The 2020 Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale proved to be a strong one for Claiborne stallions on all ends of the roster, from young stallions CATHOLIC BOY and DEMARCHELIER to established sires such as BLAME and WAR FRONT.
ALGORITHMS struck early in the sale when his daughter Taylor’s Spirit sold to Coteau Grove Farms and Cary Bloodstock for $370,000 as Hip 144. A multiple stakes winner and graded stakes placed mare, Taylor’s Spirit comes from the family of Grade 1 winner Joyeux Danseur and is pregnant to Justify for her first foal.
Seeing Quenane visit the winner’s circle in the Millions Classic Preview, the undefeated ALGORITHMS is a proven value sire with 70% of his runners visiting the winner’s circle and over 10% earning blacktype. The Bernardini son stands for $5,000 next year.
Eclipse winner BLAME saw plenty of action at Keeneland November, led by his daughter Spanish Star. A half-sister to Grade 1 Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston and out of Grade 3 winner La Gran Bailadora, the Woods Edge Farm-offered mare sold for $275,000 to Crestwood Farm carrying her third foal.
BLAME’S weanlings were led a colt out of stakes winning Letter Of The Law, who hammered for $140,000 to Dudley Racing. Offered by Nursery Place, the colt is a half-brother to stakes winner Bourbon Sense and a full brother to the Grade 1-placed Blameitonthelaw and stakes placed Blame The Law.
The sale also featured six mares sold in-foal to BLAME, led by the $300,000 Daring Dancer (Empire Maker), bought by Yeguada Centurion. A Grade 3 winner offered by Upson Downs Farm, the mare is also a half-sister to stakes winner Hamp and out of a half-sister to Group 1 winner Crowded House. She visited BLAME in late March after having a filly by the three-time Grade 1 winner in 2020.
The sire of 16 percent stakes horses, BLAME has had another tremendous year on the track with his 16 stakes horses in 2020 including Grade 1 winner Nadal. Blame stands for $30,000 in 2021.
CATHOLIC BOY’S introduction to buyers was a success when his first in-foal mares sold for up to $950,000 in the Keeneland ring.
Those were led by Expo Gold (Johannesburg), the dam of Grade 1 Preakness Stakes winner and likely Eclipse Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Swiss Skydiver in addition to stakes-placed Miss Hot Legs. Purchased by Hunter Valley Farm from the Taylor Made consignment, Expo Gold sold for the 11th highest price of the sale at $950,000.
Others bought in foal to CATHOLIC BOY brought $385,000, $275,000, ect., led by the Gainesway-consigned Evening Call (Tapit). Purchased by Katsumi Yoshida, that daughter of stakes winner For Royalty is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Constellation and the stakes-placed Upper Room, Queen Mum, and Back Flip.
A dual-surface Grade 1 winner, CATHOLIC BOY led all freshman sires by both average and gross with his first in-foal mares averaging $152,211 for a combined $2,892,000.
DEMARCHELIER saw his first in-foal mares sell for up to 30 times higher than his stud fee, led by Dane.
Bringing $150,000 from H.F. Farm, the Claiborne Farm-offered Dane is out of Sadler’s Wells’ Grade 2 winning daughter Peinture Rare. That mare is a half-sister to European Horse of the Year Peintre Celebre among others.
The only son of leading sire Dubawi standing in Kentucky, DEMARCHELIER will stand his second season for $5,000 next year.
The first hip through the ring at the Keeneland November sale was FLATTER’S stakes winning Fashion Faux Pas, who is headed to Australia. Purchased by James Harron Bloodstock from Ashview Farm for $310,000, the bay filly is also a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Ire. Ire is also the dam of ALGORITHMS’ stakes placed Enrage and is a half-sister to ALGORITHMS’ stakes placed Flashy Campaignamong Fashion Faux Pas’ three stakes performing siblings.
Fashion Faux Pas’ family runs deep with Claiborne influence. Her dam is by ARCH and granddam Hit is by SEEKING THE GOLD. Hit is also the dam of FIRST SAMURAI’S stakes winning Trubs and is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Eastern Echo and Grade 2 winners Yell and Roar.
FLATTER’S November offerings sold for $310,000 (nine times his stud fee), $205,000, $180,000, ect with his second and third most expensive both weanlings.
Claiborne Farm sold the $205,000 colt out of Speedy War to Peter Pugh as agent for Cherry Knoll Farm, for the second most expensive weanling price of the fourth session. That colt is a full brother to stakes winner Stifling from the family of Grade 3 winner Richiegirlgonewild. Bred by Bradley Purcell, the colt is a half-brother to 5 ¼ length juvenile maiden winner Game Theory and out of the WAR FRONT mare Speedy War.
FLATTER is set to stand for $35,000 next season.
Undefeated Grade 1 winner MASTERY made a big splash at Keeneland with the stallion’s second crop weanlings having the highest average of any sire of his generation.
The Grade 1 winner’s eight weanlings sold were led by a $450,000 colt purchased by OXO Equine from Threave Main Stud’s consignment. Out of a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Liam’s Dream, he was the second most expensive weanling of the second session.
One day later, he was joined by Nashville’s $400,000 Mastery half-sister in session three – the most expensive filly of that season. The filly saw two major updates in the days before the sale with half-brother Nashville winning a stakes and her 2-year-old three-quarter brother breaking his maiden.
Next year is set to be an exciting one for Mastery supporters with the stallion’s first crop hitting the track. He’ll be standing for $25,000 in 2021.
International super sire WAR FRONT again had a top sale in 2020, both as a sire and a covering sire. His results were led by the second session topper, Pollara (Camelot), who sold for $975,000 to Arthur Hoyeau as agent while in-foal to the stallion for her first foal.
A Group 3 winner, the Claiborne-offered Pollara is also a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Stormina. One of four sold in foal to War Front, she was also one of two stakes performers offered in-foal to the stallion with the other two having stakes winning siblings.
War Front’s own offerings were led by his daughter Magic Fountain. Sold for $525,000 to North Hills from Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, Magic Fountain is out of Group 1 Irish Oaks winner Bracelet and a great-granddaughter of the great Urban Sea. Magic Fountain sold carrying her first foal.
WAR FRONT’S most expensive weanling was a $400,000 colt out of the Grade 2 winner Elizabeth Browning (Galileo). Elizabeth Browning herself is a full sister to multiple group winner and multiple Group 1-placed Johannes Vermeer and two other stakes horses.
A top sire year in and year out, WAR FRONT stands for $150,000 in 2021 and will be joined by dual-surface Grade 1-winning son WAR OF WILL on the roster.