Trainer Chad Summers, as agent for Al Gold's Gold Square, purchased a $2 million Not This Time colt Sept. 17 during the fourth day of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
The strapping chestnut colt, consigned as Hip 803, is the first foal out of the Curlin mare Spell On You, a half sister to stakes winners Stage Raider , The Lieutenant, and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify .
John Gunther bred the yearling in Kentucky, and he was consigned by Gunther's Glennwood Farm.
"We felt like we got a good value from Glennwood (with Napoleon Solo), so we tried to buy from them this year," Summers said. "He's a really special horse; they know how to raise a really nice family.
"John and Tanya (Gunther) do a great job; we had Napoleon Solo from them last time, we felt like obviously, they know what they're doing. They've had Justify, they've had Vino Rosso, the list goes on and on of horses that they've raised, and we might buy one or two more from them today, too."
The Gunthers have had an incredible sale so far, selling three horses for seven figures, including Hip 47 from the same family as Hip 803. The Gun Runner colt, consigned as Hip 47, is out of the mare Stage Magic—the second dam of Hip 803—making him a half brother to Justify. Winchell Thoroughbreds purchased him for $1.9 million during the first session.
READ: Gun Runner Half to Justify Rockets to $1.9M
Hip 242, a colt by Into Mischief and the current sale topper, commanded $3.7 million from the power duo of Coolmore's M.V. Magnier and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm. The bay colt is out of the Bernardini mare Grazie Mille, making him a half brother to sire and grade 1 winner Mo Town.
READ: $3.7M Into Mischief Colt Tops Day 2 of Keeneland Sale
"I don't know what to say. He was a lovely colt. He's got that hip like Not This Time," Gunther said of Hip 803. "I didn't expect (this), the reserve was much, much lower. But I know a lot of people really liked this colt. It's hard to believe $2 million, but it's wonderful.
"For a big colt, he's really light on his feet. We'd turn him out at night, and he'd just float across the field. And he was very smart."
Gunther was quick to thank the whole team at Glennwood Farm and the dedication of his daughter Tanya Gunther.
"This is unbelievable. I'm short of breath thinking about it. I might have to sit down. ... It's so wonderful for my daughter. Tanya works so hard. It's unbelievable how hard she works," Gunther added.
"And the staff is just fantastic. Every part of the Glennwood team is unbelievable. The guy that does the foaling and looks after him, he's been with us like 30 years, and his sons are working for us. He raises them like they're his own children. We're so lucky."
It has not been determined if Summers will train the colt or if he will be sent to another trainer. Gold spreads out his purchases each year among a series of trainers.
This is not the first memorable purchase for Summers of a Gunther-bred/Glennwood Farm-consigned yearling. Two years ago, he bought Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Napoleon Solo for $40,000 from Glennwood Farm. Gunther and his Eurowest Bloodstock bred Napoleon Solo, a Liam's Map colt out of the stakes-winning Scat Daddy mare Atomic Blonde.
Following his Preakness Stakes score, Napoleon Solo put in two gallant runner-up finishes in the Haskell Stakes (G1) and the Travers Stakes (G1). The Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) are both options for the 3-year-old, now owned by Espoir USA.
