Graded stakes winner Finite made an impression Nov. 9 at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton’s premier breeding stock sale near Lexington, when she was purchased for $2.2 million by Larry Best’s OXO Equine. The upstairs bar at the sales pavilion reverberated with cheers of “Thank you Finite” following the sale, as her former connections saluted the start of a hopefully fruitful second career.
“I fell in love with a Munnings filly,” said Best of Finite. “I have a lot of Into Mischief colts, including Instagrand , and Munnings in particular should be a great fit. So I expect to have a great fit between Instagrand and Finite. This filly was very, very impressive on the track—one of the best specimens of a Munnings that I’ve seen—and I’m excited about breeding her for many years to come.”
Consigned by Gainesway, agent, the filly was offered as a broodmare prospect. She last raced in April, where she finished third in the La Troienne Stakes Presented by Twinspires.com (G1) at Churchill Downs. Skilled by Steve Asmussen and campaigned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Thomas Stay, William Dickson, and Deborah Easter, the filly retired with a 6-3-2 report from 14 begins with $849,869 in earnings.
Finite was bred in Kentucky by Winchell Thoroughbreds out of the Tapit mare Remit , who was a stakes winner in her own right. Remit is a daughter of the Olympio mare Free Spin, who produced multiple graded stakes winner and Darby Dan stallion Tapiture , grade 3 winner Rotation , and stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Retap .
“She’s a beautiful filly with a huge shoulder. Absolutely gorgeous,” said Brain Graves of Gainesway.
The profitable ticket on Hip 169 was the primary massive buy of the night for Greatest, who began off the evening on the aspect of the sellers when he provided his Into Mischief colt out of Moi (Medaglia d’Oro ) (Hip 75) to the sale. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, the weanling was purchased by Brookstone Farm for $570,000.
While he would not reveal his buying plans for the week as the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale also looms, Best remains ever stalwart in his willingness to spend big to bring home the best to his ever-expanding program.
“I was born bullish,” said Best. “I’ve been blessed so far on the breeding side. Hopefully the success continues, but it’s much easier than racing, which is really difficult. In breeding if you’re patient and listen to a lot of people that know a lot more than I do about bloodlines, you might break even.”
Best also purchased a more modestly priced weanling during the opening hours of the sale. He spent $45,000 to secure Hip 8, a filly by Spendthrift Farm stallion Maximus Mischief out of Appealing Katie, by Summer Bird. Consigned by Four Star Sales, agent, the filly was bred by Wiji Bloodstock in Kentucky and is from the female family of graded stakes winners Regally Appealing , Appealing Tale , Rockport Harbor , and Maracuja .
Best’s final purchase of the day was Hip 255, the Conveyance mare Water White , consigned by Buck Pond Farm, agent. Bred in Kentucky by Richard Forbush out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Uzume, the mare was purchased for $550,000 as a racing or broodmare prospect.
Best’s total purchases came to $2.795 million.
