Hip 825, a colt by Darley stallion Nyquist consigned by Betz Thoroughbreds, agent, lit up the bid board early in the fourth session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale on Sept. 16, selling for $700,000 to Dr. Ed Allred, owner of Los Alamitos Race Course, and Jack Liebau, the track's vice president.
Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni signed the ticket on the pricey prospect, who will be trained by Bob Baffert in Southern California.
Bred in Kentucky by Betz/Burns/D.J. Stables/Lamantia/Coco Equine, the bay colt is the first foal out of the unraced Bernardini mare Nella Vetrina, a half sister to graded stakes-placed Golden Domer (by Quality Road ) and stakes-placed Golden Jaguar (by Animal Kingdom). Golden Domer, bred by William Betz and Peter Lamantia, earned her black type finishing third in the 2018 Winning Colors Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs for owner Greg Ramsby. Golden Jaguar, also bred by Betz and Lamantia, finished second in the Meydan Classic Sponsored by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City District One in 2019 at Meydan for owner Phoenix Ladies Syndicate.
This is also the family of 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Mine That Bird, 2019 Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T) winner Bolo, and multiple grade 1 winner Dullahan. Winner of the 2012 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland at 3, Dullahan went on to win that year's TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar where he set a track record of 1:59.54 for 1 1/4 miles en route to career earnings of $1,735,901 for owner Donegal Racing.
The colt's dam, Nella Vetrina, a daughter of the stakes-winning Crafty Prospector mare Golden Sunray, was a Keeneland September graduate herself, selling to Tarabilla Farms for $300,000 out of the Betz Thoroughbreds consignment at the 2016 sale. Judging by the attention her fist foal has commanded in the public auction arena, it is safe to say that while she never made it to the races, she is delivering on the promise she displayed as a yearling.
"He looks like a fast horse," said Lanni of the expensive colt. "The whole team loved him. Everybody was on board to try to buy him. He's a pretty cool horse, so I knew something was going to happen (with the price)."
By the conclusion of Wednesday's activities, Lanni secured 5 colts by prominent sires in Candy Ride , Curlin , Empire Maker, Into Mischief , and Nyquist for receipts of $2,085,000. Cumulatively, Lanni has purchased 20 horses at this sale on behalf of various clients for gross receipts of $11,125,000.
