Premier Steps (IRE) January Session 1 Topper
Keeneland January Session 1 – From the Paulick Report
Stakes winner Premier Steps (IRE) sold for $400,000 to lead Monday’s opening session of the 57thannual Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale. Shadai Farm of Japan purchased the 5-year-old daughter of Footstepsinthesand who was cataloged a racing or broodmare prospect.
During the session, Keeneland sold 204 horses for $12,607,200, for an average price of $61,800 and a median price of $35,000. While gross sales were down 8 percent from the first day of the 2014 January Sale, the average rose 4.5 percent and the median equaled last year’s figure. (One lot that did not sell was champion mare Blind Luck, who was bought back by her consignor after a final bid of $1.4 million.)
“I thought overall it was a very good day, with competitive bidding from both international and domestic breeders,” said Keeneland Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell. “Anything that has perceived quality is selling very, very well. We have a sophisticated buying bench that is here to buy the right kind of horse. When those horses come in the ring, there is plenty of money for them.”
Denali Stud, agent, consigned Premier Steps, out of the Second Set (IRE) mare Primissima. A Group 3-placed runner in England and France, she raced in the U.S. for a partnership that included Pete Bradley’s Bradley Thoroughbreds.
“She’s a beautiful mare,” Bradley said. “She had some real potential as a racehorse. If you look back at who she ran against in Europe, that’s why you saw Coolmore and the Europeans bidding on her. She was right there among the very best of the 2-year olds, maybe just a notch below. (She’s a) pretty mare, had some race record behind her, and we got lucky. Good way to start the year.”
Selling for $375,000 to River Bend Farm of Goshen, Ky., was Elusive Jackpot, a 6-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality and Racing Hall of Famer Silverbulletday in foal to Midnight Lute. Tim McMurry of Fleetwood Bloodstock signed the ticket for the mare. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, she is from the family of Grade 1 winner Shakin It Up and Grade 3 winner Govenor Charlie.
“(The farm owner) is trying to build a broodmare band,” McMurry said. “We shopped in November (at Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock Sale) but got outbid, so this was one of two (mares) we had to bid on (in January). (Elusive Jackpot) has a live family, (she is) in foal to the right horse, so we’ll see what we do from here. I thought she’d bring more and I wouldn’t be able to buy her.”
The session’s highest-priced yearling was the $270,000 colt by Lemon Drop Kid sold to Joe Minor’s JSM Equine. The colt is out of Motokiks, by Storm Cat, and is a half-brother to Grade 3 winners Keertana and Snow Top Mountain and stakes winner Diversy Harbor. He was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent.
“(The price) was about where we thought it would be,” said Justin Casse, who with Christina Jelm represented the buyer. “I think it was very comparable to the prices that were going in November. I bought some nice babies in November and I’d like to say this horse is as nice as the good ones I bought (then).”
Taylor Made Sales Agency sold 43 horses for $3,938,500 to lead all consignors on the first day.
The session’s leading buyer was Shadai Farm, which purchased two horses for $630,000.
The January Sale continues through Thursday, Jan. 15. Sessions begin daily at 10 a.m. EST. The entire sale is streamed live at Keeneland.com.