It was a book topper for Gainesway during Keeneland September when a $1.5 million colt offered by the consignment led the way in Book 3.
Purchased by RTM Racing, the Three Chimneys-bred Not This Time colt has had multiple updates in recent months with his dam’s Grade 2-placed half-sister Always Carina seeing her Kentucky Oaks (G1) winning Gun Runner daughter finish second in both the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and Cotillion (G1). The mare’s 2-year-old full sister to that filly also won on debut.
“We loved this colt,” Tagermeen’s Mahmud Mouni said. “He has an amazing pedigree. We did not expect to have to pay that much, but when you look at the horses for the next few days–even the next few hours–it will be very tough to find horses like him. He is amazing, a gorgeous colt.”
This colt is the first foal out of his winning dam Ana’s Gun, who shares a sire with Always a Runner. Ana’s Gun is also a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) winner Structor. This is a huge page with others on it including Breeders’ Cup Fillies Turf (G2) winner More Than Real and her Australian champion granddaughter Lady of Camelot among many others.
Gainesway also had the third most expensive offering of Book 3 when St. Elias, West Point, Lane’s End Racing, and Belladonna purchased Hip 1412 for $1.25 million.
This Life Is Good colt’s dam Graceful Fancy saw her 2-year-old win on debut this year to take her to two winners from two to race. Graceful Fancy is a daughter of the Grade 1 winning Icon Project, whose other runners include Grade 2 winner Fashion Business.
Icon Project is one of four stakes performers out of the Grade 1 winning La Gueriere, whose daughter La Comete produced Grade 2 winner and successful sire Munnings.
“He was a perfectly balanced individual,” Graves said of why he bought the colt for $285,000 last fall to pinhook. “He wasn’t the biggest horse I’ve ever bought, but he had everything in the right spot. He had a lot of definition to his shoulder and withers, something I am really fond of in a horse. I thought he would grow a little more than he did and there was a time that I was maybe a little apprehensive about that, but there was a lot of quality about him.”
Gainesway’s Book 3 horses averaged $323,375 for 40 sold, the highest average for any consignment with more than 10 sold. In all, through three books, Gainesway has averaged $484,224 for 103 sold with 12 millionaires.