Consignment Offers Opportunities to Buy Into the Farm’s Elite Female Families
By B. Jason Brooks
Horses from Claiborne Farm female families had a banner year in 2023, winning 40 graded stakes races, including ten grade 1s (more than 10 percent of the 97 ran) in the U.S.
The elite group was led by Juddmonte’s Curlin homebred repeat Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion Elite Power (from the family of the Richard J. Hancock’s foundation mare War Song), Peter Brant’s Machmer Hall-bred dual grade 1-winning Into Mischief mare Gina Romantica (from the family of Claiborne’s imported Irish mare Wisome Way), and Wise Racing’s undefeated Yeguada Centurion-bred Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf champion Hard to Justify (from the family of Bourtai). The consistent success of Claiborne families at the highest levels continues to make them attractive for both racing and breeding.
The 2024 sales kick off on Monday, January 8th at the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale and Claiborne Farm’s consignment provides an opportunity to buy into some of these elite families. Their consignment includes the following yearling colt, a racing or broodmare prospect, and two pregnant broodmares representing the farm’s successful female families.
HIP #469 is Peaceful Surprise, a 5-year-old Claiborne-bred bay broodmare in foal to Liam’s Map. Adding to her Claiborne credentials, she is by Claiborne homebred sire Flatter and out of Claiborne-bred Political Force mare Ire.
Peaceful Surprise sold for $300,000 from the Niall Brennan Stables consignment at the March 2021 Fasig Tipton 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale and was a debut winner for trainer Christophe Clement.
She is a half-sister to two stakes-placed siblings and her graded stakes-placed dam Ire is a half to three black-type earners, including Flashy Campaign, producer of five-time stakes winner Flash of Mischief, by Into Mischief.
Peaceful Surprise’s first four dams are Claiborne mares, from the Hit branch of foundation mare Wild Applause. Going further back in her tail-female line, Peaceful Surprise is from the Searching branch of Phipps foundation mare Big Hurry, the latter a daughter of the French mare La Troienne, one of the most influential in the 20th century.
Wild Applause’s family includes Claiborne-bred multiple grade 1 winner Elate, grade 1 winner Eastern Echo, and sires Congrats, Ironicus, and Peaceful Surprise’s Claiborne homebred sire Flatter. With Claiborne female families on the top and bottom of her pedigree, Peaceful Surprise is inbred 3S x 4D to Wild Applause, a daughter of reine-de-course mare Glowing Tribute.
Graded stakes winners in recent years from the family of Wild Applause include 2023 grade 3 Monmouth Stakes winner Catnip, by Kitten’s Joy, Claiborne homebred 2021 grade 3 West Virginia Governor’s Stakes winner Sprawl, by City Zip, and Claiborne-bred 2019 grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes winner Tax, by Claiborne stallion Arch.
Hip #826 is May, a dark bay or brown 6-year-old Ghostzapper broodmare out of Claiborne-bred Arch mare Might, a full sister to Claiborne homebred Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame. The unraced broodmare bred by Claiborne and Adele Dilschneider is in foal to Claiborne stallion War of Will.
May’s dam Might is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Tend and her multiple stakes-placed granddam Liable is a half-sister to Archipenko, a group 1 winner in Hong Kong who stood in England.
May’s first six dams are Claiborne mares, from the Thong branch of Claiborne’s imported British foundation mare Rough Shod II. The renowned family of Rough Shod II includes her Claiborne homebred daughter and Horse of the Year Moccasin, Claiborne-bred granddaughter and Hall of Famer Gamely, and acclaimed sire Sadler’s Wells.
Rough Shod II’s tail-female line descendants include 2023 grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes winner Adare Manor, grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes winner Zona Verde, an Irish-bred by British sire Calyx, as well as 2021, 2022 and 2023 group 1 Dubai Turf winner Lord North, another Irish bred, by his native sire Dubawi.
HIP #1477 is Last Glimmer, a bay 4-year-old Uncle Mo racing or broodmare prospect out of Malibu Moon mare Gloaming. Last Glimmer’s Uncle Mo-Malibu Moon rated cross is the same as Shug McGaughey-trained Celestial City, winner of the 2022 grade 2 Hill Prince Stakes.
Last Glimmer’s multiple stakes-winning granddam Vespers is a half to grade 1-produer Database. They are from the Damaged Goods branch of British-bred Claiborne foundation mare Peroration. In addition to Arthur “Bull” Hancock, Jr.-bred Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks winner Damaged Goods, the family includes grade 1 winners Caledonia Road, Data Link, Hymn Book, and Canadian-bred Not Too Shy.
The family also includes 2022 Queens Plate-winning mare Moira, by Ghostzapper, who sold for $3 million at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, 2023 grade 2 Wood Memorial Stakes winner Lord Miles, by Curlin, and 2023 grade 3 Go For Wand Stakes winner Dr B, by Liam’s Map.
HIP #1482 is a dark bay or brown yearling colt by Kantharos and is the first foal out of French-bred Medaglia d’Oro mare Golden Ibis. The yearling’s British-bred granddam Emerald Star, by her native sire Mount Nelson, is a group 3 winner in England.
The colt hails from the illustrious family of blue-hen Claiborne-bred mare Marguerite, a daughter of the farm’s imported British-bred foundation mare Fairy Ray. This is the family of several elite winners in Europe, triple crown winner Gallant Fox, and U.S. grade 1 winners Albertus Maximus, Daredevil, Dayoutoftheoffice, Here Comes Ben, My Conquestadory, and Race the Wild Wind.
The family also includes 2023 grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes winner The Chosen Vron, by Vronsky, and 2023 Ascot group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes winner Rogue Millennium, an Irish bred by her native sire Dubawi.
Given the success Claiborne families had at the highest levels in 2023, the Keeneland January sale offers a prime opportunity to buy into some of these elite families to carry on their success on track and in the breeding shed.