Ontario Breeder Murray Smith Sells $585,000 Colt at Keeneland

Just over an hour after his half-brother MY BOY PRINCE finished second in the Summer Stakes (G1) at Woodbine, a yearling colt from the penultimate crop of champion and leading sire Kitten’s Joy was sold by his Ontario breeder Murray Smith for a whopping $585,000 at the Keeneland sale.

Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa, agent, the bay colt was purchased by the partnership of China Horse Club and Qatar Racing.

This is the second straight offspring of Smith’s Silent Name (Jpn) mare HOPPING NOT HOPING to sell, and sell well. My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince) topped the CTHS Ontario Canadian Premier yearling sale last year at $115,000. Purchased by Dr. Robert McMartin for Gary Barber, My Boy Prince won the restricted Simcoe Stakes by 14 lengths with a 95 Beyer Speed Figure before his solid Summer Stakes effort, his first try on turf and at one mile.

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The yearling is the third foal of Hopping Not Hoping, who won two of four career races including the Shady Well Stakes for Smith, Christopher Chop and Katarin Von Gavel. Barbara Minshall trained Hopping Not Hoping, who was bred by Roger Fortier.

Also at Keeneland from sessions 5 and 6, David Anderson’s Anderson Farms, agent, sold a Ghostzapper colt out of Heartofthematter for $275,000 to Live Oak Plantation, a Hard Spun from Grace and Dignity filly for $300,000 to Belladonna Stable and trainer Cherie DeVaux and another filly by Hard Spun from Coronation Street for $220,000. An Ontario bred filly by Maclean’s Music from Keen Mischief by Into Mischief, offered by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa, sold for $200,000 during the same session.

Paul Braverman sold an Ontario-bred yearling colt by Omaha Beach – In Jail for $240,000 to Meridian. And Ontario breeder Jesse Korona also sold an Omaha Beach colt who was produced from the Super Saver mare All Dressed Up for $180,000.