The third session of the September Annual Sale at Keeneland begins September 14 with SF Racing’s Tom Ryan making an early appearance, up to $1.05 million for a foal of SF Racing. Gunman Consignment is Hip 383 by Pope McLean (Crestwood Ranch).
The foal will be headed to the West Coast by trainer Bob Baffert for a partnership at SF/Starlight/Madaket.
Ryan said: “The beautiful horse was raised by some wonderful people. “Gun Runner is a sensation. There is no other way to describe him. Our whole team loves this horse. Everyone who (sees) him loves him.” It was a very simple consensus vote. We’re happy to land him.”
The first crop of Gun Runner, now 3 years old, has made a lasting impression in the sales ring and across the oval with five 1st place winners, including a 2022 winner. Cyberknife , Vote early and Taiba .
The flying pony was bred by Ann Fostock in Kentucky from the Perfect Flute mare, a winning mare and the dam of four ponies. Her first pony, Flute Maker, of Sky Mesa, won 2nd place. The mare comes from the Flute family, twice winning 1st place in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Alabama. Staking (G1) in 2001 and made more than $1.1 million.
Crestwood Farms thinks the foal has potential for sale.
“He was a special horse. He was a horse that we thought could be groundbreaking and it happened,” said shipper Marc McLean. “It was a pleasant surprise. It was bred by a client, it was bred and raised on our farm. It has always been a standout. It has such a good range and size. And that’s what makes it so special.
“We got lucky and got him in the right place (during the sale.) We were pretty busy this morning; buyers kept coming back, which is a good thing. He was early in the session, which is what That made us nervous, but I believe everyone did their homework. Hopefully he’s one of the standouts of the day, but you won’t know until you get here.”
Crestwood Farm’s Marc McLean at the sale
Perfect Flute is a half-brother with Mizzen Mast mare Filimbi 2nd place winner and 1st place grass supplier to Juddmonte breeder/owner and trainer Bill Mott.
In 2022 Gun Runner stands at Three Chimneys for $125,000. This year, in the field of sales, all 14 of his birth birds were sold, with an average price of $258,632 and an average price of $235,000.
During book sale 1 of the September Sale at Keeneland, a pair of fillings broke a seven-figure ceiling.
The partnership has doubled with another 1.05 million colts, Hip 574, by Quality Sugar from shipper McLean (Crestwood). The star pupil is the full brother of the Stillwater Cove winner and comes from the family of the 2010 National Museum of Racing (G2T) Interactif winner and 3rd place Stretching winner.
“Quality Road, we love him,” Ryan explains. “Great stallion, proven stallion. Very nice family, siblings to win bets, so (a) very outspoken ponies.”
The foal was bred in Kentucky by Rowland Hancock, who purchased the dam, Celibataire, at the January 2018 Keeneland All Age Horse Sale in the form of a foal for Union Rags for $180,000.
SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership stays busy on Wednesday one more Into Mischief colt consigned as Hip 679 for $700,000 from Scott Mallory, agent of Detined Stud; one Quality Sugar colt consigned as Hip 477 for $585,000 from Eaton Sales, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised; one Curlin colt consigned as Hip 461 for $400,000 from Eaton Sales; and a Tapit colt consigned with the name Hip 428 from Baccari Bloodstock for $485,000.
(LR): Tom Ryan and Brian Graves at Keeneland
Last purchase on Wednesday came late with the Hip 740, a domestic breed Into Mischief colt for Gainesway out Moon Malibu mare More chocolatewinner in La Canada 2013 (G2), second in Clement Hirsch Stakes (G1), Santa Margarita Stakes (G1), Vanity Handicap (G1) and third in Clement Robert J. Frankel Stakes (G3T) in 2012.
Brian Graves, general manager of Gainesway, commented: “That’s where I think the horse belongs. “The mare has reached middle age a little. I’m especially proud of that — Antony (Beck) let me do that mating during COVID-19 times. We thought it was a foal. really good physically. We say he’s only the age of a mare in Book 2.”
Bidding over the phone, Ryan made the final bid to take over the pony for $1.05 million.
