Nesselrode brings $185,000

NESSELRODE (Lemon Drop Kid) sold for the top price of $185,000 to Machmer

Hall at Friday's session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in

Lexington, Kentucky. The three-year-old broodmare prospect, consigned by Mill

Ridge Sales, agent, is a half-sister to stakes winner and Grade 3-placed Desert

Gold (Seeking the Gold), who won six of 12 starts and earned $243,438.

Nesselrode sold

as Hip No. 4381.

The session topper is out of the winning Storm Cat mare Desert Stormette, a

full sister to 1995 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) heroine Desert Stormer who produced

2000 Beaumont S. (G2) queen Sahara Gold (Seeking the Gold). Desert Stormette is

a half-sister to the dam of stakes winners The Exeter Man (Capote), an earner of

$536,354, and Icy Wind (Clackson).

Nesselrode previously sold as a weanling for $460,000 at the 2003 Keeneland

November sale.

A colt by Cuvee was the highest-priced weanling, selling for $60,000 to

Caswell Bloodstock. Consigned by Calumet Farm, agent, the bay is out of the

winning Royal Academy mare Royal Dove (Ire), a half-sister to Grade 3 winner and

Group 1-placed Buffalo Berry (Ire) (Sri Pekan), the dam of 2005 Transylvania S.

(G3) winner Chattahoochee War (War Chant).

The Kentucky-bred was cataloged as Hip 4424.

On Friday, 226 horses sold for $2,974,100, an increase of 86.9 percent

compared to the same session last year when 197 horses brought $1,591,400. The

average price jumped 62.9 percent, from $8,078 to $13,160, while the median price

soared 90.5 percent, from $4,200 to $8,000.

With two days of the 14-day auction remaining, 2,861 horses have sold for

$311,554,100, up 7.6 percent over last year's aggregate of $289,602,900 for

2,816 horses. The average price has increased 5.9 percent, from $102,842 to

$108,897, and the median price rose 20 percent, from $35,000 to

$42,000.

The sale continues on Saturday at 10 a.m. (EST). For complete results, visit

www.keeneland.com.