Off Russell Cave Road near Lexington, you will find the picturesque Clearsky Farms, beautifully manicured and tucked away behind a tree-lined road. Initially started in 2009 by the late Irish-born businessman Eamon Cleary, Clearsky is now led by his sons Bernard and Eamonn with longtime farm manager Barry Robinette.
Success is abundant at the farm, where owning and breeding blue hen mares, producing and selling sale-toppers, and racing legends on the oval are all in a day's work. And this year for the 78th renewal of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Clearsky will bring another strong draft to Book 1.
Hip 25—Quality Road Colt out of Justwhistledixie
On the first day of the sale, Sept. 13, a scopey son of Quality Road out of the multiple grade 2-winning dam Justwhistledixie will go through the ring as Hip 25.
"We think he's a pretty special horse—we like him quite a lot. He's a good-sized colt, has got more size and scope than Justwhistledixie's previous foals," said Bernard Cleary. "That's one of the things we were aiming for actually when we bred her to Quality Road. The colt is very well-balanced and looks racey; we're excited about him.
"The cross of Quality Road over Dixie Union mares has proved to be successful, already producing three grade 1 winners in Klimt, Salty, and Caledonia Road, so it seems brilliant."
The Dixie Union mare showed her determination on the track in 2008 for owners West Point Thoroughbreds, Lakland Farm, and R.D. Hubbard, breaking her maiden as a 2-year-old third time out, and continuing on to win the Love Affair Stakes that year. The following season she took the Ruthless Stakes early in January, the Davona Dale Stakes (G2), and the Bonnie Miss Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park, followed by close seconds in the Acorn Stakes (G1) and Top Flight Handicap (G2).
Her progeny have equally shown their worth in the sales ring and on the track for the Clearys. Her first foal, a Street Cry colt, went through the 2012 Keeneland September Sale, sold for $425,000 to agent Ben Glass, and became New Year's Day—winner of the 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) in his third start for owners Gary and Mary West. Now standing at at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan, to date he has 114 winners, seven stakes winners, and two grade 1 winners: Fighting Mad and Maximum Security .
Justwhistledixie is also the dam of Mohaymen, who sold for $2.2 million to Shadwell Estate Company in 2014 at Keeneland. The son of Tapit ran at 2 and 3, clinching four grade 2 stakes—the 2015 Nashua Stakes and Remsen Stakes, and the 2016 Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes, and Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth Stakes—and bankrolling just shy of $1 million before retiring to stud at Shadwell Farm in Kentucky in 2018.
Clearsky retained another son of Tapit out of the mare, Kingly, who broke his maiden first time out at Del Mar as a 2-year-old and scored in the California Derby and La Jolla Handicap (G3T) at 3 in 2019. He placed in three other stakes, including the Los Alamitos Derby (G3).
Enforceable, the mare's 2017 foal by Tapit, went through the Keeneland September Sale without meeting his reserve of $775,000. He was later acquired by John Oxley and ran third in the 2019 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland his juvenile year. He won the Lecomte Stakes (G3) at 3 and was second in the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) that same year. At 4, he finished third in the New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
Irish Unity, a 3-year-old out of the mare by Pioneerof the Nile, is stakes-placed since the catalog was published, having finished as the runner-up in the St. Louis Derby Sponsored by FanDuel Sportsbook. His current record with trainer Steve Asmussen is four starts with two wins and two seconds and earnings of $109,380.
Hip 288—Justify Colt out of Bubbler
Arrogate, the champion 3-year-old male of 2016 and a multiple grade 1 winner who earned $17,422,600 to become the richest racehorse in North American history, left us too quickly to completely show what his sire power could do. The winner of the 2016 Travers Stakes (G1) and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and the 2017 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) and Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) was purchased as a yearling by Juddmonte Farms from Clearsky's 2014 draft at Keeneland for $560,000. He died in 2020 at age 7 after standing for just three seasons.
Arrogate's dam Bubbler (Distorted Humor) resides at Clearsky, where she has been owned in partnership with Hill 'n' Dale Farms since failing to meet her reserve at $4.7 million in 2016 at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's marquee breeding stock sale. The multiple stakes winner ran for Du-Zee Stables, winning the 2009 Gallery Furniture Distaff Stakes and the 2010 Marie G. Krantz Memorial Handicap, Sam Houston Distaff Stakes, Irving Distaff Stakes, and finishing third in the Ouija Board Distaff Handicap (G3T). Her yearling Justify colt will sell as Hip 288 on the second day of Book 1.
The sizeable colt shows scope. Cleary said.
"He looks like he can go two turns, which is no surprise probably, given that he's by Justify," he explained. "The mare has produced one of the better horses we've seen in racing times in Arrogate. But she's also produced two other stakes horses, so she's not a one-hit-wonder."
The mare's Medaglia d'Oro filly Osare was purchased from the 2016 Keeneland September Sale for $300,000 by Bridlewood Farm and went on to win the 2018 Fifth Third Insurance Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs. In 2018, Bubbler's Tapit filly Diamond Ore went through the ring as a $750,000 weanling sold to Clearsky Farms & Rac 04 Racing at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. She went on to run third in this year's Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct.
Hip 243—Justify Filly out of African Jade
The other Justify yearling in the Clearsky draft sells as Hip 243, a filly out of the Seeking the Gold mare African Jade.
"Mentally, she's a real classy filly," Cleary said. "When we were breeding to Justify, this is the type of horse we were hoping to get. When this filly came out, we ended up breeding the mare back to Justify. So, I suppose from the get-go, we've always thought quite highly of this filly."
African Jade's first foal (by Pulpit) became the grade 1-winning sire Lord Nelson, who stands at Spendthrift Farm. The West Coast sprinter ran 13 times, with earnings just under the $1 million mark for trainer Bob Baffert. Winner of the 2016 Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G1), Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) and Triple Bend Stakes (G1), and of the 2015 San Vicente Stakes (G2) and 2014 Speakeasy Stakes, Lord Nelson was also second in the 2015 Bay Shore Stakes (G3) and third in that year's Malibu Stakes (G1).
Cleary said, "Hip 243 is a half (sibling) to Lord Nelson, who was a top-class sprinter out in California, winning three grade 1 races and was the favorite for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), but unfortunately got injured just right before that race. I know he's battled some issues, but I suppose that's a testament to his heart that he's continuing to battle."
Hip 358—Into Mischief Colt out of Ever So Clever
The last offering is Hip 358, a flashy Into Mischief colt out of stakes-winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Ever So Clever.
"He's a lovely horse, has great balance, and looks like an Into Mischief that will stretch out," said Cleary. "As we've seen in recent years, Into Mischief can get you a horse that will go 10 furlongs."
The Clearsky-bred Ever So Clever was runner-up in the 2016 Pocahontas Stakes (G2) and third in the Golden Rod Stakes (G2), both at Churchill Downs, as a 2-year-old. She returned her 3-year-old season to win the 2017 Fantasy Stakes (G3) and place second in the Remington Park Oaks and Zia Park Oaks.
The mare is a half sibling to the 3-year-old filly Willful Woman, by Nyquist , who placed second this year in the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2). Also on the page are stakes-placed Tathqeef (by Tapit) and Miss Centerfold (by Tiznow), both out of the stakes-winning mare Foxy Danseur (Mr. Greeley).
The Keeneland September Sale may bring forward the best yearlings for market from all over North America, but for Clearsky, it's a showcase opportunity that is just down the road.
"You're sure to get buyers from all over the globe at the sale," said Cleary. "It suits us as well because it's just a short van ride away; and it's easy on the horses."
