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Hard Spun filly sells for US$372,000 to top sale
Trapezium (Hard Spun) was the most expensive lot to sell at the Keeneland Digital Sales Ring - Select Horses of Racing Age Sale on Tuesday when bought by St Elias Stables for US$327,000.
Sold by Juddmonte Farms as a racing or broodmare prospect, the three-year-old filly had been placed twice for trainer Bill Mott and is out of the unraced A P Indy (Seattle Slew) mare Mesmeric making her a half-sister to Grade 2 winning gelding Honorable Duty (Distorted Humor).
Trapezium's second dam is Grade 1 winner Toussaud (El Gran Señor), the dam of six winners headed by multiple Grade 1 winning sire Empire Maker (Unbridled) as well as Grade 1 winning pair Chester House (Mr Prospector) and Honest Lady (Seattle Slew).
John Sparkman, pedigree consultant for St Elias Stables, said that Trapezium was likely to head to New York to the stable of Todd Pletcher.
"She jumped out at us because of her pedigree," Sparkman said.
"Most of the Juddmonte horses are grass-oriented. This family is mostly dirt-oriented, with Empire Maker and Honest Lady, and that is primarily what we are looking for. Tom Evans of Trackside Farm was able to go by and look at her for us and he liked her. So that sealed the deal."
Juddmonte Farms general manager Garrett O'Rourke said that the online sale format had been well received.
"Trapezium comes from one of (Juddmonte's) elite families," O'Rourke said.
"I wasn't sure in this format buyers would recognize her value. I was wrong. Our phone began ringing very early on; people were paying attention, doing their homework and she sold accordingly.
"The online sale format was well received and embraced by buyers," O'Rourke continued.
"There were some growing pains with registering to bid, etc, but buyers adapted quickly. It was productive and went very smoothly – to be able to pull together buyers and players and turn the sale around in such a short time. We needed to move some horses and it was a big help to us."
The second most expensive lot to sell was winning three-year-old filly Eloquent Speaker (Flatter) who was sold by Niall Brennan Stables as agent for US$200,000 to Anthony Mitola.
Overall the sale saw 12 horses sell at an average of US$69,125 and median of US$32,750.
"The successful launch of the Digital Sales Ring marks a milestone in Keeneland's storied auction history because it enables us to deliver another high-quality sales option to our clients," Keeneland Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said.
"This sale met the needs of the market by providing buyers, as tracks reopen around the country, the opportunity to purchase proven, ready-made racehorses from top-flight consignors."
