Category Archives: What’s Happening!

There is no reason for me to attempt to disguise my love for Uncle Mo. It was, in fact, love at first sight, at an Ashford Stud open house a few years ago. He is, simply, the most magnificent stallion I’ve ever seen.

The recently completed Tattersalls December Foal and Mare Sale revealed robust bidding for top mares, enough to heighten the median this year 32% over last year’s sale, the most telling statistic for such mixed sales. Twenty-two mares brought over 500,000 guineas, a record.

The North American-breds didn’t have a chance in the Mrs. Revere S.-G2 at Churchill Downs on November 29. Irish-bred Nay Lady Nay (No Nay Never) found her way to the wire first, followed by German-bred Dalika (Pastorius) and Irish-bred The Mackem Bullet (Society Rock).

The first day of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale had no special fireworks, though three of the top lots were from the first crops of sires El Kabeir, Territories and Night of Thunder, all of which sold in the 60-65,000 guineas range. Examine the pedigrees of these three foals, however, and one will find the one presence they have in common: Green Desert

Keeneland’s November Sale demonstrated how the thoroughbred market seems to continue to encompass the widening gulf between the haves and have-nots. There is almost no middle market at horse sales at this time, as the just-completed Keeneland November Sale showed.

The top-selling lot of the Goffs November Breeding Stock and Foal Sale was Snowflakes, who sold for £525,000, in foal to the promising young Coolmore sire U S Navy Flag. Snowflakes, like the unicorn, is that rare if not fantastical creature: a gray Galileo mare.