Roan Inish brings $500,000 at Keeneland January second session

Roan Inish brings $500,000 at Keeneland January second

session

"(The buyer) is domestic, bought some yearling fillies this year and wants to

develop a quality program," Ryan said. "He's in it for the long haul."

"The pedigree is exceptional," Ryan continued. "(She's) a really, really

good-looking Distorted Humor. That's as good a (catalog) page as you can get.

These kind of families don't come on the market very often. Claiborne (Farm) all

the way through: Glowing Tribute, Wild Applause. It's one of the probably top

four or five families in the country.

"She deserves a top stallion. She could be a foundation mare, and that's what

(the buyer) is looking for. We knew we'd have to reach for her. These kind don't

fall through the cracks -- everybody sees them -- but she was pretty special."

Canadian champion CONQUEST HARLANATE sold for $450,000 to Shimokobe Farm of

Japan within an hour of the start of the session.

"This mare is going to stay here in the United States and will be bred to

American Pharoah," said Nobu Araki, who signed the ticket. "We're all set up.

This is exciting. (The buyer) really wanted this filly. We're very excited."

Lane's End, agent, consigned Conquest Harlanate, a four-year-old, graded

stakes-winning daughter of Harlan's Holiday who was Canada's champion juvenile

filly in 2014. Sold as a broodmare prospect, she is out of the Dixieland Band

mare Allison's Pride and from the family of Grade 1 winner Clear Choice.

"Physically, she's got a great head, beautiful face, great shoulder," Araki

said. "She's got the class. We're very happy."

Dominic Brennan, agent for Highland Yard LLC, paid $420,000 for the

stakes-winning Speightstown mare MOTHER RUTH. In foal to Will Take Charge, the

10-year-old mare was consigned by Lane's End, agent. Mother Ruth is out of the

stakes-winning Colonial Affair mare Seven Four Seven and from the family of

Grade 2 winner Debutant's Halo and Grade 3 winner Michael's Star.

"We race some and we sell some," said Lindsay LaRoche of Hyland Yard. "We

tend to keep the fillies and sell the colts. We're building up a bit of a

broodmare band and get about seven or eight quality broodmares and we think we

did that here.

"She was all class. Perfect conformation. Perfect walk. Hopefully, that

traces through to her babies and we'll have a good broodmare here. This one we

love, and we'll see how we do."

At $250,000, the session's top-priced yearling was the Uncle Mo colt

purchased by Steven W. Young, agent. Consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent, he is

out of the Silver Ghost mare It's Spooky and is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner

Rerun.

"Couldn't be a bigger fan of Uncle Mo right now," Young said. "The (yearling)

is a super individual and I hope he's brave and lucky. He's a very nice horse.

He was bought for a man that races and I imagine that's what we'll do."

Gross receipts were down Tuesday when compared to last year's second session,

though the session average and median were higher. At the end of trading, 193

horses had sold for $13,020,400, a decline of 14.3 percent from a year ago when

248 horses brought $15,191,200. The session average rose 10.1 percent, from $61,255 to $67,463, while the

median jumped 16.7 percent, from $30,000 to $35,000.

With two auction days in the books, 375 horses have sold for $26,651,600, a

decline of 4.1 percent from this point in 2015 when 452 horses brought

$27,798,400. The average is up 15.6 percent, from $61,501 to $71,071, while the

median has risen 16.7 percent, from $30,000 to $35,000.

The sale continues daily through Friday with sessions beginning at 10 a.m.

(EST). The sale is streamed live on keeneland.com.