Dozens of Mares Purchased at Keeneland Soon Heading North

Canadian and Ontario breeders were busy shopping at the recently completed Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in Lexington and more than a dozen broodmares are headed north.

Through the 10 sessions of the sale, plenty of Ontario breeders took advantage of Ontario Racing’s lucrative Mare Purchase Program (MPP) which offers money back for broodmare purchases between $10,000 (US) and $25,000, and other incentives.

The following is a list of many of the Ontario and Canadian buyers noted on the Keeneland sales results sheets:

Scroll to continue with content

TALL OAKS FARM of Ivan Dalos purchased TURKMENISTAN, a multiple-winning daughter of Candy Ride (Arg) for $50,000. Turkmenistan is a daughter of Grade 2 winner Moon Catcher and she is in foal to Mo Town.

COLLEEN DALOS, as agent for Tall Oaks Farm, bought TOP CATS (Arg), a daughter of Aussie Rules (Danehill) who was a stakes winner and Group-placed in Argentina. Top Cats, purchased for $30,000 in foal to Caravaggio, is out of the Smart Strike mare Bubble Pop and this is the immediate family of Canadian champion Wavering Girl.

COLLEEN DALOS, as agent, bought another ‘cat, CARRERA CAT, a stakes-winning 7-year-old mare by Courageous Cat in foal to the Curlin stallion Connect.

Dalos also purchased ADDILYN, a stakes-placed daughter of Palace Malice, for $40,000 in foal to Tom’s D’Etat, a son of Smart Strike. And during session 10, Dalos purchased BELGIAN TWIST, an English Channel mare and full sister to graded stakes winner Optimizer, in foal to Bal a Bali (Put It Back) for $20,000.

“Thanks to the Mare Purchase Program, Tall Oaks Farm was able to purchase five high-quality mares that will all stay in Ontario year-round and be bred back to Avie’s Flatter, the newest addition to our group of five stallions,” said Colleen Dalos. “We are excited to be adding to Ontario’s great breeding and racing market with our new mares. Not only will these horses directly support the local economy, but the spin-off effect will continue with their foals who will also be raised here, raced here and possibly also be sold here at the CTHS sale. Truly a win-win-win for Ontario!”

SHERRY MCLEAN of Northern Dawn Stables purchased the Mineshaft mare DIAMONDETTE, a three-quarter sister to multiple graded stakes winner Sir Anthony, for $11,000. Diamondette is in foal to Street Boss, a son of Street Cry (Ire).McLean also bought BELLA JOY, by Kitten’s Joy, for $5,000 in foal to Independence Hall (Constitution).

TARA HORSE FARM paid $10,000 for the mare MISS STELLA, a 4-year-old winning daughter of Orb in foal to First Samurai (Giant’s Causeway). The farm also bought 3-year-old HEART OF ETERNITY at the seventh session, a Nyquist mare in foal to Frosted. Heart of Eternity is out of a full sister to Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and the price was $10,000.

TRACK WEST RACING, INC. privately purchased ARKANIAN, a Distorted Humor mare, for $45,000. Arkanian is an unraced daughter of graded stakes winner Ender’s Sister who is the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner A.P. Indian. Arkanian was purchased in foal to McKinzie (Street Sense).

SHANNONDOE FARMS as agent for KAREN CARROLL (Talbot Creek Farm, Shedden, ON) signed the ticket for CATCH THE FIRE (Kitten’s Joy), who sold for $70,000 in foal to champion Knicks Go. Carroll, newly into breeding Thoroughbreds and a top Standardbred breeder, bred Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner JUMPIN JUNIE in 2022. Catch the Fire is an unraced daughter from a rich Sam-Son farms family. She is a daughter of stakes winner Checkered Past (dam of graded stakes winner Messier). The second dam is champion Catch the Ring.

