St. Elias Stables was busy Sept. 17 during the fifth session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, securing four horses alone with Michael Wallace signing as agent, and one in partnership with Repole Stables. Their purchases included a $725,000 son of freshman sire Omaha Beach from consignor Clearsky Farm.
"We have been looking for an Omaha Beach pretty hard, and this colt caught the entire team's attention," Wallace said. "We were determined to get him, if we could, obviously didn't think we would be pushed as far along as we were by WinStar, but that's the nature of this week, it seems."
The chestnut colt out of the Distorted Humor mare Color Me Flying was consigned as Hip 1370 by his breeder. His dam is a half sister to stakes winner With Flying Colors, the dam of Teresa Z, winner of the Turnback the Alarm Handicap (G3) and Monmouth Oaks (G3). Third dam My Flag, a daughter of Easy Goer and champion Personal Ensign, won the Gazelle Handicap (G1), Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), and Ashland Stakes (G1) in 1996 and went on to produce grade 1 winner Storm Flag Flying.
The Kentucky-bred colt kept a cool head about him in the sales pavilion while the bidding shot up.
"They all seem to have good brains, were looking around the grounds, and they seem to be handling the environment well," Wallace commented of the progeny of Omaha Beach, Spendthrift Farm's son of War Front . "They have good strength across the back; we like their look. They are good athletic horses and bigger than your general War Front line, so it's interesting."
Other St. Elias purchases on Saturday included Hip 1260, a $175,000 Eaton Sales-consigned son of Ghostzapper. The colt out of Volcat was bred in Kentucky by Mulholland Springs and the Ghostzapper Syndicate. He initially sold for $90,000 to Swigert Bloodstock at the Keeneland January Horses of all Ages Sale this year.
Also part of their haul was a $500,000 Liam's Map colt, consigned as Hip 1362 by Gainesway. The bay colt was bred in Kentucky by Jeyse Latam and sold to CeCe Stables last year during the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for $100,000.
St. Elias also purchased Hip 1432, a Mendelssohn colt out of the Verrazano mare Full Swing, from Baccari Bloodstock for $210,000.
In total the racing operation of Vinnie and Teresa Viola has purchased 11 yearlings for gross receipts of $3,870,000 through Saturday's action.
"We have been a big part of the market (at the September Sale); it's been incredibly strong across the board," Wallace said. "We haven't had things run our way, either. Everybody still has a lot of horses to try and buy, but I understand people still have plenty of money in their pockets. I think we see a push down from the market, and we will see more of it today, tomorrow, and into the week."
