Canadian owners and breeders continue to purchase some horses from the current Keeneland January Horses of All Ages sale in Lexington this week. Frank Stronach doled out $480,000 for the Jan. 13 session topper CROWNING JEWEL while ROBERT MARZILLI paid $110,000 for the bay Tapit mare PACIFY, a strongly bred daughter of world class stallion Tapit.
Crowning Jewel, a half-sister to champion and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Street Sense in foal to Street Boss, sold to Stronach’s Adena Springs with the ticket being signed by Dan Hall. Hall told media after the purchase that Stronach “was getting back [into purchasing mares].” Adena Springs was the session’s leading buyer, spending $535,000 on three horses.
On Thursday, Keeneland sold 259 horses for $5,471,700, for an average of $21,126 and a median of $10,000. During the corresponding session in 2021, 255 horses grossed $4,378,300, for an average of $17,170 and a median of $7,000.
Cumulative gross through three sessions of this year’s January Sale is $42,320,400 for 770 horses, for an average of $54,962 and a median of $25,000. Through the corresponding period in 2021, 708 horses sold for $39,793,100, for an average of $56,205 and a median of $20,000.
Crowning Jewel, a 5-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, is out of Bedazzle, by Dixieland Band, and from the family of Grade 3 winner and sire Mr. Greeley. She also is a half-sister to stakes winner Elusive Sparkle.
“The pedigree is everything,” buyer Dan Hall said. “She’s by Into Mischief and (is) a half-sister to Street Sense – a great family. She was a typical-looking Into Mischief mare and is a family Frank wanted to get into.”
While Adena breeds horses in Kentucky as well as Ontario, local owner and breeder Marzilli strictly has a local program and the addition of Pacify to his broodmare band will continue to improve his operation.
Pacify is an unraced Tapit mare out of the graded stakes winner CARESS, dam of Grade 1 winner SKY MESA, graded stakes winner GOLDEN VELVET (dam of Grade 2 winner LUCULLAN) and a half-sister to the dam of current handicap star in the US, MAXFIELD.
Pacify is in foal to Violence.
Marzilli entered horse racing in 2014 and had instant success with his filly CAREN, who was the Canadian Horse of the Year in 2017. Caren’s first foal, Curlin Candy (Curlin) was stakes-placed in two starts as a juvenile in 2021 for Marzilli.
Jay and Christine Hayden, who recently purchased the exciting young stallion SPEIGHTSTER to stand in Ontario at Northern Dawn Farm, have been active at Keeneland and, according to Thoroughbred Daily News, purchased mares to breed to their son of Speightstown. Through agent Chad Schumer, the Haydens purchased graded stakes winner and Grade I placed Ausus (Invasor {Arg}) (hip 34), in foal to Medaglia d’Oro, who was acquired for $90,000; $37,000 acquisition Popstar (Medaglia d’Oro) (hip 270), in foal to Instagrand; and Cost (Pulpit) (hip 501), in foal to War of Will, purchased for $24,000.
The Haydens, who breed under their Saintsbury Farm banner, have 18 mares and 15 mares are currently committed to stallions in Kentucky but some will visit Speightster in 2023.
Schumer told TDN, “Some great things are happening at Woodbine–the purses have gone up,” he said. “I think it makes a lot of sense to breed and race in Canada. There are some are very good incentives to bring mares into Canada and Jay is taking advantage of all of that.”
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