SHANNONDOE (Arika Everatt-Meeuse, James and Janeane Everatt) bought 7-year-old COMMUNAL, an Elusive Quality mare out of the Grade 1 and Grade 2 placed mare Centring (A.P. Indy) for $57,000. Communal’s second dam is multiple Grade 1 winner Composure. Communal is in foal to Hard Spun (Danzig).

EMOTIONAL KITTEN, a graded stakes winner of over $560,000 and in foal to The Factor, was bought by Dr. John Brown’s Spring Farm for $30,000. The well-bred 12-year-old has produced four foals to race including at least 2 winners.

Alberta’s CHRIS DUGGAN paid $7,000 for I’M A JERSEY GIRL, a stakes winner by Lightnin n Thunder in foal to Blame (Arch).

Also from Alberta, HIGHFIELD INVESTMENT GROUP bought JOYFUL FROLIC, by Curlin, for $27,000. A 6-year-old daughter of stakes winner Stormy Frolic, Joyful Frolic is in foal to Army Mule (Friesian Fire).

Highfield also purchased LOVE AND LOVE, a racing or broodmare prospect by Goldencents, for $45,000, Love and Love is a stakes-placed winner of over $382,000.

LARRY FALLOON from Manitoba paid $16,000 for PICADILLY LINE, an Air Force Blue 4-year-old in foal to Mitole (Eskendereya).

DR. TAN HYKA, breeder of stakes-winning 2- and 3-year-old The Minkster, purchased BETSKI, a grey 3-year-old by Runhappy in foal to Tapwrit (Tapit) for $12,000. Sherry McLean acted as agent.

McLean also acted as agent for LINDY BARROW in purchasing EXECUTIVE ALLURE, an Ontario-bred stakes winner by Bold Executive in foal to Silent Name (Jpn) for $12,000.

From the one-day Horses of Racing Age Sale, Alberta’s CENTURY HORSE RACING CLUB purchased CREDIBILITY, a graded stakes-placed son of Nyquist, for $20,000. Ontario trainer SANTINO DIPAOLA paid $15,000 for SERVE THE KING (GB), who won the Grade 2 Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct in November 2021 and is a son of Kingman from a Galileo mare. DiPaola plans to stand the 6-year-old at stud for 2023.

From earlier in the Keeneland Sale (which appeared in an earlier post):

David Anderson/Anderson Farms and Peter Berglar’s Stonereath Stable: WHIMSICAL DANCE consigned by Sam-Son Farms, was purchased as a racing or broodmare prospect for $725,000 by Anderson and Berglar.

Glenn Sikura as agent bought HAPPY SUCCESS, a Bernardini 4-year-old who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Brilliant Speed and graded stakes winner Souper Speedy, a leading sire in Canada. This filly was sold in foal to Liam’s Map and brought a bid of $170,000. She is from the immediate family of Daijin (2nd dam), from the Sikura family’s Hill ‘n’ Dale breeding program who is a stakes winner, sister to With Approval and Touch Gold and dam of champion Serenading.

Sean Fitzhenry paid $200,000 for the 4-year-old filly LET’S GO NATIVE, sold in foal to War Front. Let’s Go Native is from the stakes-winning mare Baroness Richter, by Montjeu, who is the dam of graded stakes winner Dream Awhile.

Steve Kemp of Ballycroy Bloodstock, which recently introduced two new stallions for Ontario, Collusion Illusion and Tamarkuz, bought O PRINCESS, by Bodemeister, for $90,000. The 3-year-old is in foal to Bolt d’Oro and is from the immediate family of Liam’s Map and Not This Time.

Kemp also signed the ticket for GOLDEN COAST, a Ghostzapper mare in foal to Silver State. Kemp paid $50,000 for the full sister to Grade 2 stakes winner Faypien. Golden Coast was unraced and is carrying her first foal.

Ted Burnett’s Josham Farms paid $225,000 for stakes-placed FIREWATER ROCKET, a daughter of Macho Rocket and half-sister to graded stakes winner Frank’s Rockette. Firewater Rocket is in foal to Bolt d’Oro.