Sierra Farm's $1.4m Pharoah colt reigns supreme during third session

As a stalwart son of American Pharoah stood in the ring at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale on Wednesday, Ed and Sharon Hudon's Sierra Farm rose to new heights with the climbing amount on the bid board.

When the hammer fell on the colt consigned as Hip 729, Larry Best of OXO Equine parted with $1.4 million (£1,073,540/€1,204,835), the top price of Wednesday's third Book 1 session and the most ever paid for a youngster consigned by the Hudon's breeding operation, which has been based in Kentucky off Mt Horeb Pike at the old Chance Farm since 2006.

Larry Best maintains quality control at Keeneland

"This is [the highest price] by far," said farm manager Michael Callanan. "We sold one to Shadwell for $800,000 a couple of years ago, and that was the highest price before this. We're not into highest prices. If he brought $100,000 and the horse went and won a Grade 1, we'd be happy. It's more important that the horse goes on to be a racehorse."

Pride in the product of their programme was bittersweet for Callanan, who said Ed Hudon has been battling severe health issues.

"It's been a rough couple of weeks," he said. "The owner of the farm right now is going through some health issues, [and this success] has been unexpected."

Sierra Farm purchased the Grade 2-winning Pulpit mare Bsharpsonata for $375,000 from Woodford Thoroughbreds' consignment to the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale when she was carrying the American Pharoah colt in utero.

"We've invested in a lot of mares here in the last ten years, a lot of good-quality mares," Callanan said. "We bought 'Bsharp' two years ago and are lucky enough everything worked out, which doesn't normally happen. So it's nice when it does. Some great people bought [the colt]… I wish them all the best, and he'll be looked after the right way.

"He's a superstar, this horse. I'm telling you, he's going to be a superstar."

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