The first sale of the year, the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, started with Coolmore engaging in a bidding duel for the $1.6 million Into Mischief mare Prank. The broodmare prospect was offered by Gainesway, which campaigned her in partnership with StarLight Ladies Racing and LNJ Foxwoods.
The 4-year-old filly made one impressive start at 2 for her connections, dominating by 9 3/4 lengths in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight during the 2022 Saratoga Race Course meet.
Not only by champion sire Into Mischief, the filly out of Callingmissbrown includes Belmont Stakes (G1) winning sire Mo Donegal as her half brother. John Magnier's grandson Tom Wachman, who signed the sales slip, indicated the new acquisition would be seeing Triple Crown hero Justify this year.
"We have to be very happy with how today turned out. We had two million dollar-plus horses, which is the first time since 2019," said Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy. "The numbers were on par for most of the day compared to last year, which was a strong sale. There was great diversity amongst the buyers; 13 of the top 15-priced horses sold to distinct buyers."
At the close of the evening Monday, during the supplemental catalog, Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa led Curlin's Voyage into the ring to see the hammer fall the way of Japan's K I Farm at $1 million. The 7-year-old Curlin mare sold in foal to Horse of the Year Flightline and was the second seven-figure offering during the first session.
The 2019 and 2020 Canadian champion scored in the Mazarine Stakes (G3) and three other Canadian stakes for her connections, Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings (J.G. Sikura) and Windsor Boys Racing, who campaigned the filly with Josie Carroll to earnings of $536,056 and a record of 5-2-2 in 12 starts.
"I liked the pedigree, the physical, and who she was in foal to," Tomoyuki Nakamura of K I Farm said through an interpreter. "Everything matched up. I liked everything about her. The price was just about what I was expecting. The plans for her and if she will stay in America are still to be decided."
Curlin's Voyage is out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Atlantic Voyage, who is a full sister to grade 1 winner Stormello and grade 2 winner My Best Brother. Atlantic Voyage has produced Brass Compass, a stakes-placed runner by Malibu Moon.
Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa consigned the top two short yearlings, headed by a $375,000 Curlin colt purchased by Milan Bloodstock. The colt, Hip 236, is out of the fast grade 1 winner A Z Warrior, by Bernardini and bred in Kentucky by Cypress Creek Equine.
The page is chock-full of black type, including Debutante Stakes winner Justa Warrior, Irish stakes winner Key To My Heart under the first dam, as well as multiple graded winner JoJo Warrior, Hollywood Juvenile Championship (G3) winner E Z Warrior, and multiple stakes winner J Z Warrior.
"The market is very selective right now," Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa's Jared Burdine said. "There are no end users for the weanlings, and the pinhookers are very professional; they light up on the same horse. I think Maclean's Music will have a big next couple of years; he's on the rise, and Curlin sets records year after year."
The second-highest short yearling offering Monday, a Maclean's Music colt (Hip 200) out of the stakes- placed Wild N Ready from the family of D'Wild Ride, was secured by Muir Hut Stables for $350,000. The colt was bred in Ontario by Josham Farms Limited.
"We thought he'd be in the $100,000 range," said Ted Burnett of Josham Farms. "He had a few minor vet issues that we thought might hurt him, but they were easily correctable, so it was no big deal."
When asked if being an Ontario-bred helped get the colt sold, Burnett said, "We have a robust breeding program in Ontario, so we always find that the Ontario-breds have a special market, and often we find that we get a little bit of a premium because of that and the program."
"We had young maiden mares off the track that were current sell extremely well and probably outsold what people thought they would bring," Lacy added. "The yearlings by the right sires with good physicals sold extremely well, and buyers found them competitive to buy. Quality was very much to the fore. I think there was a little weakness on the horses perceived with lesser quality, but sellers were pleased with how the market was shaking out."
Keeneland reports 233 of the 322 horses on offer Monday sold for a gross of $17,787,500, up 2.1% over the previous year. An average price of $76,341 increased by 6.5% over 2023, and a $30,000 median, down 25%, was attained. The 89 horses who failed to meet their reserve represent an RNA rate of 27.6%.
During last year's opening session, 243 horses were traded of the 326 to go under the hammer for gross receipts of $17,415,900, at an average price of $71,670 and a $40,000 median. An RNA rate of 25.5% represents the 83 horses that failed to sell.
Agent Steven Young, purchasing for the Bass Family, made three purchases Monday for $2,025,000 to be the leading buyer for the first session. The three mares were purchased with intentions of getting the Bass-campaigned Annapolis off to a successful start at stud.
John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa led the day after selling 20 head for a $2,937,000 gross, at an average of $146,850.
"There is a lot of depth again in tomorrow's session. We had a couple of highlights today, but there are a lot of nice horses in tomorrow's session, too," Cormac Breathnach, director of sales operations, said. "The demand for yearlings was strong; we sold 22 yearlings for six figures versus 17 last year.
"There were a lot of different buyers signing tickets in the ring and many important buyers here from America and internationally," Breathnach said. "We are looking forward to tomorrow and Book 2."
Tuesday's sale begins at 10 a.m. ET with Hips 421-840D on offer. As of Monday evening, there were 123 horses withdrawn from the second session.
