It is rare for a buyer other than Coolmore or Godolphin to go to a sale and come away with everything they want. But that is where Bobby Flay found himself as the three-day Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale concluded Oct. 8.
After dishing out 825,000 guineas during the sale's first session for a Blue Point filly, Flay went to 800,000 guineas (US$1,110,295; 1 guinea=US$1.39) for Lot 346, a filly by Frankel out of the No Nay Never mare Alcohol Free. After the filly failed to meet her 900,000-guinea reserve, Flay struck a private sale agreement to secure her rights.
"Basically, I got the two fillies I wanted out of the whole book," Flay told BloodHorse. "You're playing against the biggest players in the world. These are very, very special pedigrees with the top sires. To me, this is black and white: best sire in the world, out of the top handful of fillies from the last decade with a real page. She's beautiful physically; there's so much intrinsic value here. It's just about having patience. That's all. It's going to be exciting watching her grow up."
The ticket was signed by trainer Andrew Balding, who will oversee both of Flay's purchases in Europe.
The filly is the first foal out of four-time group 1 winner Alcohol Free. But that distinction was not a factor in Flay's decision. He would typically like to see some examples of what the mare will throw to her offspring before making a commitment. But the pedigree was too good to pass up.
"I know a lot of people love that. That's never something I care about because a good racehorse can come from whatever number it is: 1, 3, 10—we've seen it all. In some ways, I'd like to see what she's had prior to see what the mare is throwing. In some ways, there's risk in the first foal, but a lot of that risk goes out the window when you have this kind of pedigree and this kind of physical."
The expectations are high. Alcohol Free won the 2021 Coronation Stakes (G1) at Ascot Racecourse under Balding's tutelage, and that is undoubtedly on Flay's wish list should the filly progress accordingly.
Flay also had two lots consigned in the sale. The first, Lot 154, a filly by No Nay Never and out of the Holy Roman Emperor mare Ottilien, sold for 550,000 guineas to Abdulla Ali Althani. Lot 426, a son of Kingman and out of the Dubawi mare Contemporary Art, did not sell. Both lots were out of the Hazelwood Bloodstock consignment.
Klaravich Grows Its Stable
Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables was busy Thursday, making four purchases for a total of 1.25 million guineas. With Mike Ryan signing the tickets, Klaravich secured the Lope de Vega filly consigned by Meon Valley Stud as Lot 429 at a price of 380,000 guineas. She is out of the Kingman mare Cosmic Princess.
Earlier in the day, Klaravich spent 360,000 guineas for Lot 400, a filly by Too Darn Hot. Out of the unraced Australia mare Brisbane Road, the bay filly finds black type from not just her sire but her second dam. That includes multiple group 1 winner Hurricane Lane and group 1-placed, group 2-winning Sweet William.
Lot 403, a filly by Kingman (260,000 guineas), and Lot 340, a colt by Night of Thunder, completed Klaravich's haul.
Overall, Seth Klarman bought 13 lots for 3,610,000 guineas across three days.
Determined Gets Its Target
Determined Stud, which has been active throughout Book 1, came away with just one lot Thursday.
Spending 400,000 guineas, Matt Dorman secured Lot 420, a filly by Wootton Bassett. Three of his five purchases this week are daughters of the late sire. But the limited number of progeny to be found available didn't play a part in the purchases.
"It was more the physical, the horse, and Wootton Bassetts did really well in the States, so they fit well," Dorman said. "We went after a couple today, but there were some other folks with deeper pockets, so it made a little bit easier for us (to get this one)."
Overall in Book 1, Determined purchased five lots for 1.69 million guineas.
Buyers Bench
Coolmore's M.V. Magnier and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm paid 900,000 guineas for Lot 332, a colt by No Nay Never; Mike Repole swooped in to take home a Lope de Vega colt consigned as Lot 435 for 450,000 guineas; Stonestreet Stable went back-to-back, buying Lot 417, a filly by St Mark's Basilica for 230,000 guineas, and Lot 418, a Little Big Bear filly for 260,000 guineas; and Philip Antonacci and Go Go Greys went to 375,000 guineas for Lot 324, a filly by Wootton Bassett.
"We had a pretty nice list, and I got outbid by some guy named Sheikh Mohammed a couple times. ... Book 1 is a great book and really excited about running some of these horses in Europe and bringing some back to the United States," Repole said. "I think when we shop here in Books 1 and 2, it's about what horse will fit what European country, U.S., or Canada. That's what the team and I try to decide. But we do enjoy buying here and we enjoy looking at different pedigrees."
Stallion Report
Thursday's closing session of Book 1 saw No Nay Never have four lots sell for a total of 1.82 million guineas. Across all three days of Book 1, he had 21 lots sell for 6,485,000 guineas. Kameko had one lot sell in Book 1, Lot 458, for 170,000 guineas. Same goes for Corniche . The freshman sire had one lot that sold for 100,000 guineas.
Meanwhile, Justify had six lots sell across three days for 4,005,000. On Thursday, he had four sell for 2,235,000 guineas. The top seller in the third session was Lot 462, a colt out of the Pivotal mare Entreat. Entreat has eight winners from nine runners, including champion Camille Pissarro.
Lot 410, a colt by Frankel and the first foal out of grade 1 winner Caravel, was withdrawn from the sale Thursday.
