Runhappy the early leader among first-crop sires at Keeneland with big average

If one of the best ways a stud farm can express faith in its stallions is through the sale ring, Claiborne Farm showed it is fully behind Runhappy, the champion sprinter whose first foals are yearlings, when buying one of his colts for $450,000 on Monday at Keeneland for the farm-affiliated Marchmont Stable.

But Claiborne is far from alone in supporting Runhappy, the son of Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver who has stood his first three seasons for an advertised fee of $25,000.

With four yearlings sold in the opening Book 1 session of the Keeneland September sale, Runhappy led all first-crop sires with an average price of $422,500.

For the year to date, Runhappy is a close second to champion and Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist among first-crop sires by yearling average, with each having 15 sold and the Runhappy progeny averaging $283,400 while the Nyquist offspring have averaged $288,333.

Walker Hancock, Claiborne president, said he viewed the Runhappy colt acquired for the Marchmont racing venture as such a strong prospect that he was a relative bargain, even at a cost of 18 times his sire’s stud fee.

He said: “We thought we were going to have to pay more for him - we were prepared to. If he was by Quality Road or Curlin or a proven sire, he would have brought $1 million-plus. We thought we got him at a great deal, and obviously he’s by a stallion we totally believe in as well. We couldn’t be happier."

Bred by Wayne, Gray and Bryan Lyster and sold by the family’s Ashview Farm, the Runhappy colt produced by the Empire Maker mare Queen Of Empire was offered as Hip 38. He is a half-brother to stakes-placed winners King Cyrus and Coexistence, and his third dam is Kentucky Oaks winner Dispute.

Great prospect

Hancock said: “We’ve seen a bunch of nice Runhappys and he’s one of the best ones. We feel like we got a really great prospect."

Claiborne also sold a Runhappy colt in the opening session, obtaining $325,000 from Harris Training Center for Hip 43 out of a half-sister to multiple graded winner Kitten’s Point.

Marchmont Stable currently has five horses in training split between Bill Mott and Christophe Clement. The goal is to buy about four yearlings annually to race, Hancock said.

The Marchmont Runhappy colt was superseded by price later in the Keeneland opening session, when Hip 139, another colt by the sire, was acquired by China Horse Club and WinStar Farm’s Maverick Racing for $575,000.

Consigned by Eaton Sales and bred by Kathryn Nikkel and Pegasus Stud, that colt is the first foal out of the stakes-winning Speightstown mare Tarty To The Party and is from the family of European filly Golden Opinion, winner of the 1989 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

International interest in Runhappy’s offspring was expressed when Japanese breeder Dr Masatake Iida of Chiyoda Farm paid $340,000 for Hip 169, a filly out of Unbridled Empire, by Empire Maker, and thus a half-sister to Grade 2 winners Arklow and Maraud. She was consigned by Penn Sales.

Keeneland has catalogued 11 yearlings by Runhappy in Book 1, with one of the most promising by pedigree being Hip 535, a filly out of Grade 1 winner Meadow Breeze and so a half-sister to Grade 1-placed Royal Copy, in the Wednesday session.

Meadow Breeze is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and successful young sire Overanalyze.

Overall, there are 54 Runhappy yearlings in the 13-session Keeneland September sale catalogue.

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