Three Chimneys Farm, who was at the top end on the buyers side during Tuesday’s session of the Keeneland September Yearling sale, stole the spotlight on the other end of the spectrum on Wednesday when the farm had a pair of bred and raised yearlings bring winning bids of at least $1.5 million.
Both horses, a colt and a filly which were consigned by Gainesway, are products of a long-term plan that incorporates offering top-quality horses for sale as well as partnering with top-end buyers, according to Three Chimneys’ COO Chris Baker.
“I think (the sales results are) a validation and more than that, it shows that we are putting together the right building box of horses and people and strategy that over the long-term, if we can keep making the right choices and doing the right things, we’ll be able to do things of significance,” Baker said. “This is not the end, it’s the beginning.”
The first of the two juveniles offered was the filly, hip No. 511, which went for $1.5 million. She was purchased by Justin Zayat, whose family owns Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Zayat plans to campaign the filly in partnership with Coolmore. The filly, by Bernardini, is a full sister to Grade 1 winners To Honor and Serve and Angela Renee.
“From day one she has always been exceptional and she was a hard one to sell,” said Baker afterward. “(But the) mare is in foal to Tapit, carrying a filly. So we’ve got some things to look forward to.”
Not long after the filly sold, hip No. 530, a Tapit colt, sold for $1.65 million to Lael Stables, who Three Chimneys plans on partnering with during the colt’s racing career. Lael campaigned the brilliant Barbaro to victory in the 2006 Kentucky Derby (G1).
“This (colt) has been bought in a partnership,” confirmed Lael owner Roy Jackson. “We have been involved with Three Chimneys in one other partnership and they are going to retain an interest in the colt.”
The colt is out of the top-class race mare Pure Clan, who won the 2008 American Oaks (G1) and 2009 Flower Bowl Inv. (G1). She is a half-sister to Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) winner Greater Good.
Lael and Three Chimneys are also partners on the 2-year-old half-sister to the Tapit colt. The Bernardini filly, named Paschali, was purchased for $850,000 at this year’s OBS March sale. She is entered to make her debut in the fifth race on September 21 at Delaware Park in a 7 1/2-furlong maiden special weight turf affair.
One day earlier, Three Chimneys bought Tuesday’s session topper in partnership with Stonestreet Farm’s Barbara Banke for $1.525 million (story here), playing out the farm’s partnership strategy.
“We’re discussing what we think on that. Three Chimneys is all about trying to build good partnerships so we always go in with the idea of a partnership,” Torrealba said when told of Banke’s comments. “Partnering with good people is what we’re about. We’re very excited.”
