$180,000 Ghostzapper Filly Electricita Leads Penultimate Day of Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale

Electricita, a 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper, who is from the family of Canadian Hall of Famer Dancethruthedawn and Grade 1 winner Moreno, sold to Cecil Seaman, agent for longtime client Jon Marshall, for $180,000 during Thursday’s fourth session of the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale.

Electricita, who is out of the A.P. Indy mare Dance With Doves, is a half-sister to stakes winner Dance Again and stakes-placed Swoop and Strike. She was consigned by Sam-Son Farm, a prominent Canadian breeding operation that recently began offering horses in the commercial sales market.

Seaman’s associate Sally Nims acknowledged the rare opportunity to buy a filly from a highly prized Sam-Son family.

“You can’t find anything in the family, so he was thrilled when this filly was offered,” she said.

“We were very reasonable with our reserve,” Sam-Son manager David Whitford said. “We were prepared to take her home, of course. We were delighted with the price; it was well above her reserve.

“We knew there were plenty of people who would like her as a broodmare,” he continued. “We’ve got lots of different parts of that family. It’s a family that just keeps on giving to us. We still have lots, so we’re not afraid to sell some. But we don’t do it very often, especially for a nice filly like that.”

With the purchase, Seaman was the session’s leading buyer.

On Thursday, Sam-Son also offered two other fillies who descend from successful Sam-Son families. Sam-Son sold the 4-year-old Giant’s Causeway filly Thrill of Giants, who is out of Canadian champion Catch the Thrill, for $70,000 to Kendel Standlee and the 3-year-old Uncle Mo filly Troubles No Mo, who is from the same family, to Jane Buchanan, agent, for $22,000.

For the session, Keeneland sold 244 horses for $3,448,100, for an average of $14,132 and a median of $7,000.

The 952 horses sold through four sessions of the five-day sale have grossed $41,118,900, for an average of $43,192 and a median of $17,000.

The second-highest price on Thursday was $150,000, which Stripes Stable paid for Tip Top Tap, a 5-year-old daughter of Tapit in foal to Kantharos. Gainesway, agent, consigned the mare, who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Ring Weekend. She is out of Free the Magic, by Cryptoclearance.

“By Tapit and a lovely family, and she’s very well covered,” said Adrian Wallace, who signed the ticket. “We’ll take her home and see what kind of foal we get and then see what we breed her to next. She should be a nice mare for the future.”

Gainesway was the session’s leading consignor with sales of $463,200 for 18 horses.

Machmer Hall, agent for Robert J. Slack, paid $100,000 for Piece by Peace, a 4-year-old winning daughter of Declaration of War who is a half-sister to stakes winner Cat Burglar and from the family of Grade 2 winner Eight Belles. Indian Creek, agent, consigned Piece by Peace, a daughter of the Forest Wildcat mare Be My Prospect. Carrie Brogden, who signed the ticket, said Piece by Peace will return to racing.

Indian Creek, agent, also consigned Thursday’s top-priced yearling, a son of Street Boss sold for $90,000 to Knockgriffin Farm. The colt is the first foal out of the winning Smart Strike mare Lotta Lolly, a full sister to Grade 1 winner Square Eddie.

Knockgriffin also paid $80,000 for a colt from the first crop of American Freedom out of Looking Great, by Include, consigned by Stuart Morris, agent for Morgan’s Ford Farm. 

Friday is the final day of the January Sale, which begins at 10 a.m. ET. The auction is streamed live on Keeneland.com.