During the second day of selling from Book 3 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, KatieRich Farms sent their mare, Taking Aim, through the ring, watching her sell for $270,000 to Dixiana Farms to be the early session leader.
“She was well received in the barns, a diamond in the rough here,” said George Barnes, KatieRich Farms president. “We thought she had a lot of quality and might be a standout here in Book 3, which ended up being the case. Everyone kept asking why we were selling her; it’s just a reduction to try and get some income back into the farm.”
The 8-year-old mare by Trappe Shot has produced three foals, with the first, Taking Candy, by Twirling Candy , placing in the Saranac Stakes (G3). Her 2-year-old filly, Rascality, is training with Hall of Famer Richard Mandella for Legacy Ranch, running third on first asking in August. Legacy Ranch purchased the Into Mischief filly for $190,000 from the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale last year.
“She has a lot of upside; her first foal is a graded stakes placed and has his whole 4-year-old year ahead of him,” Barnes commented. “She’s only had later foals, two May and one April foal, so I think the buyer will do very well commercially once they get an earlier foal out of her.”
Her yearling for this year is a filly by Speightstown, which sold for $170,000 during the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale to Nice Guys Stable. She sold Sunday in foal to Spendthrift sire Jackie's Warrior on a Feb. 14 cover. The five-time grade 1-winning son of Maclean's Music will stand his second season for $40,000.
“She looked like a nice mare, has produced a graded stakes placed horse, and has a nice family, so we thought we would take a shot at her,” Dixiana Farms manager Robert Tillyer said.
Out of the winning Deputy Minister mare Winning Call, Taking Aim is a half sibling to Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winning sire Tapizar and Tamboz, producer of 2022 Preakness Stakes (G1) placed Creative Minister, grade 1-placed Dolder Grand, Battalion Runner—second runner-up in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2), multiple graded placed Oceanwave, and two other stakes-placed runners.
Tillyer added: “It seems like the quality is a bit down on the mares; it’s a bit hard to find the nice ones, but Taking Aim seemed like the obvious one here today. We like Jackie’s Warrior, have a few on the farm in foal to him as well.”
Dixiana Farms purchased one other mare Sunday, Hip 1765 Waywardness, for $150,000 from Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. The 5-year-old Into Mischief mare is carrying a Ghostzapper foal due in February.
