$3 million Lady highlights Keeneland opener

Hystericalady highlighted the first day of Keeneland November (Photo by Z/Keeneland Association)

HYSTERICALADY (Distorted Humor), one of the leading older mares of the past

two seasons, brought a final bid of $3 million on Monday as Keeneland kicked off

its November Breeding Stock Sale in Lexington, Kentucky. Consigned by Taylor

Made Sales Agency, agent, and offered as Hip No. 53, Hystericalady was purchased

by John Ferguson, representing Sheikh Mohammed, the buyer of the session's top

three sellers.

A seven-time graded stakes winner, Hystericalady earned her only Grade 1

tally in the 2007 Humana Distaff H., but also scored wins in such prestigious

events as the Delaware H. (G2), Fleur de Lis H. (G2) and two editions of the

Molly Pitcher H. (G2). Owned in partnership by George Todaro, Tom Clark and

trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, Hystericalady placed in five other Grade 1 events,

including the Lady's Secret S. and Breeders' Cup Distaff in 2007, which she lost

by a nose and neck, respectively. She finished second and fifth in those same

races this year in her most recent outings.

Hystericalady is out of the Chilean champion mare Sacramentada (Chi) (Northair),

a half-sister to Group 1 winner Senora Bonita (Stately Form). Herself a half-sister to

the stakes-placed Broad Picture (Broad Brush) and Torrey Pines (Woodman),

Hystericalady has earned $2,390,556 from a line of 23-11-4-2.

"She was an outstandingly tough race filly," Ferguson said of his

purchase. "She has been consistent, and is out of a top South American

mare. She was an obvious candidate."

"Hystericalady is a nice filly who took her game to both the East and

West Coasts as well as the Midwest, and performed at the highest level

wherever she raced," agreed Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland's director of

sales. "We were delighted to have her in the sale."

Ferguson was active later in the afternoon when going to $2.5 million for

AWAY (Dixieland Band), who is carrying a full sibling by Unbridled's Song to the

late Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Eight Belles from a May cover.

A multiple Grade 3-placed stakes winner, Away completed her career with a

mark of 24-7-4-6, $277,550. Eight Belles, her second foal, captured the Honeybee

S. (G3) and Fantasy S. (G2) prior to her second-place finish to Big Brown in the

Derby. Eight Belles tragically broke down while pulling up after the race and

was euthanized.

A Better Than Honour granddaughter by Bernardini topped the weanlings (Photo by Z/Keeneland Association)

APASIONATA SONATA (Affirmed), the dam of multiple Grade 2 winner Bsharpsonata

(Pulpit), went to S.K.A.S. for $1.5 million. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales,

agent, the 10-year-old mare was sold back in foal to Pulpit on a March cover.

Offered as Hip 267, the stakes-winning earner of $155,535 is out of the

multiple stakes-winning Express Star (Baldski), who is also the dam of the

Canadian Grade 3-placed Imprimature (Bertrando). Apasionata Sonata is also the

dam of McGiant (Giant's Causeway), a two-year-old colt who was exported to

Jamaica; a yearling colt by Smarty Jones; and a weanling colt by First Samurai.

One day after selling for $14 million, a world record for a broodmare, Better

Than Honour (Deputy Minister) had one of her weanling descendants sell for

$1.475 million. Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales, agent, Hip 215 is out of the

winning Teeming (Storm Cat), a half-sister to Belmont S. (G1) winners Rags

to Riches (A.P. Indy) and Jazil (Seeking the Gold) as well as Peter Pan S. (G2)

hero Casino Drive (Mineshaft), all produced by Better Than Honour. Teeming is

also the dam of Cascading, a yearling filly by A.P. Indy.

The winning bidder for the daughter of champion and classic winner Bernardini

was Eaton Sales' Reiley McDonald, who signed the ticket on behalf of Chesapeake Partners.

"Physically, she is as good as any foal in the sale, and of course,

we know the pedigree," McDonald said. "Every part of her is exactly what

we were looking for."

Business was down dramatically compared to the first day of this sale last

year, the highest grossing session at a sale in Keeneland's history. On Monday,

149 offerings sold for $48,021,000, a drop of 56 percent from the $109,064,000

realized from the sale of 194 horses in 2007. The average plummeted 42.7 percent, from

$562,186 to $322,289, while the median saw a drop of 32.1 percent, from $272,500

to $185,000.

"Last November opened with an historical and record-breaking session

during which we sold 28 million-dollar horses versus 11 this year,

including a $10.5 million broodmare; that's a huge difference," Russell

explained. "Whether the difference is owed to the economy or to the

catalog; it's probably a factor of both. But this is the marketplace

where people come to trade horses, and we will successfully trade horses

over the next two weeks, though probably not at the level we did last

year."

HIP

PEDIGREE AND MATED TO (IF APPLICABLE)

53

Distorted Humor-Sacramentada (Chi)

agent

271

Band-Be a Prospector (in foal to Unbridled's Song)

174

Strike-Daily Special (in foal to Bernardini)

Affirmed-Express Star (in foal to Pulpit)

agent

Bernardini-Teeming, by Storm Cat

agent

71

Kris-Belleville Miss (in foal to El Corredor)

agent

Excess (Ire)-Romantic Fibs

agent

Unbridled's Song-Helsinki (GB) (in foal to Storm Cat)

agent

17

ERMINE, m, 5, Exchange

Rate-Red Mischief (in foal to A.P. Indy)

agent

Freud-Swift Girl (in foal to Street Sense)

agent

Wildcat-Diamonds and Legs

agent

Holdings