Keertana & Snow Top Mountain for $1M & $950,000
A pair of half sisters offered by the late Barbara Hunter’s Brownwood Farm operation, Keertana and Snow Top Mountain, garnered $1.95 million between the two of them.
Keertana, a dark bay or brown 7-year-old daughter of Johar , sold for $1 million; while Snow Top Mountain, a gray or roan 6-year-old daughter of Najran, went for $950,000.
Tony Lacy, bloodstock manager for Brownwood and consignor for Four Star Sales, agent, said the half sisters have similar personalities.
“In looks, they’re not really that similar,” Lacy said. “The mare (Motokiks, by Storm Cat) throws the foals very much like the sire. Keertana is a big, scopy, rangy mare. Snow Top is more compact, a little more agile. So physically, they’re not very much the same.
“But personality-wise, they are very similar. They’re both very professional, very focused. When they’re given a job, they just want to go do it.”
Craig Bandoroff signed the ticket on Keertana but did not want to reveal his domestic buyer, noting that the buyer has been buying mares at the top of the market.
“(Keertana) is big; she’s pretty,” Bandoroff said. “It’s not a strong, strong family, but she can run; her sister can run. She ticked two of the three boxes. Hopefully she’ll throw it all.”
Audley Farm, breeder of grade I winner and Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) runner-up Bodemeister , landed Snow Top Mountain for $950,000.
Veterinarian Jens von Lepel of Audley said Snow Top Mountain will be a fine addition at the Berryville, Va., farm. Bodemeister’s dam, Untouched Talent, sold for $5 million at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale.
“(Snow Top Mountain) is a very nice mare, very well bred, great racing performance, and good conformation,” von Lepel said. “That’s all that you look for. She’s quality all over.”
Lacy acknowledged that it was a bittersweet day for everyone close to Hunter’s breeding and racing operation.
“It’s never really been a family that’s been sold. It’s an heirloom of Barbara’s,” Lacy said. “It’s a credit to Barbara and her legacy. I’m very proud for her.”
The highest-priced horse from the Fares dispersal was stakes-winning mare Supreme, who was purchased for $800,000 by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings. The 6-year-old Empire Maker filly is believed to be in foal to Giant’s Causeway .
“She’s a beautiful mare, a really, really pretty mare,” said Stonestreet bloodstock adviser John Moynihan of Supreme, who is out of the Maria’s Mon mare Mon Belle, a full sister to Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Monarchos . “We thought she’d be a nice addition to our broodmare band. We bought the yearling in September. He looks to be one of our nicer yearlings, now a 2-year-old.”
It is not the first time Stonestreet has shown interest in the family. At the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale, Stonestreet paid $900,000 to land a Smart Strike colt out of Mon Belle.
Adam Corndorf of Bonnie Baskin’s Blue Heaven Farm, which landed stakes winning broodmare Oregon Lady, in foal to Elusive Quality , for $475,000, said buyers had to pay for quality young mares and broodmare prospects.
“For the good mares it’s very strong,” Corndorf said. “It drops off a bit from there but for the good mares that are standouts it seems like the competition is really, really tough. We feel fortunate to get her.”
Von Lepel added that many buyers saw potential in the same mares.
“It’s very hard to find quality mares,” von Lepel said. “There aren’t that many, and everybody’s looking for that quality.”
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/75438/keeneland-january-registers-strong-second-day#ixzz2LZSlDJGn