Impressive maiden winning filly ANCIENT PEACE (War Front), an Ontario-bred, brought a bid of $650,0000 to top the second session and entire Keeneland January Horses of All Ages sale which wrapped up on January 12. The buyer was Travis Boersma’s Boardshorts Stable, based in California. Boersma made headlines late last year as the buyer of a small share in Flightline, the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner, for $4.6 million.
Canadians have been buying and selling at the four-day auction, which continues Wednesday at 10 a.m. Woodbine owner and trainer Dale Desruisseaux, along with wife Jeannette and Thomas Sedef. sold an Ontario-bred short yearling for $120,000. The couple from Smithville, Ontario bred and raised the filly by Florida Derby (G1) winner Audible (more below).
Ancient Peace, bred by Sam-Son Farms and a $180,000 yearling purchase from the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale, is a 3-year-old with two starts. Racing for Mike Ryan and trainer Graham Motion, the filly won a maiden special weight at Santa Anita in her most recent start at one mile on the turf with a 76 Beyer Speed Figure. She is a Woodbine Oaks and King’s Plate eligible.
Ancient Peace, who was supplemented to the January Sale, is out of Grade 2 winner Deceptive Vision, by A.P. Indy, and from the family of Canadian Horse of the Year Quiet Resolve; additional Canadian champions Eye of the Sphynx, Eye of the Leopard and Desert Ride; and Grade 2 winner Cleopatra’s Strike. She was consigned by Indian Creek, agent.
“We are happy that she was supplemented to the sale,” Hunter Rankin, who signed the ticket for Boersma, said. “We are building a stable and think she is a really good foundation horse. Even if she never wins another race, she has a great catalog page.”
Boersma, the founder of Dutch Bros. Coffee, has only been racing horses for a few years. In 2019 Boersma became the owner of Grants Pass racetrack in Oregon.
DESRUISSEAUX and Sedef turned a nice profit with his Audible filly from the mare Innocent Love by Grand Slam. Desruisseaux bought Innocent Love, a stakes winner at Hastings racecourse, in foal to Audible at the 2022 Keenland January sale for $20,000. The final bid of $120,000 he got on Tuesday was from Reeves Thoroughbreds and Steve Rocco.
Desruisseaux spent some of his $120,000 when he bought the Speightstown mare Dulce Arabe for $13,000 in foal to Upstart. On day 3, Desruisseaux purchased Pangaea Proxima, a Temple City mare in foal to Raging Bull (Fr) for $30,000.
Canadian buyers from the four-day the sale included:
JOSHAM FARMS (Ted Burnett) as agent signed the ticket on 4-year-old Serapha for $190,000. Serapha was unraced but the grey Macho Uno filly is carrying a full sibling to Grade 1 winner Stately Victor, by Ghostzapper.
R. GLENN SIKURA as agent paid $37,000 for the placed Silent Sister, who is from the immediate family of champion broodmares Cool Mood and Passing Mood. Silent Sister, by Silent Name (Jpn), is a half-sister to 2023 Tropical Park Derby winner Golden Glider and she sold in foal to Ghostzapper.
MARK FROSTAD, agent bought broodmare SKY HIGH GAL for $22,000. The daughter of Leroisdesanimaux, has three winners from her first three foals to race and she is in foal to champion sprinter Mitole.
ADENA SPRINGS bought the 4-year-old broodmare prospect Mi Negrita (Bodemeister) for $20,000. Adena Springs also bought the 5-year-old stakes-winning mare Bulletproof One for $75,000. The daughter of Idiot Proof sold as a racing or broodmare prospect. On day 3, Adena Springs bought Hidden Wonder, a Curlin mare in foal to Street Boss, for $150,000.
BONNIE ESHELMAN, an owner and trainer at Woodbine, bought a 2-year-old filly by Sharp Azteca for $7,500.
RICHARD HOGAN, as agent for John Burness’ COLEBROOK FARMS, purchased an Ontario-bred short yearling by McKinzie from the mare Cumulonimble, the dam of Queen’s Plate winner One Bad Boy. for $90,000.
CARY SPRINGER paid $1,000 for the racing or broodmare prospect Gentle Seas, a 4-year-old by Midshipman.
KRISTA COLE bought the 3-year-old Florida bred Lulu’s Lullaby (Wicked Tune) for $2,000 and a Central Banker 2-year-old bred by New York for $2,500. She also paid $1,500 for a 2-year-old colt by Bee Jersey.
MAUREEN HEWITT-TOPP bought a Speightster short yearling filly for $5,000 and a 3-year-old New York-bred colt by Frank Conversation, Image of Quality, for $6,000.
DOMENIC DILALLA paid $15,000 for a yearling colt by Caravaggio and MARTIN WICKENS bought a War of Will yearling filly by War of Will.
DOUG REDDINGTON purchased a yearling filly by Without Parole (GB) for $9,000, ZILLI RACING STABLE went to $9,000 for a candy Ride (Arg) colt and NICK NOSOWENKO picked up the colt Summer Buck, by Palace, for $4,200.
*WENTRU, a gelding who dead-heated in the Valedictory Stakes at Woodbine with Who’s the Star, was sold at the January sale by owner Elliott Logan for $200,000. Wentru, who won four straight races under trainer Martin Drexler, was purchased by a group of owners through agent Frank Taylor. Will Walden will train Wentru.
*GARRY PARR, an Ontario breeder from Campbellford, ON informed Canadian Thoroughbred that his Keeneland January purchases have arrived at David Perry’s farm.
Parr purchased a 3-year-old filly by Astern (Aus), a Medaglia D’Oro stallion, named ANNIA CORNIFICA F for $1,000 after the broodmare prospect did not meet her reserve. The filly is from the immediate family of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Big Brown. Parr also bought a short yearling filly by Astern from the mare Ms. Bedazzled for $1,000.
Parr also reports he bought the winning filly PHILLY EAGLES (IRE) with Paula Benjamin at Keeneland November for $1,000 and will race her this year.
In December at the Fasig Tipton December Digital Sale, Parr and Benjamin bought SACRED MOON, a broodmare by Malibu Moono in foal to Mor Spirit for $2,400. Sacred Moon’s third dam is Oceana, a full sister to Canadian champion and top broodmare Northernette.
“We are breeding back to Ontario sires,” said Parr. “The Ontario program is great.”
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