Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (G1) winner and millionaire Unrivaled Belle sold for $3,8 million to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm during Tuesday's second session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, the biggest price paid for a Thoroughbred sold at public auction in the world this year.
In foal to Tapit, Unrivaled Belle was consigned by Eaton Sales, agent. The 10-year-old mare is out of Grade 2 winner Queenie Belle, by Bertrando.
Keeneland on Tuesday sold 138 horses for $52,764,000, down 17.28 percent from the second session in 2015 when 143 horses, including champion Take Charge Brandi at $6 million, grossed $63,784,000.
The average of $382,348 was 14.28 percent below last year's $446,042, while the median of $260,000 was four percent higher than $250,000 last year.
Through the first two days of the sale, which comprise the premier Book 1 portion of the auction, Keeneland sold a total of 253 horses for $102,919,000, a decrease of 5.47 percent from the first two sessions in 2015 when 279 horses brought $108,878,000. The cumulative average of $406,794 rose 4.24 percent from $390,244 in 2015. Median price was up 13.04 percent from $230,000 to $260,000.
"Book 1 was a very good sale from start to finish," Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell said."Today's sale was strong across the board, strong for mares, strong for foals.Both days were more even compared to last year when the second day was much stronger."
"The market has been unbelievable," said Pope, the session's leading buyer with two purchases for $4.85 million. During the opening two days of the November Sale, Pope spent a total of $8.15 million for four mares and one 3-year-old filly, including one horse purchased in partnership with Gainesway.
"If you want the nice mares and the nice weanlings, you have to pay for them right now," she continued. "That's all there is to it."
Unrivaled Belle, a daughter of Grade 2 winner Queenie Belle, by Bertrando, is the dam of the promising 2-year-old Tapit filly Unique Bella, in training in Southern California with Jerry Hollendorfer.
"Ladies and gentlemen: I am done shopping. She's gorgeous," Pope said about Unrivaled Belle. "She is a big-size mare, rangy, good bone but not overly huge. I think she is a good fit for Tapit. She was my pick of the sale."
Unrivaled Belle was consigned by Eaton Sales, agent, which led all consignors by selling 25 horses for $14.22 million, among them three of the day's top 10-priced horses.
"We've had a great sale," Reiley McDonald of Eaton said. "The market has been good all the way. I think it may even be stronger here today than yesterday."
Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed Feathered, in foal to War Front, sold for $2.35 million to Summer Wind Equine. The 4-year-old Indian Charlie mare was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, agent.
"I'm still a little shell shocked, but that's okay," Jane Lyon of Summer Wind said. "I kind of thought we could get her for a little less than that,but (she's from) an old Phipps family (with)graded stakes (winners)on dirt and grass. (She's) in foal to War Front (and is)young and beautiful. The only thing she hasn't done yet is produced but we are counting on that."
Paola Queen, the 2016 Test (G1) winner, sold for$1.7 million to SF Bloodstock.
"Absolute pick of the day," Tom Ryan of SF Bloodstock said. "She's just such a beautiful mare. To win the Test at Saratoga, a premierrace -- and she's such a good dirt filly. We can breed her to anything; maybe she'll go back into training. How good would she be for Pioneerof the Nile?Absolutely (there's a chance she would race again). Why not?"
Brookdale Sales, agent, consigned Paola Queen, a 3-year-old daughter of Flattersold as a racing or broodmare prospect.
"We were excited and ecstatic for the opportunity to sell her," Joe Seitz of Brookdale said. "She is a beautiful filly and is obviously a tremendous racehorse. The way she closed in the Test showed what kind of class and determination she has. She looked the part in the ring today. We are very grateful and excited for Tom Ryan and SF Bloodstock and wish them the best of luck in the next chapter."
Grade 1-placedstakes winner Miss Empire, a 6-year-old daughter of Empire Maker in foal to Medaglia d'Oro, sold for$1.05 million to Whisper Hill Farm.
"I am a big fan of Empire Maker, and I was thrilled when Gainesway brought him back to America (from Japan)," Pope said. "She is a gorgeous, very elegant mare. She was a really nice racehorse at two sohopefullyher babies will have some speed.
"Seeing her Tapit filly (who sold for $975,000 as Hip 255) gave me confidence that she can throw a nice baby."
Eaton Sales, agent, consigned Miss Empire, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Bordonaro.Pope said she plans to breed Miss Empire to Tapit.
A weanling son of Tapit who is a half-brother to champion Honor Code and Grade 2 winner Noble Tune sold for$1.05 million to Baccari Bloodstock.He was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, agent.
"I got the horse I wanted out of this sale, and I'm very happy about that," Chris Baccari of Baccari Bloodstock said. "That's a very hard pedigree to get into. I happened to see the colt on the farm ahead of time so I had that ability to see what I was getting into. He is just a very special horse. Very hard to find that kind of pedigree with that kind of sire power."
Baccarisaid the colt was purchased for a partnership."We will race him or resell him;we still have to figure that out," he said, pleased with the acquisition.
"Most of the time I come up here and get blown out of the water," he said. "I have just learned you have to be ready."
White Birch Farm paid $975,000 for Miss Empire's weanling filly by Tapit from the consignment of Eaton Sales, agent.
Keeneland Release
