the general population of the sale, and the New York median is outperforming the overall median by nearly 15%.
Bred by Tom Ryan et al’s SF Bloodstock LLC, the Violence colt was landed by owner/breeder Mary A. Sullivan from the consignment of Select Sales, Agent LVII. One hip earlier, his dam Five Star Momma sold as the session topper, going to Evelyn Benoit’s “Star Guitar” for $550,000. The 7-year-old Kentucky-bred mare is a multiple stakes winner and multiple graded stakes performer by Five Star Day. The New York-bred Violence colt, born February 17, is her first foal.
Crestwood Farm’s Phil Hager, who made the winning bid on the weanling for Sullivan, explained to the TDN that she “was looking for a New York-bred colt. We missed on some yearlings, so she wanted to get a weanling. We loved the physical and the mare could really run.”
Select Sale’s Carrie Brogden commented, “When the [Violence] baby came to be prepped at my farm about 60 days ago, I called [breeder] Tom Ryan and said, ‘Wow, wow, wow, wow!’ Mares just don’t have first foals like this. Quality is what everyone wants and quality is what he is.”
Continued Brogden, “He just exuded class. He was so special. I must have been asked for his vet report 40 times in the back ring. Everyone was falling all over themselves. He is what everyone wants to breed. And on top of that, he is a registered New York-bred.”
Through the first three Books of the Keeneland November sale, New York-breds have been well-received (34 sold of 43 offered), resulting in a buyback percentage of only 20.9%, compared to the 30.8% RNA rate for the sale at large.
The $86,000 New York-bred median is nearly 15% better than the cumulative sale median of $75,000. The New York-bred average price for the sale remains strong, coming in at $103,397 compared to $155,941 for all horses at the sale to date.
The Keeneland sale continues through November 20.
