The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale is underway in Kentucky and to start proceedings a 2.5% share in the recently retired champion stallion Flightline was sold for $US4.6million.
Fred Seitz, founder of Brookdale Farm in Versailles, Kentucky was the highest bidder.
“(The buyer) just called and said, ‘I really want to make a big splash and get involved a little more in the business,’ ” said Seitz, who was on the phone with the buyer during the bidding.
“I did not expect (the price) to go that high. It was pretty exciting. When you’re dealing with top quality, you’ve got to pay. (The buyer) did not give me that kind of figure going in. I could tell once (the bidding) started maybe we were going to keep going. I was a little more nervous than he was. He and his family were watching. I think they were having a really good time.
“With a special horse like (Flightline) all you can do is get involved and then just hope for the best,” Seitz added. “There has never been a horse that has done what he has done for however many years, back to Secretariat. You just have to pay up and get involved, and this is kind of what he’s thinking. He has a broodmare band and I think he is going to have a nicer broodmare band now. He does have some nice mares – six or eight mares at any time. He will probably be shopping now from what I understood.”
Flightline is undefeated in two seasons of racing, with four of his six career wins coming in Grade 1 stakes: the aforementioned Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland, TVG Pacific Classic, Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap and Runhappy Malibu. He has amassed earnings of more than $4.5 million.
On Sunday, it was announced the 4-year-old son of Tapit has been retired from racing and will enter stud next year at Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky.
“It was very exciting; it’s a tribute to Flightline,” Bill Farish of Lane’s End said. “He’s just an incredible horse. There was a tremendous amount of interest. It was so hard to know where something like that would go. It’s the first time anything like this has ever been done with a horse of that magnitude. And there was only one (share) available. It’s an incredible opportunity and only because it’s Flightline.”
Today’s innovative auction featured a first-of-its-kind Metaverse experience designed to give participants a front-row seat in a virtual sales ring designed to replicate the excitement of Keeneland sales. This user-friendly virtual experience was hosted on Spatial and accessible via Oculus headset, desktop computer or mobile phone.
“Flightline’s brilliance captured the hearts and attention of fans around the world, and Keeneland is honored to have showcased this once-in-a-lifetime horse, both on the race track during the Breeders’ Cup and today in our sales ring,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “We are excited to have offered the opportunity via the Metaverse to experience first-hand the excitement and drama of Keeneland sales.”
Retired to Lane’s End Farm after winning the Group I Breeders’ Cup Classic last weekend to finish his racing career undefeated, Flightline was originally a $1million yearling purchase from the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale.
The successful purchaser will receive all rights, benefits, and obligations of a co-owner in accordance with the 4-year-old's syndicate agreement, and will have access to mating seasons and a share of breeding revenue in accordance with their percentage of ownership.
The sale of the share puts the worth of Flightline at an astonishing $US184million.
