Baaeed Filly, Lope de Vega Colt Top Day 1 at Arqana

Trade might not have fully erupted during the opening session of the Arqana August Yearling Sale Aug. 16, with a clearance rate in the low 70s telling its own story, but there was still a string of hot prices at the head of the market on Saturday evening. A brace of €800,000 (US$936,000, €1=US$1.17) buys shared top billing in Deauville, France, with the first to hit that mark being the filly out of Dubai Rose from Ecurie des Monceaux. The youngster, who hails from the debut crop of champion racehorse Baaeed (GB), was knocked down to Kieran Lalor, manager of Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's Al Shira'aa Racing. "She warranted that price," Lalor said after an enthusiastic embrace with Monceaux's Henri Bozo. "She comes from one of the best farms in France and the boss loved her, she's a gorgeous filly who's very athletic and comes from a great family. Obviously we've had a lot of success with Henri and long may it continue. Hopefully this filly sees us in something like the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches in a couple of years' time." The dam won a pair of listed races during her time in training and has proved a prolific producer, breeding seven winners including three with black type. The trio are the dual group 2 scorer The Juliet Rose (FR), Godolphin's two-time group 3 winner Arabian Crown (FR), and the German listed victress Everest Rose. The Juliet Rose is also enhancing the page in her second career, as her daughter Mosaique (FR) landed last year's Prix Lady O'Reilly (G3). While the filly's pedigree was a major draw, Lalor explained the individual more than matched the page. "The boss loves the physical more than anything," he said. "In general she prefers proven sires but she really loved this filly physically; she has a gorgeous walk about her. Baaeed, with the race record he has, was an incredible horse and comes from a great female family. Fingers crossed we're talking about the classics in a couple of years because those are the races we want to be winning." Lalor added: "There's probably going to be fireworks on Monday because of the families on offer, but this was the filly the boss loved the most today." The filly was bred at a fee of £80,000. Monceaux was the session's highest-grossing vendor with 10 sold, generating receipts worth €3,665,000. The draft also included the Lope de Vega (IRE) colt out of the listed winner Eliade who was knocked down to Godolphin's Anthony Stroud at €800,000 just a few lots later. "He's been bought for Godolphin and he'll be trained by Charlie Appleby," the agent said. "He's by Lope de Vega, who's done incredibly well, he's a very nice individual who stacked up for us. He was a very good mover and comes from Monceaux, who have bred so many good horses. He was one that we hoped to acquire." There seemed a distinct disconnect between vendors' market expectations and buyers' valuations during the first half of the session, although by the close of play the clearance rate improved to 72% as 51 yearlings sold from 71 offered. Other market indices stand up to limited year-on-year scrutiny given the opening session in 2024 ran over a full day and saw almost double the number of lots offered. This short, sharp postracing session saw turnover of €11.75 million (US$13,747,500) and an average price of €230,392 (US$269,559), which was up just a fraction on Day 1 a year ago. Twomey up to his old tricks Everest Rose, the aforementioned German listed winner out of Dubai Rose, is also the dam of a Sea The Stars (IRE) filly knocked down to Paddy Twomey at €675,000 later in the session. "She's been bought for a new partnership but the main owner will be Robert Moran, who had Elana Osario win impressively in the Give Thanks Stakes the other night, and obviously Catalina Delcarpio who ran well in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot," the trainer said. "We've got some nice fillies bought for him with good pedigrees, that's part of a plan going forward. She'll be for Robert and some friends. He likes these classic-type fillies that you know can run at a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half plus. He's willing to give them the time and be patient." Magnier on the mark After a couple of hours of trade the market was led by a St Mark's Basilica (FR) half brother to the high-class Rashabar (IRE), who went the way of Coolmore's M.V. Magnier and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm at €520,000. The colt was consigned by breeder Haras de Beaufay. Coolmore's first-crop sire has picked up real momentum in recent weeks, with a flurry of eye-catching winners including his maiden black-type scorer in Thesecretadversary, who struck in listed company at Tipperary. Coolmore have already tasted success with a member of St Mark's Basilica's first crop after Diamond Necklace, who topped last year's August Sale at €1.7 million, made a winning debut at the Curragh. "He's a nice horse and Sam Sangster and Brian Meehan bought his half brother here a couple of years ago and he was a good horse, as we all know," Magnier said. "St Mark's has had an incredible last couple of weeks. He's going really well and had another winner there a few minutes ago in England. We're fully behind the horse. Aidan is racing a lot of them, but there's still a lot to come. The filly we bought here looks like she could be pretty good." Magnier and American agent Justin Casse signed for a €300,000 Wootton Bassett (GB) colt earlier in the sale. Out of the Dansili mare Bella Qatara, the colt is a half brother to group 1 winner Aspetar (FR). American Connections Several buyers and sires from the United States were in play Saturday during the Arqana opening session. Parkland Thoroughbreds, co-owners of multiple group 1 winner Porta Fortuna (IRE), signed for a pair of yearlings Saturday. Signing along with Avenue Bloodstock and Bawnmore, they purchased Lot 10, a Kentucky-bred American Pharoah colt, for €90,000. They later signed with Avenue and Porta Fortuna co-owners Medallion Racing on a filly by popular young sire Starman (GB). Trainer Kenny McPeek, as agent, signed for a Wootton Bassett filly out of Dubawi mare Deft. The filly, consigned as Lot 63 by Ecurie des Monceaux, is out of a half sibling to group 1 winner Talent and is from the family of undefeated grade 2 winner Laurelin (IRE). A Kentucky-bred Not This Time filly consigned as Lot 33 sold for $255,000 to Sas Meridian International. Bred by Garrenross Unlimited and Paget Bloodstock out of the stakes-placed Candy Ride (ARG) mare Blamethechampagne, the filly previously was purchased by consignor Haras d'Etreham at the 2024 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for $225,000. The Arqana August Yearling Sale continues Sunday at 5:30 p.m. local time.