Unbridled's Song colt goes for $560,000

An Unbridled's Song half-brother to unbeaten juvenile stakes winner Sherriff

Cogburn (Vindication) was purchased by Tommy and Bonnie Hamilton's Silverton

Hill for $560,000 at Friday's sixth session of the Keeneland September Yearling

Sale. The gray colt was consigned by Gainesway, agent for Eldon Farm Equine, and

cataloged as Hip No. 1447.

"He was a very athletic horse by a top sire," said bloodstock advisor Ben

McElroy, who was seated in the pavilion with Tommy Hamilton. "His half-brother,

Sherriff Cogburn, looks like a very promising two-year-old. It's a bit more than

we wanted to give, but he's a nice horse."

The March 19 foal was produced by four-time stakes victress Sweet Nanette

(You and I), whose resume includes a runner-up effort in the 2001 La Troienne S.

(G3). Retired with $392,845 in earnings from her 13-7-2-0 record, Sweet Nanette

has been newsworthy of late as the dam of the well-regarded Sherriff Cogburn.

The two-year-old has won both of his starts by a combined 16 1/4 lengths, most

recently romping in the August 6 Prairie Meadows Juvenile Mile S. Sherriff

Cogburn was expected to be the leading player in the September 11

Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3), until his connections (owner Dream Walkin'

Farms and trainer Don Von Hemel) decided to shelve him in anticipation of his

sophomore season.

Hoods Up Stable is a partnership of Michael Pegram, Paul Weitman and Karl

Watson, who campaign champion and 2010 Preakness S. (G1) winner Lookin at Lucky

(Smart Strike). The trio also owns the three-year-old filly Subsidized (Ghostzapper),

a winner in three of four career starts, including the September 9 Beverly J.

Lewis S. by 5 3/4 lengths at Fairplex Park. Both Lookin at Lucky and Subsidized

are Keeneland sales graduates.

"We've had luck with Subsidized," Baffert said, "and I love Ghostzapper. I

think he's a great horse. (This colt) is from a good family and he looks pretty

exceptional."

The bay is out of 1999 Cotillion H. (G2) winner Skipping Around (Skip Trial),

an earner of $259,603 from her 13-6-2-1 mark. Skipping Around has produced two

stakes performers so far -- the aforementioned Sugar Shake, who landed the 2007

Santa Maria H. (G1), El Encino S. (G2) and Turnback the Alarm H. (G3) en route

to bankrolling $500,635, and the stakes-placed Explosive Heat (Touch Gold).

"I'm very, very happy. I do think he's the best colt I've ever raised," said

consignor Paramount Sales' Gabriel Duignan, who bred the colt in partnership.

"He just showed himself great since coming onto the grounds. Physically, this

guy's a lot like his dad. He's strong but he's also sleek. He's not a heavy

horse."

Baffert signed the ticket for $420,000 on behalf of Robert LaPenta's

Whitehorse Stable for a bay colt by Lemon Drop Kid. Consigned by Peter

O'Callaghan's Woods Edge Farm, agent, Hip 1431 is out of the stakes-placed Quiet

American mare Summer Delight. The colt's fourth dam is Broodmare of the Year

Toll Booth (Buckpasser).

On Friday, 217 yearlings realized $23,297,500, a nearly 57 percent jump from

the $14,843,000 brought by 255 horses at the comparable session last year. The

$107,362 average and $85,000 median prices skyrocketed 84.4 percent and 88.9

percent, respectively, from the $58,208 average and $45,000 median recorded in

2009.