Texas owner/breeder Doug Scharbauer, who owns Valor Farm, came to the Keeneland September Yearling Sale with 12-15 yearlings on his short list, trimmed that down to seven, and was able to sign the ticket on five for a total of $5.65 million.
Maybe Scharbauer didn't get everything he and his team set their sights on, but he is more than happy with the quality of horses he'll eventually add to his racing stable.
"It has been tougher this year than it has been the last three years. You have to invest more money to get the right pedigree and there is definitely more interest," he said.
Scharbauer is hoping to build on what has been a dream season for him, racing his first grade 1 winner as an owner when Always a Runner won the Kentucky Oaks (G1). He races the daughter of Gun Runner with her breeder Three Chimneys Farm, which stands the prominent sire. He then captured a second grade 1 when another Gun Runner filly named My Gun's Loaded captured the Alabama Stakes (G1).
While associated with racing his whole life through his parents Clarence and Dorothy Scharbauer, he took over Valor Farm in 2016 from his father's estate, following his death in 2014.
"Since then, I never had one grade 1 winner in 10 years. Until this year, now we have two. It has been a dream year and obviously the best I've ever had."
The horses Scharbauer bought at Keeneland that he hopes will carry on the momentum of his racing stable include two colts and three fillies. He said he did not set out to buy more fillies than colts, it just so happened the horses they liked best included more fillies.
He did most of his shopping during Book 1's second session Sept. 15 when he bought three fillies and a colt—three of them for seven-figure prices.
Scharbauer's most expensive purchase is a $1.6 million son of Good Magic out of graded stakes-placed Lady Tapit, the dam of 2024 Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) winner Kingsbarns . Lady Tapit is also a half sister to grade 1 winner Gozzip Girl. Gainesway consigned the colt (Hip 297), who was bred by Gainesway Thoroughbreds and Whisper Hill Farm.
He went to $1.2 million for a daughter of Into Mischief out of the Hard Spun mare Hard Cloth, the dam of grade 1-placed, graded stakes winner and millionaire Emmanuel. The filly (Hip 247) was consigned by Gainesway and bred by A. R. Enterprises, Gainesway Thoroughbreds, and Caroline Forgason.
Scharbauer's next highest-priced filly was a $1 million daughter of Gun Runner out of the graded-placed stakes winner Mo d'Amour, who is the dam of grade 2 winner Southlawn. The chestnut filly (Hip 334) was bred by GRS and WinStar Farm and consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.
The third filly (Hip 196) is a $950,000 daughter of leading sire Not This Time out of grade 1-placed stakes winner Dogtag. LNJ Foxwoods bred the French-born filly, who was consigned by Gainesway. Dogtag's dam is stakes-placed Diamond Necklace, a half sister to 2004 European champion 2-year-old colt, group 1 winner, and prominent sire Shamardal.
During Book 1's opening session, Scharbauer also bought Hip 91, a $900,000 Gun Runner colt out of Victim of Love, who was offered by Denali Stud for Tommy Town Thoroughbreds.
As for his selection criteria, Scharbauer admits "he wants it all," pedigree and conformation.
"We want the proven sires, but the mare's pedigree is as big a part of it," he said. "And there are a lot of nice horses here. I think I have seen more really nice horses by pedigree and conformation during these first two days than I've ever seen at this sale. It is a standout crop."
