Point Ashley highlights Keeneland's opening session

Grade 1 winner POINT ASHLEY (Point Given), a finalist for an Eclipse Award as

champion two-year-old filly, sold for the top price of $1.8

million at Monday's opening session of the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages

Sale in Lexington, Kentucky. Consigned by John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Sales

Agency, agent for Ahmed Zayat, the three-year-old filly was

purchased by Hill 'n' Dale Bloodstock.

"We're trying to assemble a band of elite broodmares, and she fits all the

criteria," Sikura said. "She's a great physical horse, good conformation, a top

performer, and she's well bred."

Consigned as a racing or broodmare prospect and cataloged as Hip No. 109,

Point Ashley is out of the unraced Slew o' Gold mare Golden Thatch, a

half-sister to the stakes-winning stakes producer Pleasantly Free (Pleasant

Colony). Point Ashley is herself a half-sister to 1995 Landaluce S. (G2) winner and

$509,005-earner Raw Gold (Rahy).

Sikura said he is undecided as to whether Point Ashley will remain in

training or be bred, but said, "We're in the breeding business (and) we've got a

Grade 1 winner."

Point Ashley won the Del Mar Debutante S. (G1) and finished second in the Oak

Leaf Breeders' Cup S. (G1). The Bob Baffert-trained bay earned $237,200 from a

record of 4-2-1-1.

Zayat acquired Point Ashley for $725,000 at the 2006 Keeneland April

Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. She previously sold for $140,000 at the 2005 Keeneland

January sale, and later that same year, she was bought back for $115,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Hip 198, SWAN NEBULA (Seeking the Gold), in foal to El Prado (Ire) on a May

27 cover, sold for $525,000 to John McCormack Bloodstock. Consigned by Bluewater

Sales, agent, the five-year-old mare is a full sister to Japanese stakes winner Gold

Tiara and a half-sister to stakes winner Queen's Park (Relaunch), the dam of

stakes-placed Queen's College (Carson City).

Swan Nebula, who won two of five starts in England, is out of the winning

Chief's Crown mare Bright Tiara, a full sister to 1992 Brooklyn H. (G1) and

$1.2-million earner Chief Honcho. She hails from the same female family as

multiple Grade 1 winner General Assembly (Secretariat) and multiple Grade 2

winner American Chance (Cure the Blues).

Hip 256, a colt by Distorted Humor, was the top-priced yearling, selling for

$500,000 to Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Stable. The chestnut, a half-brother to

Grade 3 winner and $874,134-earner Areyoutalkintome (Smokester), was consigned

by Legacy Bloodstock, agent.

"He's a beautiful little foal by a great sire; a good purchase at this age.

He'll double in value as a yearling," Jackson said. "If he turns out to be as

good a runner as he looks, we'll have something special."

The April 16 Kentucky-bred is out of the unraced Storm Bird mare Andrea Gail,

a half-sister to 2000 Triple Bend Breeders' Cup H. (G2) winner Elaborate (Gilded

Time). This is the same female family as 2001 Clark H. (G2) winner Ubiquity

(Colonial Affair). The yearling's fourth dam is 1979 champion two-year-old filly

Smart Angle (Quadrangle).

The sales company reported 211 horses sold for $18,970,000, a decrease of

15.8 percent compared to the opening session in 2006 when 251 horses brought an

aggregate of $22,523,100. The average price rose slightly from $89,773 to

$89,905. The median price increased 10 percent, from $50,000 to $55,000.

"It was a very solid session," said Keeneland Director of Sales Geoffrey

Russell. "It started very slow since people were adjusting to January versus

November. But once they got their feet under them, it went on very well. There

is still the desire for the young horse, but overall, I think horses sold very

well today."

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

keeneland.com.