Day 4 Recap

Day 4 was more of the same. Only about half of the 385 cataloged horses got sold. I no longer care if they call them outs or RNA, either way they are frustrating. The median price was down to $135,000, down from $185,000 the previous day. That cannot be good.

Of my 4 key horses, one was a no show, one was RNAed, and two sold for too little.

That sounds crazy, let me explain. The Noble Mission sold for $30,000 and the Tonalist for $25,000, both less than half the median. I consider that TGTBT (To Good To Be True). I will still keep track of these horses in a special group, but I will exclude them from my main portfolios. I fear these horses have some obvious defect, or bad x-rays or heart scores. I do not think trying to steal $25,000 yearling on the fourth day of the Keeneland sale is a realistic strategy. Maybe for $60,000, I would have said that was a great deal.

I will add one Union Rags to my filly portfolio. The mare was a decent Pletcher trainee that got 4th in a Oaklawn graded stake, and the second dam was a solid horse, and is a full sister to the great mare Spain. It is an interesting pedigree play with an A++ nick. The other Union Rags were outs or RNAs. Maybe this should be a TGTBT, but for now let how the rest of the dale goes. I am a little concerned that I will be left with a collection of $25,000 horses. I was very disappointed the Summer Front RNAed for $45,000, and the Blame was a no show.

I have had little trouble filling my “What if I am Wrong” portfolio. The Practical Joke’s, Violence’s, and Unified’s just fly off the shelf, but there are few bids for my plodders. I am beginning to get a bad attitude about this sale, but I will keep pushing. I have about 30 ideas for tomorrow, and 2 key horses.

West Point bought a very expensive Candy Ride, and an interesting Declaration of War. Eclipse bought an expensive Curlin and a very cheap ($27,000) English Channel.

Donegal bought a marginal Uncle Mo and a confusing Distorted Humor. Starlight paid up for 5 more horses.

MyRacehorse.com added in uncreative fashion an Uncle Mo and an Into Mischief.

I was very disappointed in Ten Strike’s two buys, an expensive Munnings, and a $460,000 Lord Nelson. That is almost enough to disqualify them for this year. That is taking the stretching out a miler too far in my humble opinion. That is why they have horse races.