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Hoyeau snaps up daughter of Camelot for US$975,000 at Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale
Pollara (Camelot) - who was offered in foal to War Front (Danzig) - took the spotlight during the second session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale on Tuesday as Arthur Hoyeau - who was working on behalf of French outfit Ecurie des Monceaux - went to US$975,000 to secure the Irish-bred French Group 3 winner from the Claiborne Farm draft.
Catalogued as Lot 391, the daughter of Coolmore Stud’s Camelot (Montjeu) won twice during her six start career, with her two victories headed by her win in the 2018 Prix de Royaumont (Gr 3, 2400m) at Chantilly.
The mare will now head by to France with Henri Bozo, manager of Ecurie des Monceaux saying she was the standout in Book 2 of the sale.
“She is going back to France,” said Bozo. “She is a very exciting mare. She is in foal to a very proven stallion. We try to breed classic winners. She stood out in Book 2.”
The mare was purchased by BBA Ireland for 160,000gns at Book 1 of the 2016 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and she is out of dual-winning Storm Cat (Storm Bird) mare Brooklyn’s Storm, making her a half-sister to Listed winner Stormina (Gulch) - the dam of dual Group 1 winner Silasol (Monsun).
Brooklyn’s Storm herself is a daughter of Group 3 scorer Brooklyn’s Dance (Shirley Heights) and she is also the dam of 2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Solemia (Poliglote), Group 2 winner Prospect Wells (Sadler’s Wells), Prospect Park (Sadler’s Wells), who scored at Group 3 level and Listed scorer Brooklyn’s Gold (Seeking The Gold).
“She’s such a nice mare, a group winner in France and in foal to the right horse,” Claiborne president Walker Hancock said. “Every single mare in the family is in foal to a world-leading sire. It’s a very active family and they’ve all been bred to the best sires in the world. There are tons of upside to the family. When you have a page like that, a race record like that and in foal to the right sire the sky’s the limit.”
Later on in the session, Schoenthal, agent for Dorman’s Determined Stud, paid US$800,000 for Style and Grace, a winning, four-year-old daughter of Curlin (Smart Strike) who is carrying her first foal by City Of Light (Quality Road).
Style and Grace, a three-quarters sister to Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (Gr 1, 8f) winner Furthest Land, was consigned by Lane’s End Farm as Lot 465.
Out of the Rahy (Blushing Groom) mare Flagrant, she is from the family of Grade 2 winner Ready for Rye (City Zip) and Grade 3 winner Dynever (Dynaformer).
Determined Stud is a new breeding and racing operation that acquired several horses at Keeneland’s 2020 September Yearling Sale.
“We’re just buying quality,” Dorman said. “We have some stallion shares so we have some stallions in mind. The farm is in Boyds, Maryland. We are really looking for quality, so I think the band will be around the 15-horse mark and then we will go from there.”
Lane’s End was the session’s leading consignor, selling 31 horses for US$4,716,000.
For the second day, a colt from the first crop of undefeated 2018 Triple Crown-winning shuttler Justify (Scat Daddy) was the session’s top-priced weaning after M.V. Magnier paid US$475,000 for the first foal of Grade 3-placed Inchargeofme (High Chaparral).
Consigned by Nursery Place and catalogued as Lot 298, the colt is from the family of is from the family of Group 1-placed Johann Straus (High Chaparral).
“He’s a beautiful-looking horse, and Justify is making very good foals,” Coolmore’s David Wachman said. “We’re just excited to be able to buy a very nice horse by him. Across the board, they’re very good, and he’s a very smart horse, that horse. We’re happy to have him.”
At the close of trade on Tuesday, Keeneland reported a total of 197 horses sold for US$27,690,000, for an average of US$140,558 and a median of US$100,000.
Through two sessions, 325 horses have grossed US$77,465,000, for an average of US$238,354 and a median of US$135,000.
“Overall the market is strong,” Keeneland president-elect and interim head of sales Shannon Arvin said. “Five mares sold today for more than US$500,000, which is pretty comparable to last year’s session. Consignors have commented to us that they have been a little surprised at the strength of the market. So trade is strong.”
Keeneland director of sales operations Geoffrey Russell said: “Phil Schoenthal from Maryland brought Matt Dorman, who’s developing a breeding operation, so they are here to fill up a farm,” he said. “Our international clients who came last year are back buying to lay down the foundations for their breeding operations. Keeneland is where the world comes to buy. If you look at the leading buyers at the end of the day. you have European, American and Japanese interests. There was a great mix of people today, and we hope that continues.”
