NEWS: SALES

Quality Road filly tops New York-bred youngsters in Book 1 at Keeneland January

Wednesday, January 9th, 2019

Keeneland photo

By Sarah Mace

Tuesday’s second and concluding session of Book 1 at Keeneland’s four-day January Horses of All Ages Sale saw a marked uptick in buyer interest in New York-bred short yearlings. A pair of fillies topped the Empire State-bred offerings on the second day of trading, led by a Quality Road filly bred by Dr. Jerry Bilinski and Harry Patten who fetched $200,000 from K.M.C.F.F. Stable.

Offered as Hip 632 for Bilinski’s Waldorf Farm from the consignment of Stuart Morris, the bay Quality Road filly foaled on April 9, 2018 is out of As Promised, a placed Kentucky-bred mare by Century City (IRE). As Promised was campaigned by Darlene Bilinski and Harry Patton and trained by Gary Contessa, who purchased the mare as a 2-year-old for $35,000 at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale.

As Promised has produced five winners from six starters, led by top-earner Flattermefabulous ($141,528). She is a half-sister to stakes winners Daytime Promise (Five Star Day) – also a graded stakes performer – and Promiseville (Alwasmi). Promiseville went on to produce Small Promises, the Sovereign Award-winning Champion Older Mare of 2002. As Promised also is the dam New York-bred stakes performer Diamond Anchor. The filly’s second dam is stakes winner Roan Promise (Wise Exchange). As Promised has a juvenile filly by Japan and was bred in 2018 to Mission Impazible.

Also attracting buyers’ attention was Hip 533, a yearling filly from the first crop of Runhappy bred by Hidden Lake Farm, LLC in partnership with Fred Rosen. The April 19 bay filly, who was consigned by Mulholland Springs, Agent VII, was hammered down to AROC Bloodstock for $170,000.

Hip 533 is the second reported foal out of young New York-bred race mare Sentimental Lass, a daughter of Freud bred by Windhorse Thoroughbreds who won the 2010 Maid of the mist Stakes. The filly’s second dam is stakes winner Scottish Bubbly (Cherokee Run), who also produced New York Stallion Stakes Series winner Chasing Bubbles (Posse). Sentimental Lass was bred to Practical Joke in 2018.

The top New York-bred short yearling colt to change hands in Keeneland January’s first book, also in session two, was a youngster by Palace Malice consigned by Indian Creek, Agent as Hip 685. Bred by Wildwood Farm and foaled on February 25, 2018, the dark bay or brown colt was purchased by de Meric Stables on behalf of Backstretch Farms for $80,000.

The colt is out of Court Dress, an unraced daughter of Speightstown who is out of stakes winner and multiple stakes producer Well Dressed (Notebook) and a half-sister to gelding Well Armed (Tiznow). Following a storied comeback from a fractured pelvis at three, Well Armed won the $6 million Dubai World Cup at six in 2009 and retired with $5,179,803 in earnings.

Court Dress is also the half-sister to graded stakes winner and stakes producer Witty (Distorted Humor), two more stakes performers and the mare who produced multiple stakes winner and multiple graded stakes placed runner Awesome Flower. Court Dress has produced two winners to date, including Estilo Femenino, a multiple stakes performer. She was bred to Noble Mission in 2018.

By the midpoint of the Keeneland January sale, 33 New York-breds of all ages passed through the sales ring, and 25 found new homes for an average price of $40,828 and median of $26,000. Overall, through two sessions of the four-day January Sale, 465 horses have grossed $38,857,300, for an average of $83,564 and a median of $37,000.

The January Sale runs through Thursday. All sessions begin at 10 a.m. ET. The entire sale is streamed live on Keeneland.com.

 

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