Honest Pursuit brings $3.1 million at Keeneland November.

Honest Pursuit brings $3.1 million at Keeneland November

Wednesday's second session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in

Lexington, Kentucky, saw four horses from the Overbrook Dispersal bring

seven-figure prices to help the session gross $45,360,000, an increase of 8

percent over last year's corresponding session which saw an aggregate of

$42,006,000. The median of $175,000 also rose on Wednesday for the 169 horses

sold, jumping 9.4 percent over 12 months ago when 150 horses brought a median of

$160,000. The average for the session dropped 4.2 percent, falling from $280,040

in 2008 to $268,402.

Honest Pursuit's stellar family line no doubt helped her sale price (Enzina Mastrippolito/Horsephotos.com) HONEST PURSUIT (Storm Cat), a daughter of Grade 1 queen Honest Lady (Seattle Slew) and half-sister to last year's Forego S. (G1) victor First Defence (Unbridled's Song), entered the sale's ring as Hip No. 471 and helped end the day on a high note when Wertheimer et Frere made a successful bid of $3.1 million to top the session Consigned by Eaton Sales, who is handling the Overbrook Dispersal, the dark bay four-year-old racked up $96,985 in earnings to go along with a 7-2-2-1 career line. Honest Pursuit also counts as half-siblings listed winners Phantom Rose (Danzig) and Honest Quality (Elusive Quality). The racing or broodmare prospect's granddam is the blue-hen mare and 2002 Broodmare of the Year Toussaud (El Gran Senor), who has produced four Grade 1 winners from seven runners. In addition to Honest Lady, she's responsible for 2003 Belmont S. (G1) victor and sire Empire Maker (Unbridled), 2000 Arlington Million (G1) hero and sire Chester House (Mr. Prospector), and 2002 Secretariat S. (G1) scorer Chiselling (Woodman). Another of Toussaud's sons, Decarchy (Distant View), posted wins in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G2) and Tanforan H. (G3) in 2002. COTTON BLOSSOM (Broken Vow) brought the second-highest price on the day, selling for $2.3 million to Brushwood Stable as Hip 413. Consigned by Eaton Sales, Cotton Blossom captured the 2007 Acorn S. (G1) and Florida Oaks, as well as the Schuylerville S. (G3) as a juvenile. She placed in four graded races during her two-season campaign, recording seconds in the Spinaway S. (G1) and Fantasy S. (G2), and thirds in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and Delaware Oaks (G2). The bay retired with $724,987 in earnings accumulated from an 11-4-2-2 mark.

The five-year-old mare is out of stakes winner For Dixie (Dixieland Band),

making her a half-sister to 2005 Perryville S. (G3) winner Vicarage (Vicar) and

the unraced Fat City (Carson City), who is herself the dam of multiple stakes

heroine Miss Atlantic City (Stormy Atlantic). Others of note in this female line

include dual Grade 1 scorer Dontstop Themusic (Stop the Music), Grade 2 winner

Spectacular Sue (Spectacular Bid) and multiple Grade 3 queen Zonk (Farma Way).

Cotton Blossom was sold in foal to Street Cry (Ire) on a March 10 cover.

The third-highest price on Wednesday came when SUMMER RAVEN (Summer Squall),

Hip 313, entered the ring. Also coming from the dispersal handled by Eaton

Sales, the seven-year-old mare brought a final bid of $1.7 million from Reynolds

Bell, agent. The Grade 3-winning mare's first foal, juvenile colt Winslow Homer

(Unbridled's Song), broke his maiden by three lengths at Saratoga on August 22

for trainer Tony Dutrow.

Summer Raven, who is believed in foal to Unbridled's Song on

an April 22 cover, is out of the winning Rahy Rose (Rahy), who is most noted for

producing multiple Grade 1-winning sire Wild Rush (Wild Again). Rahy Rose, who

is also the dam of Grade 3-placed Almuhathir (Capote), is herself out of Grade

1-placed Hardship (Drone) and comes from the same family as 1997 Middle Park S.

(Eng-G1) winner Hayil (Dayjur).

Edward Evans went to $1.3 million to secure DARK SKY (Storm Cat) from Eaton

Sales. Consigned as Hip 418, the four-year-old lass sold as a racing or

broodmare prospect after compiling a 5-2-1-0, $82,733, record during one season

of racing, which took place in 2008. The chestnut filly is out of Grade 2 winner

Media Nox (GB) (Lycius), who previously has produced French Oaks (Fr-G1) heroine

Nebraska Tornado (Storm Cat), Group 2 victor Burning Sun (Danzig) and Grade 3

victress Mirabilis (Lear Fan). Media Nox is herself a half-sister to Group 2

queen Bonash (Rainbow Quest), who is the dam of Group 3 scorers Day Flight

(Sadler's Wells) and Sense of Joy (Dansili [GB]).

Others of note in Dark Sky's family include English highweight and dual Group

2 winner Missed Flight (GB) (Dominion [GB]), 1966 Broodmare of the Year Juliets

Nurse (Count Fleet) and Grade 1 hero Full Out (Never Bend).

Cumulative numbers for the sale are down across the board, with 295 horses

selling for a total $71,651,500, an average of $242,886 and a median of $160,000

so far. Those figures represent declines of 20.4 percent, 19.3 percent and 5.9

percent, respectively, over 2008 when 299 horses brought an aggregate

$90,027,000, an average of $301,094 and a median of $170,000.

The 13-day sale continues Thursday and runs through November 22. Sessions

begin at 10 a.m. (EST) daily. Live coverage and results can be found at

keeneland.com.