Pure value at Keeneland

Holding their own after two days in a yearling market comparatively softened from the bull’s thrust of the previous four years, Darley’s stallions have demonstrated that the cream does indeed rise to the top.

By average with three or more sold, Street Cry at $344,166, and Bernardini (pictured) pulling $332,500 for 14 sold, ranked a respective third and fourth, right on the heels of Storm Cat’s swansong foal crop.

In the wake of a superlative racing year by super filly Rachel Alexandra and seven more Stakes winners, leading second-crop sire, Medaglia D'Oro totaled $2.6 million, an average of $330,000 for eight lots offered. Susan Fay, (Hip 236) a Medaglia D’Oro filly consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, impressed the discerning eyes of John Ferguson and his team representing Sheikh Mohammed with her balanced physique and feminine look. Perchance a throwback to her great-grandsire Storm Cat, the February-foaled lass out of Stakes-winning Slewpy’s Storm, by Storm Creek, fetched a fair price at $500,000.

Elusive Quality had 11 yearlings sell, with a high price of $420,000. His top selling colt (hip 346) - a replica of himself – is a big chestnut that the auctioneer introduced as a “whale of a horse.” Ferguson had the winning bid for the half-brother to Bear’s Prospector, an assertive colt that showed his class when third in the Charley Barley S at fiercely competitive Woodbine. Lending fire to the blood is their broodmare sire Coronado’s Quest. However, the dam’s half-sister is G1 Coaching Club American Oaks winner On A Soapbox, herself a high-level producer.

A well-developed Elusive Quality (hip 194) colt was hammered down to Tom Goff and Richard Brown’s Blandford Bloodstock for $240,000. A half-brother to Oklahoma Derby winner Mr. Pursuit, he hails from the family of Arlington Million winner Kicken Kris.

On Tuesday, Blandford Bloodstock found Bernardini’s half-sister to sprint champion Speightsown to their taste. They secured the daughter (hip 235) of Aaron and Marie Jones’ Storm Cat mare Silken Cat at $360,000.

From the Dromoland Farm consignment, BBA Ireland from County Kildare purchased a Bernardini filly (hip 41) Monday for $500,000 – the third highest-priced filly on the session. Out of black type winner Tap Your Heels, by Unbridled, the robust grey filly with an intelligent expression, and a gorgeous hip and reach, along with her sibling G1 Wood Memorial winner Tapit, paternally traces to A.P. Indy. This is also the immediate family of Sprint Champion Rubiano.

The sale continues today.