Since I did have Rombauer last year, let’s take a shot at two in a row.
My pick is Early Voting. Owner Seth Klarman was an investor that purchased our research for over 15 years. He is an interesting guy to watch buy horses. In the real world Seth is a value investor. He does not buy the most popular stocks, or horses.
Klarman paid only $200,000 for this son of Gun Runner at the Keeneland. There were 13 more expensive Gun Runners at the 2020 Keeneland sale. There were 3 that sold for $750,000 each. Klarman found the value by buying into a dam by plodding Tiznow mare that had never raced. This was the perfect “empty” mare. I did not understand this strategy at first, but now I am a believer.
Worthy of note is Creative Minister. This was $180,000 Keeneland yearling from a very unpopular $5,000 sire Creative Cause. The mare was 1 for 24 at Charles Town. The hip number was #1998, maybe day 6 of the 12 day sale. This must have been one great looking horse.
Of course selling as hip #1946 in the same sale was a little horse named Epicenter that sold for a reasonable $260,000 for a son of Not This Time. The mare was a decent allowance winner at Arlington Park, but nothing special.
Armagnac was a $210,000 Quality Road at the same sale, again a bargain.
Skippylonstocking sold for $15,000 as hip #2811 at the same sale.
Fenwick was a $52,000 yearling at the Fasig-Tipton October sale. Given he is a son of Curling he must have had some vet issues.
Happy Jack was offered at a breeding stock sale in November and he was RNAed. Simplification was a $50,000 RNA as a yearling.
Secret Oath is a home bred where the owners paid I think %50,000 for Arrogate’s services.
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It was good to get Early Voting home as the winner of the Preakness at 5-1. Gun Runner is an expensive sire, but more of a plodder than a speed demon. The Tiznow mare pretty much makes him a plodder/plodder and he is certainly out of an empty mare.
Congratulation to Seth Klarman. He is a brilliant investor and a smart horse buyer.
Buying A Race Horse 