Resolute Bloodstock Purchases Top Two Horses At Keeneland April Selected Horses Of Racing Age Sale

Recent stakes winner Dana’s Beauty and Cheval de Guerre, a 2-year-old colt by Caravaggio who was second, beaten a neck, in his career debut here yesterday, both sold to John Stewart’s Resolute Bloodstock for $450,000 apiece to be the high sellers of Keeneland’s April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale, held following the final race of the Spring Meet.

Resolute was the sale’s leading buyer, spending $1,172,000 for four horses. They included three of the five-highest prices, including $210,000 for graded stakes-placed Lucky Jeremy, a 3-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky consigned by Paramount Sales, agent.

“We were specifically looking for some (Royal) Ascot horses and we picked up a couple broodmare prospects that can continue to race,” Stewart said. “Keeneland always has great horses here, so it’s a lot of good fun.”

Dana’s Beauty, a 6-year-old daughter of Not This Time, captured the March 23 Latonia Stakes at Turfway Park by 2 3/4 lengths over Chop Chop, winner of today’s Grade 3 Bewitch Presented by Keeneland Sales. Consigned by ELiTE, agent, she is out of the winning City Zip mare City Siren and from the family of Preakness winner and sire Cloud Computing and Grade 1 winner Halo America.

“Her pedigree works really well in our system,” Gavin O’Connor, who signed the ticket, said. “(Resolute’s) John (Stewart) himself loved the horse. She won nicely last time out. The long-range plans are to send her to (trainer) Mike Maker and try to just place her right. We’ll probably start her fresh as a broodmare next year.”

Cheval de Guerre, consigned by Kenneally Racing, agent, was the sale’s final offering. The first foal out of the winning Declaration of War mare Champagne Diet, he is from the family of Grade 1 winner Memories of Silver and Winter Memories, Grade 2 winner Hawkish and Grade 3 winners La Cloche and Bellavais.

“I’m not really surprised. I was expecting a good number for the horse (who finished second at Keeneland April 25 in his career debut),” said consignor and trainer Eddie Kenneally. “He did everything right but was a little unlucky not to have won. He ran a good race. We had some good people on him and we’re delighted to get it done. We’ve had a good little run with this horse in a short period of time.”

For the single-session auction on Friday, Keeneland sold 54 horses for $3,940,000, for an average of $72,963 and a median of $38,500.

Save the Trees, who on April 19 stormed down the Keeneland stretch to win his career debut by three-quarters of a length, sold for $335,000 to trainer Mike Maker. Consigned by Airdrie Stud, agent, the 3-year-old gelding is out of the stakes-placed Forestry mare Canopy Lane.

“We liked him from day one, so we came here to buy him,” Maker said. “We were at the races the day he broke his maiden; we were impressed by that. We tried to pursue him after that, but were unsuccessful, so we came here tonight to get him.”

Meah/Loyd Bloodstock, agent, paid $310,000 for Watchtower, a 3-year-old filly by Demarchelier (GB) who is unbeaten in two races this year. ELiTE, agent for White Birch Farm, consigned Watchtower, who is out of the stakes-placed Exchange Rate mare Zloty and from the family of Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed Teeth of the Dog.

“She will go to California to (trainer) Richard Baltas,” David Meah said. “We’ve had a lot of success together buying horses all over the world. She’s a filly who will really fit California racing. She is tailor made for the G1 Del Mar Oaks and the G1 American Oaks. We were pleasantly surprised with the price.”

With sales of $1,544,000 for 16 horses, ELiTE was the leading consignor.