By Jessica Martini, Thoroughbred Daily News, 1/13/2017
Gainesway was noticeable among stallion owners bidding on mares at the Keeneland January sale to support their first-season sires and through four days of the five-day auction, the Kentucky nursery has signed for five mares targeted to visit two-time graded stakes winner Anchor Down (Tapit) when he begins his stud career next month.
During Thursday’s session of the sale, farm general manager Neil Howard signed the ticket at $50,000 for the racing/broodmare prospect Glad Your Back (Speightstown) (hip 1498) and acquired Tizn’tshebeautiful (Uncle Mo) (hip 1335) for $45,000.
“We were looking for mares who combined good pedigrees with good gene pools which would be compatible with him and mares that physically fit him well,” explained Gainesway’s Michael Hernon. “He’s got size and scope, he’s 16.1 hands. We looked for mares who were strong and well-made who would complement him physically with the idea of producing commercial first-crop foals.”
The five mares bought under the name Anchor Down Mares ranged in price from $17,000 up to $50,000.
“We were looking to add mares to his book, but not be overexposed on the price side of things,” Hernon said. “This sale has been somewhat soft, so I think we were buying mares who, in previous years, would have cost more money.”
Gainesway bred Anchor Down, who is out of Successful Outlook (Orientate) and is a half-brother to Grade 1 Test S. winner Sweet Lulu (Mr. Greeley). The farm sold the gray to Alto Racing for $250,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale. He went on to win last year’s Grade 2 Kelso H. and Grade 3 Westchester S. and was second behind Frosted (Tapit) in the Grade 1 Metropolitan H. The 6-year-old stallion will begin his stud career at $10,000.
“He’s drawn good attention,” Hernon said. “He got there early in December and people like him. Anchor Down has a lot of Tapit about him. He has good size and good scope, he gets the height from his mother. He was a really good miler and he showed lots of speed. He beat good horses and he ran fast. We think he has plenty of potential in the stallion department.”
