'When you buy something nice you're always going to have to pay for it' - Smash Ticket tops Keeneland at $600,000

After getting outbid for Grade 2 winner Slammed two days before, Flying Dutchmen went to $600,000 on Wednesday to secure her half sister Smash Ticket during the second session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

"It's a running family, we liked the mare physically, we're just really happy we got her," said bloodstock agent Hunter Rankin, who signed on behalf of the Flying Dutchmen breeding and racing outfit. 

"We thought it was a fair price for her. I think when you buy something nice you're always going to have to pay for it."

Smash Ticket, consigned by Legacy Bloodstock, was the fifth mare Flying Dutchmen purchased at the Keeneland November sale. She brought the highest price at Wednesday's session.

Formerly known as Boardshorts, the operation, founded by Travis Boersma, recently acquired a boutique farm off Old Frankfort Pike in the Lexington area. During the opening session, Boardshorts spent $1,805,000 on four mares, led by $875,000 buy Fast And Shiny, a stakes-winning Bernardini mare in foal to Curlin.

"We're trying to just get some really nice, fast mares that were good on the track to develop our program for racing," said Rankin. "These guys are really committed to the long term, they want to breed to race and have a lot of fun."

Smash Ticket, a five-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute, is in foal to hot stallion Nyquist, sire of this year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and likely two-year-old champion filly Immersive..

The mare earned $226,870 in her career, breaking her maiden at Del Mar as a two-year-old before running third in the 2021 Sorrento Stakes. As a three-year-old, she captured the 2022 Weather Vane Stakes at Pimlico, recording a 102 Equibase Speed Figure.

Besides Slammed, who fetched $1.1 million on Monday at Fasig-Tipton's November Sale, Smash Ticket is a half-sibling to multiple state-bred stakes winner Roll On Diabolical and Smash It, an impressive two-year-old winner this past summer at Del Mar.

In all, 215 horses sold for $31,060,000 (including private sales) during the second session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale on Wednesday.

The figures constituted an eight per cent reduction in average price at $144,465 compared to the same session a year earlier, and a 14 per cent reduction in gross. The decline in gross was partly due to 29 fewer horses offered, and 14 fewer horses changing hands than in 2023. The median was on a par with last year at $120,000.

Though prices for individual horses did not meet those from the more select first session on Tuesday, six horses sold for $400,000 or more.

Second-top lot was the Grovendale Sales-consigned Music Street, a Graded-placed Street Sense mare in foal to Taiba, for $500,000. Greg Tramontin, in the process of buying Siena Farm near Paris, Kentucky, purchased the mare.

Six mares sold by Claiborne were part of the complete dispersal of breeding stock for Stuart Janney, chairman of the Jockey Club and a lifelong thoroughbred owner and breeder. His family has been involved in the sport for decades. 

The Janney-raced Gun Boat, a stakes-placed War Front mare, was the highest-priced mare sold by Claiborne on Wednesday, when the five-year-old broodmare prospect fetched a $310,000 final bid by Burger Racing Stables.

A filly by the speedy Life Is Good, consigned by Runnymede Farm, agent for the complete dispersal of Breed First, was the top-priced weanling at $410,000. Classic Equine bought her.

The November Sale continues on Thursday with the third session beginning at 10am local time (3pm GMT). 

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