Avenue Bloodstock’s Mark McStay did just as the mare is named, Act Now, in seeing the bidding to $610,000 on Day 6 of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale to acquire the mare in foal to City of Light . Her 2-year-old colt, Coach Prime , broke his maiden impressively three days earlier at Del Mar for Zedan Racing Stables.
Nardelli Sales consigned the 8-year-old mare to dissolve a partnership as Hip 2184 to the opening session of Book 4, Nov. 13.
“I purchased her for an existing client,” McStay told BloodHorse over the phone, “Who has been trying to buy a very nice mare to go to Justify. Her Quality Road yearling was the most beautiful horse. Act Now is a nice mare with a lot going for her.”
He added: “She was purchased for a commercial breeder, and there is a chance the resulting foal might be offered in the sales down the road. He’s got a lot going for ourselves.”
The winning Street Sense mare was campaigned by her breeder, Colts Neck Stables, and is a half sibling to Long Branch Stakes-placed The Right Path (Quality Road). Springwood and Bill Werner purchased the mare for $150,000 during the 2020 Keeneland January Sale from Ashview Farm while carrying her first foal.
The mare has produced three foals, with the first, by Kitten’s Joy, Dr Oseran stakes-placed and her juvenile running third on first asking Oct. 7 at a mile on the grass and winning second time out Nov. 10 at the same distance but on the dirt with a jaw-dropping 7 1/4-length margin between him and the field of nine others.
Video: Race 4 (MSW) at DMR on 11/10/23
During the Keeneland September Sale last year, Nardelli Sales offered Coach Prime, by Quality Road , selling to agent Donato Lanni for $1.7 million. He is now campaigned by Amr Zedan and Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.
Act Now has a yearling colt by Union Rags and was mated to Lane’s End sire City of Light on a March 17 cover.
The session-topping price tag didn’t surprise McStay, who commented, “The market is very strong, but also selective for the good stuff.”
She was the only broodmare to sell Monday above $100,000 and one of four individuals to break the six-figure threshold, with the others being a $155,000 Vino Rosso weanling colt, $110,000 weanling filly by Midshipman , and the winning racing or broodmare prospect Corey and Quinn for $120,000.
