In her previous official appearance at Keeneland, Simply in Front grabbed headlines with the first grade 1 victory of her career, taking the First Lady Stakes by a neck over Segesta.
She returned to the spotlight Jan. 12, this time in the Keeneland sales ring, where she saw a winning bid of $2 million from Greg Tramontin, who views her as a foundation mare for his Greenwell Thoroughbreds, which he started in 2024. About three-quarters of the way through the opening session, the price topped the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale Jan. 12 in Lexington.
"We're excited about getting this one. We bought Hip 91 (mare Closing Statement) too, which is from the same family. We got both horses we were after," said Tramontin, who in November 2024 purchased the former Siena Farm property near Paris, Ky. It has been named Greenwell Farm.
Tramontin said Simply in Front will be sent to Not This Time , the leading sire of juveniles in 2025.
"It's a perfect mating," Tramontin said, who confessed to getting caught up in the action Monday. "I came with my friend from Baton Rouge (La.), and I came to help him. I said, 'I'm not buying anything.' I bought three."
Tramontin also purchased Hip 350, Project Whiskey, a 9-year-old mare by Tapizar, in foal to Taiba for $125,000. The graded stakes-winning mare was offered by Denali Stud, agent for the Complete Dispersal of Woodford Thoroughbreds (Phase 2).
"All of them will be good for the farm. That's what we're trying to do. We're trying to raise some quality top-end horses, and this will be really great for our farm."
Offered as a broodmare prospect, Simply in Front was consigned by Richard G. Hogan, agent for Colebrook Farms, which also campaigned the 5-year-old daughter of Summer Front—Complicated, by Blame . Closing Statement, who was bought for $550,000, is also by Blame out of Consequence and a full sister to Complicated. She is the dam of grade 3 winner Final Accord (by War of Will ).
Summer in Front earned $2,868,611 behind a 6-4-8 record from 16 starts in three seasons of racing.
Campaigned by Colebrook Farms, Simply in Front earned a grade 1 placing in the second start of her career when second in the 2023 Natalma Stakes. Trained by Patrick Dixon in Canada and Eddie Kenneally in the United States, Simply in Front also won the $2 million Music City Stakes in 2024 at Kentucky Downs, and in 2025, added the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Mile Stakes at Ellis Park and the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T) ahead of her First Lady score.
"We were hoping around there (on price). It's a hell of a mare," Hogan said. "I said to the (new) owner, I hope she's as lucky for you as she was for us."
Hogan said Simply in Front suffered an injury in her final workout ahead of the Breeders' Cup, and owner John Burness decided to sell her.
"John's a racing guy. He had a wonderful run with her, and she's been great," Hogan said.
Simply in Front also has grade 1 company in her family. She is a half sister to And One More Time (by Omaha Beach ), who in 2025 did Simply in Front one better by capturing the Natalma for Live Oak Plantation and trainer Mark Casse. Placed mare Complicated is also the dam of grade 2 winner and multiple graded stakes winner Honor D Lady (Honor Code) and stakes winner Churchtown (Gio Ponti).
The second dam of Simply in Front is stakes winner Consequence, and the third dam is multiple grade 1 winner Educated Risk, a Phipps Stable homebred and half sister to Hall of Famer Inside Information.
Bred in Kentucky by William Harrigan and Mike Pietrangelo, Simply in Front initially sold for $115,000 to Colebrook Farms at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Indian Creek, agent.
